What is an MTE? A college basketball team's best friend
Nov. 21—NASSAU, Bahamas — The acronym MTE is just as synonymous with college basketball as NCAA.
Multi-team events, or MTEs, have become a cottage industry for locations with an abundance of sunshine, sprouting up across the country, and beyond United States borders, like a beanstalk in England.
Hawaii, Florida, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and the Bahamas are just some of the sites that will host games in the month of November as teams descend en masse on idyllic settings.
If you build a basketball arena — or a hotel ballroom in some cases — they will come. Even Alaska, low on sunshine but high on creating a top-tier tournament, hosted one of the most sought-after events in the country for two decades.
Why are MTEs so popular, and how do coaches decide which one to play in?
"Having fun is huge," said Toledo coach Tod Kowalczyk, who brought the Rockets to the Bahamas this week for the Nassau Championship, a seven-team, three-day tournament with Charlotte, Drexel, Tulane, Jacksonville State, Coastal Carolina, and Valparaiso. (Abilene Christian dropped out because of multiple positive coronavirus tests.)
During Kowalczyk's 20 seasons as a head coach — eight at Wisconsin-Green Bay and 12 at Toledo — he's played in 10 holiday tournaments and has a record of 20-11. Kowalczyk and the Rockets have gone undefeated twice, including winning the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla. in 2018-19.
"The No. 1 (thing) I want is three games in three days to simulate the Mid-American Conference tournament," Kowalczyk said. "No. 2, I strongly prefer warm weather. I'm against going west simply because of the time change. I think it screws up your body clock for a week. I would prefer going south. I'm not opposed to one where we could play against high-major teams, but they're really hard to get into. You have an opportunity at some neutral-site wins against high-major teams, but you don't want to go in there and go 0-3 and hurt your team's confidence. There's a fine line."
RayJ Dennis had a front-row seat to how a little sun and quality basketball can impact a season. During his freshman year at Boise State, the Broncos went 2-1 in a Christmas tournament in Hawaii. After winning 13 games the previous season, Boise State used the Hawaii experience to jumpstart a 20-win campaign.
"In these tournaments, you're with your teammates over the holidays. They are your family," Dennis said. "You're hanging out with them and bonding. Sprinkling in activities helps you on the floor. It keeps you relaxed and not so stressed over basketball. You can enjoy your company and your surroundings."
In 2018-19, the Rockets won three games in three days by a combined 28 points to win the Gulf Coast Showcase. A few months later, Toledo was 25-8.
"It definitely helps build confidence," junior center A.J. Edu said. "Back in Florida, having those three games in a row helps you build experience and chemistry as a team. It helps having them back-to-back-to-back, and to spend time with your teammates and have fun builds chemistry. In Florida, I was a freshman and I got closer with my teammates and got to know them a lot more because of the amount of time we spent together on that trip. You get away from distractions and hang out as a team."
Southwest Florida has become like a second home for the Rockets under Kowalczyk. UT will play in the region for the third time in a decade next season, returning to the Gulf Coast Showcase near Fort Myers.
The area is home to a large concentration of Toledo alumni and donors, allowing the trip to serve as a fundraising and development opportunity, along with playing three basketball games against high-level mid-majors. Kowalczyk would play there every year if rules permitted.
He broke his no West Coast rule once by playing in the Great Alaska Shootout in 2015-16. Kowalczyk wasn't disappointed by what took place on and off the court. UT lost 78-70 to Middle Tennessee State in the championship game and saw a part of the country that provided priceless memories. (MTSU went on to beat Michigan State in the NCAA tournament.)
"That was a great experience for our players," Kowalczyk said. "I don't know if I've ever been to a tournament where they treat you better. The hospitality in Alaska was unbelievable. We had some fun activities for our players to do. Really cool."
The Bahamas might take the cake, though. The island nation has become a November college basketball mecca. Thirty-three men's and women's teams will be in the Bahamas this week, and it's safe to say that all 33 will enjoy their tropical surroundings.
UT arrived on Saturday and got in some pool and beach time. A light practice and more time in the water is on the schedule for Sunday. The Rockets will play Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, celebrate Thanksgiving with a team meal on Thursday, and fly back to Toledo on Friday.
"I'm really excited for our group," Dennis said. "These tournaments help you come together. We'll find ourselves more."
