NCAA Basketball Preseason Tournaments: ESPN Events Invitational 2022

Some of the top college basketball talent in the country will be on display when the ESPN Events Invitational Tournament tips off this weekend.

The annual tournament, which started in 2006, begins on November 24 and wraps up November 27. Typically, eight teams from separate NCAA conferences compete in the four-day competition, with the championship game taking place on Sunday. The entire tournament takes place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. 

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2022 ESPN Events Invitational Basketball Participants

Here are the eight schools participating in this year’s tournament. 

Memphis Tigers

Memphis will likely be the most chalked team in this tournament. The Tigers lost star Jalen Duren to the NBA but replaced him with additional talent. Kendric Davis has averaged 20 points per game this year, while forward DeAndre Williams has also stepped it up for 15.3 PPG. 

With head coach Penny Hardaway at the helm, the Tigers are in an excellent position for a run to the finals.

Florida State Seminoles

The Seminoles have been unimpressive so far, losing their first four games of the season. The club’s shooting has been a tad inconsistent this year and the turnover numbers have been brutal. Florida State is averaging 14.3 turnovers per game right now, and a condensed four-day tournament isn’t likely to make things any better. 

Oklahoma Sooners

The Sooners brought back multiple returning players and the early results have been solid. Oklahoma is 3-1, largely thanks to big man Tanner Groves, who is averaging a double-double through four games. 
Memphis will be talked about a lot, but Oklahoma could be a dark-horse pick in this tournament. 

Nebraska Cornhuskers

Coming off its third consecutive losing season, Nebraska is hoping to dodge yet another season of misery in the Big Ten. So far, things have held up as the club opened the season 3-1. Heading into this tournament, it’ll be up to guard Sam Griesel to lift the Cornhuskers from the abyss of losing basketball. 

Stanford Cardinal

Jerod Haase’s squad has begun the year 2-2 with a few red flags. Notably, the team is averaging just 70 points per game, and forward Harrison Ingram is off to a slow start, averaging just 7.3 points on 34.5 percent shooting. It doesn’t look like the Cardinal have a chance in this tournament.

Ole Miss Rebels

The Rebels have hovered around .500 over the last few seasons, but they look much better in 2022. Kermit Davis’ crew has improved, especially on defense, where Ole Miss is forcing 15.3 turnovers per game and holding opponents to 40 percent shooting. The Rebels could be sneaky in this tournament. 

Seton Hall Pirates

Seton Hall is the perfect definition of a team. The Pirates have no single superstar but instead rely on a deep roster where everyone chips in. Three-point shooting is big for Seton Hall’s success, so we’ll be able to get a quick read on the Pirates if they’re draining from deep to start the tournament. That said, keep expectations mild for them this weekend.

Siena Saints

Siena has found itself in several high-scoring games to begin the Metro Atlantic season. Javian McCollum has been outstanding through four games, averaging 15.8 points. The Saints will face much stiffer competition in this ESPN Invitational tournament, though, which is bound to rein in the offense. 

ESPN Events Invitational 2022 Schedule

The tournament begins Thursday, November 24, and finishes on Sunday, November 27. All games are played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando. 

ESPN Events Invitational Quarterfinals (Thurs., Nov. 24)

ESPN Events Invitational Semifinals (Fri., Nov. 25)

ESPN Events Invitational Consolation Semifinals (Fri., Nov. 25)

ESPN Events Invitational Finals (Sun., Nov. 27)

ESPN Events Invitational Previous Sportsbooks