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