With the college hoops season now less than two months away, let's take a look at what awaits in November. Yes, all of those big events and mini tournaments.

College basketball's start means a boatload of exempt tournaments in faraway spots. Personally, I'd prefer to see as many home-and-home matchups as possible, but the reality is these events are not going away.

And plenty of them are worth the watching.

So let's look at what's coming up in November. I've graded out the top tournaments and events. You can feel free to bookmark or favorite this page. The events are listed in chronological order.

ARMED FORCES CLASSIC

Date : Nov. 11

: Nov. 11 Location : University of Hawaii's Stan Sheriff Center, Honolulu

: University of Hawaii's Stan Sheriff Center, Honolulu Matchups : Arizona vs. Michigan State, Indiana vs. Kansas.

: Arizona vs. Michigan State, Indiana vs. Kansas. Last year's champion : N/A

: N/A Grade : A

: A Comment: This is clear-cut. You've got four of the 10 best programs in America competing here. It's an absolutely stellar way to start this season. Yes, this doubleheader will be played on the opening night of college hoops' season. Normally that first Friday is forgettable, but not anymore.

VETERANS CLASSIC

Date : Nov. 11

: Nov. 11 Location : Navy, Annapolis, Md

: Navy, Annapolis, Md Matchups : Vanderbilt vs. Marquette, Ohio State at Navy

: Vanderbilt vs. Marquette, Ohio State at Navy Last year's champion : N/A

: N/A Grade : C+

: C+ Comment: A proud event, one that Navy is involved in every season. Ohio State will be really strong and Marquette should be favored against a Vanderbilt team now coached by Bryce Drew.

CHAMPIONS CLASSIC

Date : Nov. 15

: Nov. 15 Location : Madison Square Garden, New York City

: Madison Square Garden, New York City Matchups : Kansas vs. Duke, Michigan State vs. Kentucky

: Kansas vs. Duke, Michigan State vs. Kentucky Last year's champion : N/A

: N/A Grade : A

: A Comment: It's year No. 6 of the must-watch event and the same four programs are back. All are likely to be ranked in the top 10, if not top six or seven in the polls. You can make the case that the event has never been better than it will be this year, because I expect the cumulative number of each team's AP poll ranking to be less than 12. We've never had a year since the Champions Classic began that Kentucky, Kansas, MSU and Duke were all considered this good, all considered such big favorites to reach the Final Four.

PUERTO RICO TIP OFF

Date : Nov. 17-18 and 20

: Nov. 17-18 and 20 Location : Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico

: Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico Matchups : Xavier vs. Missouri, Clemson vs. Davidson, Arizona State vs. Northern Iowa and Oklahoma vs. Tulane

: Xavier vs. Missouri, Clemson vs. Davidson, Arizona State vs. Northern Iowa and Oklahoma vs. Tulane Last year's champion : Miami

: Miami Grade : B+

: B+ Comment: Xavier will be a preseason top 10 team, probably. Arizona State is on the upswing. Northern Iowa is always legit so long as Ben Jacobsen is in charge of the program. Oklahoma loses Buddy Hield, but the Sooners will be NCAA Tournament-worthy again. And Davidson runs one of the most beautiful offenses in the sport. The teams going can offer up plenty to watch.

Be sure to check out who your favorite team is matching up against in the @ESPNPRTipOff! pic.twitter.com/wJmXtz74GW — Tire Pros PR Tip-Off (@ESPNPRTipOff) August 2, 2016

GILDAN CHARLESTON CLASSIC

Date : Nov. 17-18, 20

: Nov. 17-18, 20 Location : TD Arena in Charleston, S.C

: TD Arena in Charleston, S.C Matchups : Villanova vs. Western Michigan, Wake Forest vs. UTEP, Mississippi State vs. UCF and Boise State vs. College of Charleston

: Villanova vs. Western Michigan, Wake Forest vs. UTEP, Mississippi State vs. UCF and Boise State vs. College of Charleston Last year's champion : Virginia

: Virginia Grade : B-

: B- Comment: Having the reigning national champs -- Villanova's going to be a top-five team entering the season, by the way -- automatically puts this event among the 10 best out there. Wake Forest is one of my favorite off-the-radar teams heading into the season. (Expect the Deacs to be called on Selection Sunday.) Mississippi State enters Year 2 of Ben Howland, and it's going to probably flirt with being a ranked team throughout the year. Boise State is always fun. Charleston has a good coach in Earl Grant. Could be a 20-win team this season.

The updated bracket is here. See you in Charleston! pic.twitter.com/d2sCoMullj — Charleston Classic (@ESPNCharleston) July 15, 2016

2K SPORTS CLASSIC

Date : Nov. 17-18

: Nov. 17-18 Location : Madison Square Garden, New York City

: Madison Square Garden, New York City Matchups : This is a tournament, like many others, with satellite games before the main event, but for TV purposes, the final semifinal matchups are Michigan vs. Marquette and Pitt vs. SMU

: This is a tournament, like many others, with satellite games before the main event, but for TV purposes, the final semifinal matchups are Michigan vs. Marquette and Pitt vs. SMU Last year's champion : Duke

: Duke Grade : B-

: B- Comment: A lot is interesting here, at the very least. Pitt and SMU will be under first-year coaches. Kevin Stallings at Pitt and Tim Jankovich takes over at SMU. Michigan, I think, is going to be close to what it was last year: a 23-win team that eked into the tourney. Marquette will be the best team at the event, even though it won't have its stellar freshman from last season, Henry Ellenson, who's now collecting an NBA paycheck.

PARADISE JAM

Date : Nov. 18-21

: Nov. 18-21 Location : UVI Sports and Fitness Center in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

: UVI Sports and Fitness Center in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands Matchups : Quarterfinal matchups are Loyola (Chicago) vs. Saint Joseph's, Oral Roberts vs. Ole Miss, Montana vs. NC State, Washington State vs. Creighton.

: Quarterfinal matchups are Loyola (Chicago) vs. Saint Joseph's, Oral Roberts vs. Ole Miss, Montana vs. NC State, Washington State vs. Creighton. Last year's champion : South Carolina

: South Carolina Grade : B-

: B- Comment: This is a tournament that's been around much longer than people realize. Miami won it back in '01. Boston College took it all in 2003, when BC was at its peak. UConn won the event in 2008. A better field than last year. Andy Kennedy and the Rebels can be good and unpredictable -- in fun ways. NC State is going to have the player I expect to be a top-two point guard prospect by the time we get to the end of the season (Dennis Smith, Jr.). He's must-watch. Creighton is going to have Mo Watson Jr., and don't be shocked if he's a top 20 player in the country this season. Saint Joe's was in last season's NCAAs. Kind of an underrated event here.

HALL OF FAME TIP-OFF

Date : Nov. 19-20

: Nov. 19-20 Location : Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

: Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. Matchups : The "Naismith Bracket" involves the four biggest programs involved in the event. Duke vs.Penn State, Cincinnati vs. Rhode Island

: The "Naismith Bracket" involves the four biggest programs involved in the event. Duke vs.Penn State, Cincinnati vs. Rhode Island Last year's champion : Purdue

: Purdue Grade : A-

: A- Comment: Penn State is the worst team in the field here, and I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Pat Chambers' team wind up with more than 20 wins by the end of the season. Duke's appeal is obvious. The Blue Devils will have Harry Giles and Jayson Tatum, two players who will almost definitely be one-and-done, and both of whom could be taken in the top five of the 2017 draft. Cincinnati and Rhode Island are top 25-caliber teams. Rhode Island is going to have a huge home-fan advantage, given how close the campus is to Mohegan Sun. Solid final four field here. The best this event has produced since it began in 2011.

GULF COAST SHOWCASE

Date : Nov. 21-23

: Nov. 21-23 Location : Germain Arena in Estero, Fla.

: Germain Arena in Estero, Fla. Matchups : Quarterfinal matchups are Vermont vs. Wofford, Hofstra vs. Bradley, Kent State vs. South Dakota and Houston vs. George Mason.

: Quarterfinal matchups are Vermont vs. Wofford, Hofstra vs. Bradley, Kent State vs. South Dakota and Houston vs. George Mason. Last year's champion : Weber State

: Weber State Grade : C-

: C- Comment: There's not a lot here. Houston and Hofstra will be good, and this could wind up being the type of event that showcases some top-tier mid-level college teams, but void of any major-conference heft, there's not a lot to sell.

MAUI INVITATIONAL

Date : Nov. 21-23

: Nov. 21-23 Location : Lahaina Civic Center in Maui, Hawaii

: Lahaina Civic Center in Maui, Hawaii Matchups : Tennessee vs. Wisconsin, Georgetown vs. Oregon, Oklahoma State vs. UConn and North Carolina vs. host Chaminade

: Tennessee vs. Wisconsin, Georgetown vs. Oregon, Oklahoma State vs. UConn and North Carolina vs. host Chaminade Last year's champion : Kansas

: Kansas Grade : A-

: A- Comment: Always one of the best, and likely will remain that way for decades to come. Maui is a lock for at least two top-20 programs every season. Here we have Oregon and UNC, who will be ranked top-eight/top-10/top-12 by the time Maui gets going. UConn and Wisconsin could be in the rankings. Oklahoma State has a new coach, a fantastic one, in Brad Underwood. Georgetown ... enigmatic but should be fun. And Tennessee is going to be better than it was last season. As always, root for the humble hosts, Division-II Chaminade.

Experience the top early season Tournament on the best island in the world. https://t.co/0qpFifpvOH#MauiHoopspic.twitter.com/CL1Qj94NHh — Maui Invitational (@MauiInv) July 29, 2016

LEGENDS CLASSIC

Date : Nov. 21-22

: Nov. 21-22 Location : Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Matchups : Texas vs. Northwestern and Notre Dame vs. Colorado

: Texas vs. Northwestern and Notre Dame vs. Colorado Last year's champion : Marquette

: Marquette Grade : B

: B Comment: It got a B last year, and I'll give the same grade for 2016. I think Texas is going to be a top-five entertaining team in the country next season. Notre Dame's going to take a step back, though. Northwestern, will you have the talent to be a top-40 team in the country? Would love to see it, but not convinced yet. Colorado is also a little mysterious right now.

JUST ANNOUNCED: Matchups set for Legends Classic on 11/21 & 11/22! Get your tickets now 🎟→ https://t.co/YmNFujhJ4Lpic.twitter.com/zETZ9tAOb6 — Barclays Center (@barclayscenter) July 13, 2016

CBE HALL OF FAME CLASSIC

Date : Nov. 21-22

: Nov. 21-22 Location : Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.

: Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo. Matchups : Kansas vs. UAB and Georgia vs. George Washington

: Kansas vs. UAB and Georgia vs. George Washington Last year's champion : North Carolina

: North Carolina Grade : C+

: C+ Comment: Kansas will be must-watch with Josh Jackson running the show. He could be the No. 1 pick in the 2017 draft. Georgia has been a better SEC program under Mark Fox than most realize. George Washington will have a dark horse All-American candidate in Tyler Cavanaugh. UAB is not going to beat Kansas, but it can topple either UGa or G-Dub.

MEN WHO SPEAK UP MAIN EVENT

Date : Nov. 21 and Nov. 23

: Nov. 21 and Nov. 23 Location : MGM Grand Arena, Las Vegas

: MGM Grand Arena, Las Vegas Matchups : BYU vs. Saint Louis and Alabama vs. Valparaiso

: BYU vs. Saint Louis and Alabama vs. Valparaiso Last year's champion : Creighton

: Creighton Grade : C+

: C+ Comment: BYU is going to be better than a lot of people realize. Alabama heading to the NCAA Tournament in 2017 is a prediction of mine. Saint Louis starts anew with Travis Ford, so expect some growing pains. Valpo lost its coach, Bryce Drew, to Vandy. But it does get back Alec Peters, who will probably be the best mid-major player in the country. This was previously known as the "MGM Grand Main Event."

GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT

Date : Nov. 23-26

: Nov. 23-26 Location : Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage, Alaska

: Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage, Alaska Matchups : Oakland vs. Nevada, UC Davis vs. Weber State, Iona vs. Drake and Buffalo vs. host Alaska-Anchorage

: Oakland vs. Nevada, UC Davis vs. Weber State, Iona vs. Drake and Buffalo vs. host Alaska-Anchorage Last year's champion : Middle Tennessee

: Middle Tennessee Grade : C+

: C+ Comment: Grade on a slight curve here for the longest continually running early season destination event in Division I hoops. Hey, check last year's winner. Middle Tennessee of course went on to upset No. 2 Michigan State in the first round of the NCAAs. The 2016 crop has entertaining teams and coaches in Iona and Oakland. Nevada is going to be a good mid major-type team this season. Weber State is always well-coached. This event unfortunately will never reclaim its glory days, but if it can become a destination for the best of the best at the mid-major level, that would be terrific.

CANCUN CHALLENGE

Date : Nov. 22-23

: Nov. 22-23 Location : Maya Convention Center, Cancun, Mexico

: Maya Convention Center, Cancun, Mexico Matchups : This bracket has a two-tiered approach, just like the Hall of Fame Tipoff. The Mayan Division semifinals features Eastern Kentucky vs. Idaho State and Georgia State vs. NJIT. The semifinals of the Riviera Division are Purdue vs. Utah State and Auburn vs. Texas Tech.

: This bracket has a two-tiered approach, just like the Hall of Fame Tipoff. The Mayan Division semifinals features Eastern Kentucky vs. Idaho State and Georgia State vs. NJIT. The semifinals of the Riviera Division are Purdue vs. Utah State and Auburn vs. Texas Tech. Last year's champion : Maryland

: Maryland Grade : C

: C Comment: The Riviera Division offers us a Purdue team that's not going to be as good in 2017 as it was in 2016 -- a Utah State team that's got no broad appeal, an Auburn club that is looking to be good enough for the NCAA Tournament, but the jury is out on that and a Texas Tech team that starts with Chris Beard taking over. And how good will TTU be?

Syracuse won last season's Battle 4 Atlantis title. USATSI

BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS

Date : Nov. 23-25

: Nov. 23-25 Location : Imperial Arena in Paradise Island, Bahamas

: Imperial Arena in Paradise Island, Bahamas Matchups : VCU vs. Baylor, Michigan State vs. St. John's, Louisville vs. Old Dominion and Wichita State vs. LSU

: VCU vs. Baylor, Michigan State vs. St. John's, Louisville vs. Old Dominion and Wichita State vs. LSU Last year's champion : Syracuse

: Syracuse Grade : A-

: A- Comment: The Bahamian tournament now competes with Maui for top billing. This year's field is not ridiculously loaded, but it's still a top-three early season event all the same. Michigan State is the best team in the field, but you've got terrific programs and/or programs with good fan bases everywhere. Even Old Dominion, the small team in the group, won't be an easy out. I could see this tourney breaking in weird, wacky ways. LSU will have almost no pressure on it after the disappointment from Ben Simmons' only season in Baton Rouge. Watch the Tigers win a couple here. Wouldn't that be something. Meantime, Wichita State will absolutely have a shot at stealing this thing. And Louisville will likely need to get a few good wins here, since Rick Pitino believes his team has an unfair schedule.

Baylor will face VCU in first round at #Battle4Atlantis



📅 Nov. 23

⏰ 1:30 pm CT

📍 @Atlantisresort, Bahamas#SicEmpic.twitter.com/CAFMe6H6El — Baylor MBB (@BaylorMBB) July 13, 2016

NIT SEASON TIP-OFF

Date : Nov. 24-25

: Nov. 24-25 Location : Barclays Arena, Brooklyn, N.Y.

: Barclays Arena, Brooklyn, N.Y. Matchups : West Virginia vs. Illinois and Florida State vs. Temple

: West Virginia vs. Illinois and Florida State vs. Temple Last year's champion : Villanova

: Villanova Grade : C+

: C+ Comment: I'd love to see Illinois finally get going again, but let's actually watch it happen first. Temple isn't super compelling. You'll have a solid WVU squad and a Florida State club that's not nearly as good as it could have been, thanks to losing Malik Beasley to the NBA. But FSU is still going to be formidable. In fact, the Noles are my pick here.

WOODEN LEGACY

Date : Nov. 24-25 and 27

: Nov. 24-25 and 27 Location : Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

: Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. Matchups : UCLA vs. Portland, Dayton vs. Nebraska, Virginia Tech vs. New Mexico and Texas A&M vs. Cal-State Northridge

: UCLA vs. Portland, Dayton vs. Nebraska, Virginia Tech vs. New Mexico and Texas A&M vs. Cal-State Northridge Last year's champion : Michigan State

: Michigan State Grade : B+

: B+ Comment: Look at it this way. UCLA will have one of the bright young point guards in the game in Lonzo Ball. Dayton is going to be reliable, as always. Nebraska will be better. Va. Tech could be a top-eight team in the ACC. New Mexico is definitely going to be better. A&M is still going to have top-four-in-the-SEC talent. There's plenty here. Good event. My guess is Tech wins it, though it's a complete guess.

The 2016 DIRECTV #WoodenLegacy bracket is here! pic.twitter.com/cFhmBhjQKw — The Wooden Legacy (@TheWoodenLegacy) July 14, 2016

ADVOCARE INVITATIONAL

Date : Nov. 24-25 and 27

: Nov. 24-25 and 27 Location : Disney World's HP Field House, Orlando

: Disney World's HP Field House, Orlando Matchups : Gonzaga vs. Quinnipiac, Seton Hall vs. Florida, Iowa State vs. Indiana State and Miami vs. Stanford in the quarterfinals.

: Gonzaga vs. Quinnipiac, Seton Hall vs. Florida, Iowa State vs. Indiana State and Miami vs. Stanford in the quarterfinals. Last year's champion : Xavier

: Xavier Grade : B

: B Comment: A big reason a lot of college hoops fans watch these events is to find out about teams whose lineups aren't familiar, and to see who's getting better (or not). You'll have a lot of that here. Gonzaga, Seton Hall, Iowa State, Miami, Stanford -- all of these teams are going to have big changes from what we saw last season. Expect the unexpected. This is November.

Which match up are you most excited for at the @AdvoCareInv? #AdvoCareInvpic.twitter.com/yH0Zhfakil — AdvoCare Invite (@AdvoCareInv) August 2, 2016

CONTINENTAL TIRE LAS VEGAS INVITATIONAL

Date : Nov. 24-25

: Nov. 24-25 Location : Orleans Arena, Las Vegas

: Orleans Arena, Las Vegas Matchups : Arizona vs. Santa Clara and Butler vs. Vanderbilt.

: Arizona vs. Santa Clara and Butler vs. Vanderbilt. Last year's champion : West Virginia

: West Virginia Grade : B-

: B- Comment: A fun Arizona team should romp to two wins here. Butler might have troubles getting to 20 wins next season and Vandy starts anew with Bryce Drew.

EMERALD COAST CLASSIC

Date : Nov. 25, 26

: Nov. 25, 26 Location : Northwest Florida State College Arena in Destin, Fla.

: Northwest Florida State College Arena in Destin, Fla. Matchups : Iowa vs. Virginia, Memphis vs. Providence

: Iowa vs. Virginia, Memphis vs. Providence Last year's champion : Iowa State

: Iowa State Grade : B+

: B+ Comment: Hey, this Emerald event is a hidden gem. You get Virginia, which will be really good again (welcome, Austin Nichols). And not only that, but if Virginia wins, and Memphis wins, that means Nichols will face his former school. Memphis is now coached by Tubby Smith. The Tigers also have Dedric Lawson, who will be one of the best sophomores in the country. Providence will take a step back, but the Friars will still have some offense. Iowa also won't be as good as it was last year, but it's still a team capable of winning 20-plus games.

BARCLAYS CENTER CLASSIC

Date : Nov. 25-26

: Nov. 25-26 Location : Barclays Center in Brooklyn

: Barclays Center in Brooklyn Matchups : Maryland vs. Richmond and Boston College vs. Kansas State in the semifinals.

: Maryland vs. Richmond and Boston College vs. Kansas State in the semifinals. Last year's champion : Cincinnati

: Cincinnati Grade : C+

: C+ Comment: Maryland is the primary attraction here. Richmond will have T.J. Cline, who could be the second best player in the event. Bruce Weber is in a critical year with K-State, and Boston College just needs to show signs of improvement.

CHALLENGE IN MUSIC CITY

Date : Nov. 25-27

: Nov. 25-27 Location : Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn.

: Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn. Matchups : A round-robin four-team tournament will be played amongst Evansville, Middle Tennessee, UNC Wilmington and Toledo

: A round-robin four-team tournament will be played amongst Evansville, Middle Tennessee, UNC Wilmington and Toledo Last year's champion : Mercer

: Mercer Grade : C-

: C- Comment: Eventually, you have enough of these tournaments and you're just not going to be getting any top-100 programs.

GLOBAL SPORTS CLASSIC