NCAA National Champion Villanova Wildcats Headline 2018 AdvoCare Invitational Tournament Field

Filed in: AdvoCare Invitational, College Sports, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex

The Villanova Wildcats – the 2016 NCAA men’s basketball national champions – headline the field of teams set to participate in the 2018 AdvoCare Invitational tournament at HP Field House at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort.

The Wildcats will be joined by Alabama-Birmingham, the College of Charleston, Florida State, Louisiana State, Memphis and Oklahoma State. The eighth and final team will be announced at a later date.

The 2018 tournament will showcase the Wildcats, led by head coach Jay Wright, as well as mark the return of two other teams who are former AdvoCare Invitational champions.  The Florida State Seminoles were crowned tournament champions in 2009 after defeating Marquette 57-56 while the Memphis Tigers left town with the 2013 championship trophy in hand following a 73-68 win over Oklahoma State.

Villanova – currently ranked No. 4 in this week’s Associated Press poll – claimed its second national championship in 2016 (won its first in 1985) in thrilling fashion over No. 1 seed North Carolina, 77-74, at NRG Stadium in Houston when junior forward Kris Jenkins sank a buzzer-beating three-point shot as time expired to knock off the Tar Heels.

The shot was the first buzzer-beater on a three-pointer in national championship history.

The AdvoCare Invitational tournament’s previous winners include West Virginia (2017), Gonzaga (2016, 2012, 2008), Xavier (2015), Kansas (2014), Memphis (2013), Dayton (2011), Notre Dame (2010), Florida State (2009), NC State (2007) and Arkansas (2006).

The three-day tournament – which tips off Thanksgiving Weekend (Nov. 22-25, 2018) — is regarded by basketball experts as one of the best early season tune-ups for college hoops.