The U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam is an NCAA college basketball tournament that takes place annually in late November. The men's tournament typically takes place the week before Thanksgiving, with the women's tournament occurring during Thanksgiving week. It is held at the Elridge Wilburn Blake Sports and Fitness Center on the campus of the University of the Virgin Islands in Charlotte Amalie, Saint Thomas, U. S. Virgin Islands. Liberty is the defending men's champion. Kansas and Florida State are the defending women's champions in the Island and Reef divisions, respectively.
Format Paradise Jam began in 2000 as a women's basketball tournament; a men's tournament was added the following year. In its current format, both tournaments feature eight teams that each play three games.
Men's format The men's tournament was introduced in 2001 with a six-team, three-game group play format. In 2006, the tournament was expanded to eight teams and a bracket format was adopted. All teams play three games in the tournament, with the final day's games determining the tournament standings: a championship game, third-place game, fifth-place game, and seventh-place game are all played.
Women's format The format of the women's tournament has changed multiple times throughout the existence of Paradise Jam. The first tournament in 2000 featured four teams that played two games each. In 2001, the women's tournament was altered to include three divisions — St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix. The following year, the St. Croix division was dropped, and two divisions were used going forward. In 2008, the format was adjusted to feature the Reef and Island divisions with four teams playing in each division. All teams play three games in the tournament, with the final day's games determining placement in all positions, first through fourth in each division. In 2025, the women’s tournament features the Reef Tournament, the Island Tournament, and the Harbor Tournament. Each tournament includes four teams, and each team will play two games.
Tournament history
Men's tournament YearChampionRunner-upScoreThird placeTournament MVPParticipating Teams2001MiamiClemson67–65La Salle (63–58 over UAB)John Salmons, MiamiUAB Clemson Eastern Michigan La Salle Miami Morris Brown 2002BYUSt. Bonaventure66–57Virginia Tech (58–45 over Toledo)Marques Green, St. BonaventureBYU Kansas State Michigan St. Bonaventure Toledo Virginia Tech2003Boston CollegeWichita State84–81Monmouth (64–52 over Hampton)Craig Smith, Boston CollegeAppalachian State Boston College Hampton La Salle Monmouth Wichita State2004ArkansasEastern Michigan82–64Winthrop (52–36 over Austin Peay)Ronnie Brewer, ArkansasArkansas Austin Peay Eastern Michigan Saint Louis Troy Winthrop2005WisconsinOld Dominion84–81Georgia (76–68 over Eastern Kentucky)Alando Tucker, WisconsinEastern Kentucky Fordham Georgia Norfolk State Old Dominion Wisconsin2006AlabamaXavier63–56Villanova (89–60 over Iowa)Alonzo Gee, AlabamaAlabama Charleston Iowa Middle Tennessee Toledo Villanova VCU Xavier2007BaylorWinthrop62–54Georgia Tech (70–69 over Notre Dame)Curtis Jerrells, BaylorBaylor Charlotte Georgia Tech UIC Monmouth Notre Dame Wichita State Winthrop2008ConnecticutWisconsin76–57Miami (80–45 over San Diego)Hasheem Thabeet, ConnecticutConnecticut Iona La Salle Miami San Diego Southern Miss Valparaiso Wisconsin2009PurdueTennessee73–72DePaul (58–51 over Saint Joseph's)E’Twaun Moore, PurdueBoston College DePaul East Carolina Northern Iowa Purdue Saint Joseph's South Dakota State Tennessee2010Old DominionXavier67–58Clemson (64–58 over Seton Hall)Ben Finney, Old DominionAlabama Clemson Iowa Long Beach State Old Dominion Saint Peter's Seton Hall Xavier2011MarquetteNorfolk State59–57Ole Miss (80–69 over TCU)Darius Johnson-Odom, MarquetteDrake Drexel Marquette Ole Miss Norfolk State TCU Virginia Winthrop2012New MexicoConnecticut66–60George Mason (74–58 over Quinnipiac)Kendall Williams, New MexicoConnecticut George Mason UIC Iona Mercer New Mexico Quinnipiac Wake Forest2013MarylandProvidence56–52Northern Iowa (65–50 over La Salle)Dez Wells, MarylandLa Salle Loyola Marymount Marist Maryland Morgan State Northern Iowa Providence Vanderbilt2014Seton HallIllinois State84–80Old Dominion (56–48 over Gardner-Webb)Sterling Gibbs, Seton HallClemson Gardner-Webb Illinois State LSU Nevada Old Dominion Seton Hall Weber State 2015South CarolinaTulsa83–75Indiana State (67–66 over Hofstra)Sindarius Thornwell, South CarolinaDePaul Florida State Hofstra Indiana State Norfolk State Ohio South Carolina Tulsa2016CreightonOle Miss86–77NC State (73–63 over Saint Joseph's)Marcus Foster, CreightonCreighton Loyola Ole Miss Montana NC State Oral Roberts Saint Joseph's Washington State2017ColoradoMercer79–70Drake (90–88 over Drexel)McKinley Wright IV, ColoradoColorado Drake Drexel Houston Liberty Mercer Quinnipiac Wake Forest2018Kansas StateMissouri82–67Oregon State (74–58 over Penn)Dean Wade, Kansas StateEastern Kentucky Kansas State Kennesaw State Missouri Northern Iowa Old Dominion Oregon State Penn2019NevadaBowling Green77–62Cincinnati (81–77 over Valparaiso)Jalen Harris, NevadaBowling Green Cincinnati Fordham Grand Canyon Illinois State Nevada Valparaiso Western Kentucky2020BelmontGeorge Mason77-67Queens (N.C.) (85–71 over Howard)Luke Smith, BelmontBelmont George Mason Howard Queens2021Colorado StateNortheastern71–61Creighton (66–64 over Southern Illinois)David Roddy, Colorado StateBradley Brown Colorado Colorado State Creighton Duquesne Northeastern Southern Illinois2022DrakeTarleton71–64Boston College (59–48 over Wyoming)Tucker DeVries, DrakeBelmont Boston College Buffalo Drake George Mason Howard Tarleton State Wyoming2023Missouri StateAbilene Christian87–69Kent State (79–72 over Fordham)Matthew Lee, Missouri StateAbilene Christian Florida Gulf Coast Fordham Hampton Kent State Missouri State Norfolk State San Jose State2024LibertyMcNeese62–58Kansas State (80–64 over Longwood)Colin Porter, LibertyUAB George Washington Illinois State Kansas State Liberty Longwood Louisiana McNeese2025YaleAkron97–94Charleston (78–59 over Evansville)Nick Townsend (Yale)Akron Charleston Evansville Green Bay Iona Oregon State UMass Yale2026East Carolina Indiana State Middle Tennessee State Southern Illinois Stephen F. Austin Temple UT Martin Utah Valley
Women's tournament
YearDivisionChampionRunner-upMVPParticipating Teams2000N/ATexas TechMissouri StateJackie Stiles, Missouri StateLSU Missouri State Penn State Texas Tech 2001Saint ThomasTexasUSCStacy Stephens, Texas Texas USCSaint JohnArizona StateKansas StateAmanda Levens, Arizona StateArizona State Kansas StateSaint CroixFlorida StateSaint Mary'sShinikki Whiting, Florida StateFlorida State Saint Mary's 2002Saint ThomasSouth CarolinaBoston CollegeJocelyn Penn, South CarolinaBoston College Oregon South CarolinaSaint JohnDukeArkansasAlana Beard, DukeArkansas Duke Hampton Old Dominion 2003Saint ThomasVirginia TechMississippi StateCarrie Mason, Virginia TechIndiana Iowa State Mississippi State Virginia TechSaint JohnMissouri StateWest VirginiaKari Koch, Missouri StateGeorgia Tech James Madison Missouri State West Virginia 2004Saint ThomasNC StateLouisvilleTiffany Stansbury, NC StateHampton Louisville NC State NebraskaSaint JohnRutgersKentuckyMichelle Campbell, RutgersKentucky Oregon State Rutgers South Dakota State 2005Saint ThomasMinnesotaVirginiaJamie Broback, MinnesotaAlabama Minnesota Nevada VirginiaSaint JohnTennesseeMaryland Candace Parker, TennesseeGonzaga Maryland Michigan State Tennessee 2006Saint Thomas Arizona State vs. Rutgers † † The final game of the Saint Thomas division was cancelled due to the death of a family member of one of the Arizona State players in Saint Thomas.N/AArizona State Penn State Rutgers Western KentuckySaint JohnMarquetteXavierChristina Quaye, MarquetteAuburn Marquette Western Michigan Xavier 2007Saint ThomasConnecticutDukeMaya Moore, UConnDuke Old Dominion Purdue Stanford Temple ConnecticutSaint JohnWake ForestTexas A&MAlex Tchangoue, Wake ForestIndiana Texas A&M Wake Forest Wichita State 2008ReefCaliforniaSouth FloridaAshley Walker, CaliforniaCalifornia Iowa South Florida Texas TechIslandWisconsinBaylorAlyssa Karel, WisconsinBaylor UCF Villanova Wisconsin 2009ReefRutgersUSCBrittany Ray, RutgersMississippi State Rutgers Texas USCIslandNotre DameOklahomaSkylar Diggins, Notre DameNotre Dame Oklahoma San Diego State South Carolina 2010ReefGeorgetownTennesseeSummer Rodgers, GeorgetownGeorgetown Georgia Tech Tennessee MissouriIslandWest VirginiaIowa StateLiz Rapella, West VirginiaIowa State TCU West Virginia Virginia 2011ReefMichiganWashington StateCourtney Boylan, MichiganMarquette Michigan Prairie View A&M Washington StateIslandAlabamaSeton HallEricka Russell, AlabamaAlabama Louisiana Tech Old Dominion Seton Hall 2012ReefSouth CarolinaDePaulAleighsa Welch, South CarolinaDePaul Florida Gulf Coast Hampton South CarolinaIslandConnecticutPurdueBreanna Stewart, ConnecticutConnecticut Marist Purdue Wake Forest 2013ReefSyracuseTexasBrianna Butler, SyracuseMemphis Syracuse Texas Texas A&MIslandDukeKansasTricia Liston, DukeCentral Michigan Duke Kansas Xavier 2014ReefKentuckySouth FloridaMakayla Epps, KentuckyIllinois Kentucky Oklahoma South FloridaIslandFlorida Gulf CoastWichita StateWhitney Knight, Florida Gulf CoastClemson Florida Gulf Coast Ohio State Wichita State 2015ReefMarylandSouth Dakota StateBrionna Jones, MarylandMaryland Old Dominion Pittsburgh South Dakota StateIslandRutgersGreen BayKahleah Copper, RutgersGreen Bay Rutgers Tulane Virginia 2016ReefFlorida StateMichiganLeticia Romero, Florida StateFlorida State Gonzaga Michigan WinthropIslandKansas StateUTEPKindred Wesemann, Kansas StateKansas State LSU NC State UTEP 2017ReefSyracuseVanderbiltTiana Mangakahia, SyracuseGeorge Washington Syracuse Vanderbilt WisconsinIslandWest VirginiaVirginia TechTeanna Muldrow, West VirginiaButler Drexel West Virginia Virginia Tech 2018ReefUConn PurdueNapheesa Collier, UConnOle Miss Purdue St. John's UConnIslandKentuckyNorth CarolinaRhyne Howard, KentuckyKentucky North Carolina South Florida UCLA2019ReefSouth CarolinaBaylorAliyah Boston, South CarolinaBaylor Indiana South Carolina Washington StateIslandLouisvilleOregonDana Evans, LouisvilleLouisville Oklahoma State Oregon UT Arlington2020The 2020 women's tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.2021ReefTexas A&MNorthwesternJordan Nixon, Texas A&MNorthwestern Pittsburgh South Dakota Texas A&MIslandArizonaDePaulCate Reese, Arizona Arizona DePaul Rutgers Vanderbilt2022ReefArkansasKansas StateMakayla Daniels, ArkansasArkansas Clemson Kansas State Northern ArizonaIslandSeton HallGeorgia Diamond Battles, GeorgiaGeorgia Seton Hall VCU Wisconsin2023ReefTexasArizona StateRori Harmon, TexasArizona State High Point South Florida TexasIslandNC StateColorado River Baldwin, NC State Cincinnati Colorado Kentucky NC State2024ReefFlorida StateGonzagaTa’Niya Latson, Florida StateFlorida State Gonzaga Missouri State Texas TechIslandKansas AuburnS’Mya Nichols, Kansas Auburn Kansas Northern Iowa Pittsburgh2025ReefLSUWashington StateAmiya Joyner, LSULSU Marist Miami (OH) Washington State IslandVanderbiltBYUMikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt BYU Oregon State Vanderbilt Virginia TechHarborBoise StateTulaneTatum Thompson, Boise State Boise State Elon North Dakota Tulane2026ReefBaylor Penn State Seton Hall South Florida Island Air Force Santa Clara Texas Tech XavierHarbor Colorado State Grambling State Little Rock Tennessee Tech
Men's tournament appearances