The Iowa Hawkeyes are scheduled to play the Oklahoma Sooners on Thanksgiving at LionTree Arena on the campus of UC San Diego to open the inaugural Rady Children’s Invitational.

The University of Iowa has a strong history when it comes to basketball along with having received an at-large berth to the 2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. That was their 29th appearance in the tournament after having gone 19-13 and receiving the eighth seed in its region. The Hawkeyes have four freshmen and two redshirt freshmen in this year’s roster in hopes of making a return trip to March Madness.

“I’ve always played freshmen, especially the really good ones,” said head coach Fran McCaffery. “A lot of times two or three. But this group, we recruited them with that in mind, and they came here kind of with that in mind.”

Following the first game, Seton Hall is scheduled to play the USC Trojans. The Pirates have made 14 appearances in the NCAA Tournament and were the national runner-up in 1989 after a loss to the Michigan Wolverines led by then-head coach Steve Fisher. USC has 14 conference championships and 21 NCAA Tournament appearances along with five Sweet Sixteen, four Elite Eight, and two Final Four appearances.

Based on the outcomes of the Thursday games, Oklahoma will play either Seton Hall or USC at 12:30 p.m., and Iowa will play either Seton Hall or USC at 3 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 24. The games will be televised on FOX or FS1. The event is produced by Sports San Diego and sponsored by Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego.

Out of the four competing teams, Oklahoma has the strongest resume when it comes to achievements on the court. The Sooners have earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament 33 times, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen on 11 occasions and making the Final Four on five occasions. The team has appeared in the championship game twice, has been crowned regular season conference champs 14 times, and holds the record for most NCAA Tournament wins without a championship.