Report: Bracket, matchups set for 2022 Phil Knight Invitational

The bracket has been set for the 2022 Phil Knight Invitational, and it features some fascinating matchups for college basketball fans to sink their teeth into.

On Monday, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports took to Twitter to share the news of some fantastic basketball to get excited for.

Sources: The bracket for the Phil Knight Invitational version of the PK85 is set.

North Carolina/Portland
Villanova/Iowa State
UConn/Oregon
Michigan State/Alabama

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) July 25, 2022

“Sources: The bracket for the Phil Knight Invitational version of the PK85 is set,” tweeted Rothstein. “North Carolina/Portland. Villanova/Iowa State. UConn/Oregon. Michigan State/Alabama.”

Phil Knight Invitational Bracket, per Jon Rothstein:

• North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Portland Pilots
• Villanova Wildcats vs. Iowa State Cyclones
• Connecticut Huskies vs. Oregon Ducks
• Michigan State Spartans vs. Alabama Crimson Tide

As you can see, some of the top teams in the sport will be taking place in 2022’s event.

First, North Carolina will be on a war path to avenge their loss in last season’s title game, while Portland represents a team in their way. Additionally, Villanova will face off against Iowa State in an interesting matchup between two teams who don’t meet often.

Then, Connecticut will look to the opposite coast in a showdown against Oregon, as the Ducks look to improve upon a disappointing 2021-22 season. Finally, Michigan State and Alabama will take place at thew 2022 Phil Knight Invitational, a showdown between two of the best in the Big Ten and SEC.

There are some extremely juicy showdowns slated for the 2022 Phil Knight Invitational, and the college basketball world can’t wait to see them come to fruition.

More on North Carolina Tar Heels

Moreover, the North Carolina Tar Heels will get out to a fairly uneventful start on the 2022 season, without any real challenges until Thanksgiving weekend, when they’ll head to Portland for the aforementioned Phil Knight Invitational and Legacy tournaments, featuring two separate eight-team fields.

Both events will take place between Nov. 24-27 at the University of Portland’s Chiles Center, Rose Quarter’s Moda Center, and Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

As mentioned earlier, eight teams will participate in the Phil Knight Invitational from seven different conferences. Alabama, Iowa State, Michigan State, North Carolina, Oregon, Portland, UConn, and Villanova will spend their Thanksgiving in Portland. Each team will get to play three games, setting each other up for quality NCAA Tournament resume builders.

Looking at the Phil Knight Legacy tournament, there will be eight teams involved as well but with eight different conferences attending. Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Oregon State, Portland State, Purdue, West Virginia, and Xavier are getting the nod, playing in three games throughout the holiday as well.

Elsewhere, North Carolina visits Bloomington for a matchup with the Hoosiers in Assembly Hall. That should be electric. And the only other game of note so far is their bout with Ohio State in Madison Square Garden as part of the annual CBS Sports Classic.