LAS VEGAS – Three thoughts on San Diego State at the Players Era Festival, a 94-54 loss to Michigan , a 97-80 win against Oregon and a 91-81 loss to Baylor .

1. The endgame

During a timeout in the first half of Auburn against St. John’s on Wednesday night, the 22nd of 27 games here this week, the video board showed a man in gray hoodie and sunglasses in the stands, asleep.

The arena announcer tried to rally the sparse crowd to make noise and wake him up. He kept sleeping.

The question now becomes, can the Players Era Festival wake up college basketball?

It’s trying. The Feast Week extravaganza has gone from eight teams to 18 to a planned 32 next year, split into eight-team regional pods with “four kings” advancing to a fall Final Four in Las Vegas. Most teams are guaranteed $1 m

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