Maui Invitational

Poll: Who Will Win the Maui Invitational?

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:26:03 -0500

Feast Week Preview: Maui, NIT, CBE, More..

Matthew Ryter — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:05:28 -0500

It’s Feast Week. This is one of the most exciting weeks in all of college basketball. There are multiple holiday tournaments taking place that include some big time matchups. Let’s take a deeper look…

Feast Week is headlined by the MAUI INVITATIONAL (November 23-25)

Teams: Chaminade, Maryland, Cincinnati, Vanderbilt, Colorado, Gonzaga, Arizona, and Wisconsin.

This is the most well known tournament during Feast Week. Why is this tournament so famous? Well, for one, you’ll find some big time college coaches sporting some ridiculous Hawaiian shirts. It’s also famous for the “Biggest Upset” according the Maui site. In 1982 Chaminade University, with no gym and 800 undergrad students, squared off against All-American Ralph Sampson and Virginia. Chaminade beat Virginia 77-72 and the Maui Invitational was born. Can they pull of the upset again this year?

What Am I Thankful for? You get the root for the underdog. Is it likely that Chaminade will win this tournament? No. Is it likely that they can steal a game? Why not? It’s fun to root for the underdog. Aside from the “underdog” Chaminade, all of these teams have talent and it should be a very competitive tournament. There is no clear cut favorite. This tournament also will allow some players some national exposure. I think that hoops fans will be very impressed by freshman Lance Stephenson of Cincinnati.

My prediction: Gonzaga will build off of its loss at Michigan State and win the tournament. Matt Bouldin will take home MVP honors. The All-Tournament team will include Bouldin, Lance Stephenson (Cincinnati), Nic Wise (Arizona), Greivis Vazquez (Maryland), and Robert Sacre (Gonzaga).

NIT SEASON TIP-OFF (November 25 & 27)

Teams: LSU, Connecticut, LSU, and Duke

What Am I Thankful for? The possibility of seeing Duke and Connecticut in the finals. That would match up Coach K and Coach Calhoun, two Hall-of-Fame coaches. I’m also thankful for New York City guards playing at Madison Square Garden. Kemba Walker, Bronx, NY, could be the next big NYC guard to shine at the World’s Most Famous Arena.

My prediction: Duke will beat Connecticut to win the tournament. Connecticut will show its athleticism and have great guard play; however Coach K and Duke will be victorious in the end.

CBE CLASSIC (November 23-24)

Teams: Texas, Pittsburgh, Iowa, and Wichita State

What Am I Thankful for? There is talk of an upset already. Although Wichita State is without starting point guard Clevin Hannah, the Shockers still have a shot of taking down Pitt. However, I would love to see a Pitt vs. Texas final. Pittsburgh seems to always have a great point guard and this year is no different. Ashton Gibbs has the role of replacing LeVance Fields and this will be a great test for him. We will get to see a top 5 team in action, Texas.

My prediction: Texas will beat Pittsburgh in the finals, easily. Damion James will win MOP. Dexter Pittman (6’10” 290 lbs.) will show other Big 12 big men what they have to look forward to this year.

OLD SPICE CLASSIC (November 26-29)

Teams: Baylor, Xavier, Michigan, Florida State, Marquette, Iona, Alabama, Creighton

What Am I Thankful for? John Beilein’s 1-3-1 zone. You rarely see this type of defense in the college game. I love it; it brings something new to the table. How new coaches Anthony Grant (Alabama) and Chris Mack (Xavier) will adjust to their respective new programs. Is FSU a true sleeper in the ACC? This tournament is stacked with solid programs. 6 out of the 8 schools made it to the postseason last year.

My prediction: Michigan will beat FSU in the championship game. FSU will show that they cannot be taken lightly in the ACC. Manny Harris is going to put numbers. He can score at will and will do so throughout this tournament. DeShawn Sims will show the rest of the college hoops world why Michigan has one of the best inside-outside combos in the nation.

76 CLASSIC (November 26-29)

Teams: West Virginia, Clemson, Butler, Minnesota, UCLA, Texas A&M, Long Beach State, Portland

What Am I Thankful for? The depth of this tournament. 6 out of the 8 teams made it to the Big Dance last season. Butler, the mid-major powerhouse, has a legitimate shot at winning this tournament. We will get to know some rather “unknown” players after this tournament. ( i.e. Donald Sloan of Texas A&M and Lawrence Westbrook of Minnesota) I’m also thankful for Brad Stevens. The coach of Butler could be the next coach to jump to a Big 6 conference school.

My Prediction: West Virginia will win a very close game against Butler in the final. Devin Ebanks and Da’Sean Butler will be too much for Gordon Hayward and Matt Howard and the Mountaineers will prevail.

LEGENDS CLASSIC (November 27-28)

Teams: Rutgers, UMass, Michigan State, Florida

What Am I Thankful for? We are guaranteed to see a Florida/Michigan State matchup. They will face off in the semifinals. No, I don’t get the semifinal matchups either. Maybe they figured hoops fans would leave these games early and head to the casinos in Atlantic City rather then stick around and watch. However, we get to see a contender in Michigan State and an exciting freshman talent at Florida in Kenny Boynton.

My Prediction: Michigan State will win it. They will face a relatively tough test in their first round matchup against Florida, but will prevail. Kalin Lucas will show Boynton the ropes.

What are you Thankful for?

Matthew Ryter keeps you up to date on the world of college basketball with his "Ryter's Block" column. What do you think about this story? Post your comments below:

Maui Invitational Preview: Can Someone Stop UNC?

Kevin McNeill — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 14:20:42 -0500

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EA SPORTS Maui Invitational (Nov 24-26)

Key Games:

- Texas / St. Joseph's winner vs. Indiana / Notre Dame winner

- UNC vs. Alabama / Oregon winner

- Championship game

Once again, Maui showcases a little bit of everything. The country will get a good look at three teams contending for their respective conference titles, two of the most underrated freshmen in the country in Michael Dunigan and JaMychal Green, along with returning stars such as Tyler Hansbrough, Tajuan Porter, Luke Harangody and the great tandem of AJ Abrams and Damion James.

You also have the dueling storylines of a tradition-rich program primed for a run at the national title, along with a tradition-rich program just trying to get through one of their most challenging seasons ever.

North Carolina starts the season the same way they started the last one, as the top ranked team in the nation. This time however, there is a noticeable gap between the Tar Heels and everyone else. Not only do they return the reigning Wooden award winner (not to mention the other five national POY awards), but also feature Wayne Ellington, Danny Green and Ty Lawson - all of whom pulled out of the NBA draft to come back for a title run.

Marcus Ginyard will be in street clothes for the tournament, which is a huge setback, especially on defense, but the Heels still tower over everyone else and should be the favorite to leave the island with the championship. Even though Tyler Hansbrough is still recovering from a stress reaction in his shin, he should be more than effective in Hawaii.

The Maui tournament is also a great test for North Carolina, not only for the high caliber of the field, but for the fact that it also prepares the Heels for a big test at Michigan State. They should be more than ready for the start of ACC play come January.

On the other end of the spectrum sits Indiana. They will field a team with all but two players from last season's roster having either transferred or been booted, a lame duck Athletic Director, an entirely new coaching staff, a self-imposed penalty limiting contact with recruits and a loss of a scholarship - all due to the still-lingering effects of the Kelvin Sampson call scandal.

Better yet, Indiana still awaits word on the NCAA's ruling over the charge of "failure to monitor," indicating that the school didn't do enough to watch Sampson's calls and activities in regard to recruits. Indiana angrily, and repeatedly, denied the charge over the summer, but soon after Sampson helpfully issued a statement saying he never concealed his illegal calls from university officials. Besides, the NCAA rarely likes to admit they were wrong.

So, in a perfect world, the end result would be that Indiana wouldn't have to suffer any more indignities than they already have, and Kelvin Sampson wouldn't be allowed within 100 yards of so much as a NAIA job. Which means of course that it may be safe to predict that Indiana will find itself facing a postseason or television ban, and Sampson will be back in college again by this time next year (following his foray into the NBA as an assistant).

But we move on. The Maui Invitational could well feature back to back matchups of Top 10 teams, should Texas play Notre Dame, with the winner facing the top ranked Tar Heels in the title game. That alone makes it once again the preseason's best tournament.

Another thing to look out for are the two aforementioned freshmen - Michael Dunigan for Oregon and JaMychal Green for Alabama. It wasn't that long ago that we didn't put much stock in freshmen play in November since they are just getting their first glimpse of the college game. No more. Dunigan is already averaging 13 & 8 down low, while Green tries to replace Richard Hendrix by chipping in 15 & 10.

Finally, one last note. The tournament first began on the 20^th anniversary of the greatest upset in sports history, Division II school Chaminade's victory over Ralph Sampson and #1 Virginia in 1982. They play the Tar Heels in the first round this year. If a miracle happens, would this be a bigger upset?

2008 Maui Invitation Bracket Announced

Press Release — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 18:42:57 -0400

MAUI, Hawaii, Aug. 5, 2008 – The EA SPORTS Maui Invitational today announced the official bracket for the 2008 edition of the nation’s premier early-season college basketball tournament. Marking its milestone 25^th year, the eight-team competition will return to Maui’s ocean-front Lahaina Civic Center Nov.24-26.

Battling this year for the coveted Wayne Duke Championship Trophy, will be North Carolina, Notre Dame, Texas, Indiana, Oregon, Saint Joseph’s, Alabama and host Chaminade. Six of the seven Division I teams in the 2008 lineup participated in the 2008 NCAA Tournament, highlighted by North Carolina’s Final Four appearance and Texas’ run to the Elite Eight. The field also includes three former national champions – North Carolina, Indiana and Oregon – with 10 NCAA titles between them.

The ESPN networks will combine once again to offer live television coverage of all 12 tournament games. In addition, ESPN360.com will provide live simulcasts of the games televised on ESPN and ESPN2.

“Throughout its history the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational has become synonymous with the kickoff of the college basketball season,” said Tournament Chairman Dave Gavitt. “We look forward to commemorating the tournament’s 25^th year with another impressive field vying for Maui glory. Fans from across the nation can look forward to a memorable experience, on and off the court.”

First-round action tips off Thanksgiving week on Monday, Nov. 24, with Game One featuring Atlantic 10 team and Maui newcomer, Saint Joseph’s, led by coach Phil Martelli, against 2008 Elite Eight participant and three-time Maui team, Texas, under head coach Rick Barnes. The winner of this game will take on the winner of Game Two, pitting in-state rivals for battle as five-time national champion and 2002 Maui champ, Indiana, guided by new coach Tom Crean, will face head coach Mike Brey and Notre Dame, a growing BIG EAST force returning for a second appearance at the Lahaina Civic Center. Four-time national champion and two-time Maui titleholder, North Carolina, will hit the hardwood in Game Three, as Hall of Famer Roy Williams pilots his highly touted Tar Heels in a contest with 2008 PacWest Conference champion and tournament host Chaminade, which pulled off an upset over Princeton in Maui last year. The winner of that game will square off with the winner of Game Four, which pairs two teams making their Maui debut: head coach Ernie Kent will call the shots when former national champion and 2007 Pac-10 Conference titleholder, Oregon, plays against the Crimson Tide of Alabama, a Mark Gottfried-led team looking to make its mark in paradise.

The semifinals will take place Tuesday, Nov. 25 at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Eastern time on ESPN, with the winners advancing to the championship game Wednesday, Nov. 26 at 10 p.m. Eastern (also on ESPN).