Andrew Pace
November is an exciting month for basketball fans, with the NBA season already underway and college basketball tournaments in full swing. While the NBA regular season typically starts in mid-to-late October, with preseason games beginning as early as September, the 2023-24 season saw the introduction of an in-season tournament with games commencing in November. This tournament format is designed to add an extra layer of competition and excitement to the regular NBA season. College basketball also kicks off in November, with early-season tournaments providing an opportunity for teams to generate momentum and showcase their talent ahead of the NCAA tournament. With a packed schedule and high-intensity gameplay, November is far from too early for basketball tournaments, as it sets the stage for the rest of the season.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Tournaments in November | Shiners Hospitals Charleston Classic, Cayman Island Classic, Maui Invitational, Phil Knight Legacy, ESPN Events Invitational, Charleston Classic, Myrtle Beach Invitational, NIT Season Tip-Off, Vegas Showdown, Diamond Head Classic |
| Tournaments in December | College Basketball Invitational, College Basketball Crown Tournament, ESPN Events Invitational |
| NBA tournaments in November | SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament, NBA G League Tip-Off Tournament, NBA Mexico City Game |
| NBA tournaments in April | NBA Playoffs, NBA Finals |
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What You'll Learn
NBA in-season tournaments
The NBA Cup is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) tournament that occurs during the regular season. The tournament was first announced on July 8, 2023, and debuted during the 2023-24 NBA season. The tournament format is multi-stage, beginning with group play followed by single-elimination knockout rounds. The NBA Cup games count towards both the NBA Cup group standings and the regular season standings.
The first edition of the tournament was called the In-Season Tournament, with the Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Indiana Pacers to win the inaugural NBA Cup. The tournament MVP was LeBron James, who added another trophy to his collection. The second edition of the NBA Cup was held from November 12 to December 17, 2024, with the semifinals and championship hosted at T-Mobile Arena.
The NBA Cup games feature unique court designs and uniforms. The courts have a fully-painted maple surface with three concentric circles and silhouettes of the trophy painted on the free-throw lanes. The home teams wear the "Statement" edition uniforms, while the road teams wear the "Association" edition uniforms. The court designs and uniforms add a distinct visual element to the tournament.
The NBA in-season tournament has been a topic of discussion for many years, with the league aiming to compete with the National Football League (NFL) for viewers during the months of November and December when the seasons overlap. The introduction of the tournament in 2023 brought a new level of excitement and competition to the NBA season, with all teams participating in cup games during November. The tournament format allows for advancement to the final eight and the chance to play in a one-off final in December, creating an intense and thrilling experience for both players and fans.
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NCAA Division I men's basketball tournaments
The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, also known as March Madness or The Big Dance, is a single-elimination tournament played in the United States to determine the men's college basketball national champion at the Division I level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The tournament usually takes place in March, with the regular season ending in mid-March and the tournament beginning with the First Four and ending with the championship game later in the month. The 2024-25 season, however, started as early as November 4, 2024, and ended on March 16, 2025, with the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament taking place from March 18 to April 7, 2025.
The tournament consists of 68 teams, with 31 Division I athletic conferences each ending their regular season with a single-elimination tournament. The winners of these tournaments receive automatic invitations to the NCAA tournament, unless otherwise noted. The remaining slots are filled by at-large bids. The tournament was first conducted in 1939 with eight teams and has since become one of the greatest annual sporting events in the US, with a significant impact on popular culture.
The NCAA tournament has faced competition from other tournaments such as the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) and the College Basketball Invitational (CBI). The NIT was founded a year before the NCAA tournament and received more coverage in its early years due to its New York City location. Teams often competed in both tournaments until the NCAA banned this in the early 1970s. The CBI, meanwhile, invited 11 teams to participate in 2024 after the NCAA tournament field was announced.
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Multi-team events (MTEs)
The 2023-24 men's college basketball season included several MTEs, such as Boston University (Patriot) vs Rutgers (Big Ten), and Clemson (ACC) vs UAB (American). The 2024-25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, which began on November 4, 2024, also featured MTEs, with the College Basketball Invitational inviting 11 teams to participate at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida, and the College Basketball Crown Tournament inviting 16 teams to the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada.
MTEs can be exempt or non-exempt. An example of a non-exempt MTE is the 2023-24 season's Asheville, N.C. tournament, which featured Maryland (Big Ten) vs Davidson (Atlantic 10), and Clemson (ACC) vs UAB (American).
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The Basketball Tournament (TBT)
The number of teams participating in the tournament has varied, with as many as 97 teams in 2015 and as few as 24 teams in 2020. In recent years, the tournament has settled into a 64-team field, divided into eight regions. The first team to sell 4,000 tickets earns Home Court Advantage, and the other seven hosts are ranked according to the speed of sales.
TBT has featured several current and former NBA and WNBA players, including Hakim Warrick, Jason Williams, Nikki Teasley, and Greg Oden. Many teams feature professional players reunited under a former college or university name, with teams representing states like Arkansas, California, and Ohio. TBT also receives fan support from active NBA players and has had several NBA players serve as boosters for different teams.
The 12th edition of TBT in 2025 will feature host sites across the country, including Wichita, Kansas City, Charlottesville, and Syracuse. The tournament will run from July 18 to August 3, with tickets going on sale on May 6. Teams competing in the 2025 tournament include Best Virginia, AfterShocks, JHX Hoops, and Embrace The Pace.
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Preseason games
The 2024-25 NBA preseason, for example, featured games in October and early November, with teams like the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets participating in the NBA Abu Dhabi Games. Preseason tournaments can also be platforms for teams to generate momentum and build toward a successful regular season.
In college basketball, early-season tournaments in November and December can be crucial for teams to gain experience and make a statement. Tournaments like the Charleston Classic, ESPN Events Invitational, and NIT Season Tip-Off are all part of the preseason calendar, allowing teams to face off and make a case for their season potential.
While the outcomes of these preseason tournaments may not always be indicative of regular-season performance, they do provide valuable competition and a chance for teams to assess their strengths and weaknesses before the official season begins.
Additionally, for fans, preseason games offer an early glimpse of their favorite teams in action, providing a taste of what's to come in the highly anticipated regular season.
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Frequently asked questions
No, November is not too early for a basketball tournament. The NBA and NCAA have held tournaments in November in the past, and the 2024-25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 4, 2024.
Some early-season college basketball tournaments that take place in November include the ESPN Events Invitational, the Charleston Classic, the Myrtle Beach Invitational, and the NIT Season Tip-Off.
Playing in an early-season basketball tournament can help teams generate momentum and improve their rankings. For example, Purdue attended the Phil Knight Legacy tournament in November 2023 and rose from being unranked to No. 5 overall.
