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Las Vegas mecca of college basketball Thanksgiving week

Next to early March, Thanksgiving week is the busiest time of the year for college basketball in Las Vegas. This year it runs from A to Z — that is, from aloha to Zags.

For men’s basketball, the week tips off Monday with men’s basketball in the Maui Invitational, which is in Las Vegas, being held at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob Ultra Arena, because of the pandemic. It ends Friday with top-ranked Gonzaga meeting Duke at T-Mobile Arena.

In between, you’ll find two tournaments at Orleans Arena on the same two days. Another tournament takes over T-Mobile Arena. And if you want to see a game before or after turkey, five games are played on Thanksgiving Day.

The Zags play two games at T-Mobile before Duke, including a Tuesday matchup with UCLA on national television.

Women’s basketball will be featured at the South Point Arena (Thursday-Saturday) and Cox Pavilion (Saturday-Sunday).

In all, that’s seven basketball events this week. Consider it an appetizer for March, when 10 men’s and women’s conference tournaments return to town.

Men’s basketball

Maui Invitational

At Michelob Ultra Arena

Monday’s quarterfinals

Texas A&M vs. Wisconsin, 11 a.m., ESPN2

Butler vs. Houston, 1:30 p.m., ESPN2

Oregon vs. Chaminade, 6 p.m., ESPNU

Saint Mary’s vs. Notre Dame, 8:30 p.m., ESPN2

Tuesday’s semifinals

Quarterfinal winners, 2 p.m., ESPN

Quarterfinal winners, 5 p.m., ESPN

Tuesday’s consolation semifinals

Quarterfinal losers, 11:30 a.m., ESPN2

Quarterfinal losers, 7:30 p.m., ESPNU

Wednesday’s final round

Championship, 2 p.m., ESPN

3rd/4th Place, 11:30 a.m., ESPN2

5th/6th Place, 8:30 p.m., ESPN2

7th/8th Place, 6 p.m., ESPNU

Good Sam Empire Classic

Monday at T-Mobile Arena

UCLA vs. Bellarmine, 5 p.m., ESPN+

Gonzaga vs. Central Michigan, 8 p.m., ESPNU

Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena

Central Michigan vs. Bellarmine, 4 p.m., ESPN+

Gonzaga vs. UCLA, 7 p.m., ESPN

Las Vegas Invitational at Orleans Arena

Thursday’s semifinals

New Mexico vs. Alabama-Birmingham, 4 p.m., FS1

San Francisco vs. Towson, 6:30 p.m., FS1

Friday’s finals

Championship, 8:30 p.m., FS1

Consolation, 6 p.m., FS1

Las Vegas Classic at Orleans Arena

Thursday’s semifinals

San Diego vs. South Alabama, 10:30 a.m.

Illinois-Chicago vs. Hawaii, 1 p.m.

Friday’s finals

Championship, approx. 1 p.m.

Consolation, 10:30 a.m.

Continental Tire Challenge

Friday at T-Mobile Arena

Duke vs. Gonzaga, 7:30 p.m., ESPN

Women’s basketball

South Point Thanksgiving Shootout

At South Point Arena

Thursday’s games

SMU vs. Seattle, 6 p.m.

Friday’s games

Oklahoma State vs. Green Bay, 1 p.m.

Kansas vs. Tennessee, 3:30 p.m.

Seattle vs. Texas-El Paso, 3:30 p.m.

Saturday’s games

Green Bay vs. SMU, 1 p.m.

Tennessee vs. Oklahoma State, 3:30 p.m.

UTEP vs. Kansas, 6 p.m.

UNLV Thanksgiving Classic

Saturday’s games

UNLV vs. UT-Arlington, Noon

UM-Kansas City vs. Grambling State, 2:30 p.m.

Sunday’s games

UNLV vs. Grambling State, Noon, Cox-14

UT-Arlington vs. UM-Kansas City.

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