Players Era headlines list of Thanksgiving-week offerings on the college basketball slate

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Rick Barnes didn't have long on Monday to enjoy 17th-ranked Tennessee's lopsided win against Rutgers.

Not with No. 3 Houston awaiting Tuesday as part of a loaded field at this week's Players Era, the headlining event in a national schedule filled with college basketball tournaments and marquee matchups as part of a beloved Thanksgiving-week tradition in the sport.

“We’ve got a month or so before we get into conference play,” Barnes said after Monday's 85-60 win in Las Vegas. “And get a chance to really leave here and know which direction you need to move with your team.”

Indeed, this is a measuring-stick week for AP Top 25 teams.

The Players Era has grabbed center stage with eight ranked teams in its 18-team field, an event that quickly rose to prominence since last year's launch by guaranteeing at least $1 million in name, image and likeness money to what was then eight participating teams.

There are also ranked teams playing in the longer-running Maui Invitational in Hawaii and Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas, as well as at the Fort Myers Tip-Off in Florida. There's also a marquee nonconference matchup in Chicago for Thanksgiving Day.

Here's a look around the country for this week's holiday festivities:

The event, which opened Monday, will feature a pair of ranked-versus-ranked matchups on Tuesday with Kelvin Sampson's Cougars taking on Barnes' Volunteers. There's also a matchup between seventh-ranked Michigan and No. 21 Auburn.

Meanwhile, No. 8 Alabama (against UNLV), No. 12 Gonzaga (Maryland), No. 14 St. John's (Baylor) and No. 15 Iowa State (Creighton) are also in action Tuesday.

The championship and third-place game take place Wednesday; consolation games are set for Wednesday and Thursday.

N.C. State climbed two spots to No. 23 in Monday's poll as the lone ranked team in the eight-team field, arriving in Hawaii after a fast start to Will Wade's coaching tenure.

Yet the Wolfpack opened the three-day tournament in Lahaina with a loss to Seton Hall, dropping N.C. State into the consolation bracket to play Boise State on Tuesday followed by a third game against an undetermined opponent on Wednesday.