KU and three other teams in this year’s field have captured the title trophy in Maui
Four of the eight teams gathering in Lahaina, Hawaii for the 36th annual Maui Invitational have claimed championships at the event — which, per tradition, is set for Monday through Wednesday of Thanksgiving week.
Kansas won titles here in 1996 and 2015, UCLA in 2006, Dayton in 2003 and Michigan State in 1991. Georgia, Virginia Tech, Chaminade and BYU have yet to earn a first-place trophy in Maui.
Georgia is the only team in the 2019 field making its first appearance in the Maui Invitational. BYU was runner-up in 1992, losing to five-time champ Duke in the finale. Also, KU was runner-up in 2011.
Kansas will meet Chaminade at 8 p.m. Central time Monday at the Lahaina Civic Center in a game to be shown on ESPNU. If the Jayhawks win, they’ll meet the winner of BYU and UCLA in the semifinals at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday on ESPN.
The other side of the bracket has Georgia meeting Dayton at 1:30 p.m. Monday and Michigan State tangling with Virginia Tech at 4 p.m, both on ESPN2. The semifinal contest on that side of the bracket will be 7 p.m. Tuesday on ESPN. The title game is 4 p.m. Wednesday on ESPN.
Here’s a look at all eight teams and the four quarterfinal matchups:
Georgia vs. Dayton, 1:30 p.m., Monday, ESPN2
Georgia: Tom Crean’s Bulldogs boast one of the most electric newcomers in the country in Anthony Edwards, a 6-4 freshman combo guard from Atlanta, Georgia. He enters college as the No. 3-ranked prospect in the recruiting Class of 2019 according to Rivals.com.
Edwards, who was named to the SEC preseason all-league team, has averaged 19.3 points and 6.0 rebounds a game for the Bulldogs, who were picked to finish ninth of 13 SEC teams in the league’s preseason poll. Georgia is 4-0 with wins over Western Carolina, Citadel, Delaware State and Georgia Tech.
Dayton: Coach Anthony Grant’s Flyers, who are making their fourth Maui Invitational appearance, were picked to finish third behind VCU and Davidson in the Atlantic 10’s preseason poll.
Dayton’s top player, redshirt sophomore forward Obi Toppin, is a 6-9 Brooklyn, New York native who averages 23.7 points and 9.7 rebounds a game. Jalen Crutcher, a 6-1 junior from Memphis, who averages 11.0 ppg, was named second-team preseason all-league. Dayton is 3-0 with wins over Indiana State, Charleston Southern and Omaha. The Flyers won the Maui title in 2003.
Virginia Tech vs. Michigan State, 4 p.m., Monday, ESPN2
Virginia Tech: First-year coach Mike Young’s Hokies were picked to finish 14th out of 15 teams in the ACC’s preseason poll.
A rebuilding job has been necessitated following the loss of coach Buzz Williams to Texas A&M, the early departure of Nickeil Alexander-Walker to the NBA Draft and the transfer of Kerry Blackshear to Florida.
Redshirt freshman wing Landers Nolley, a 6-7 Atlanta native, averages 20.2 points and 4.8 rebounds for (5-0) Virginia Tech, which has defeated Clemson, Coppin State, USC Upstate, Lehigh and Delaware State.
Wabissa Bede, a 6-0 junior from North Andover, Massachusetts, averages 5.2 points a game with 40 assists against just eight turnovers. He’s expected to be one of the top point guards in the league. The Hokies are making the school’s second appearance in Maui.
Michigan State: Tom Izzo’s Spartans lost to Kentucky at the season-opening Champions Classic but have bounced back to win three straight games (Binghamton, Seton Hall, Charleston Southern).
Cassius Winston, a 6-1 senior guard from Detroit, is a candidate for national player of the year. He’s averaging 17.5 ppg. The Spartans, who have participated in the Maui Invitational five times, were picked to win the Big Ten in the preseason coaches’ poll and are considered one of the favorites to win the 2020 NCAA title.
Michigan State, by the way, is 7-7 versus KU all-time. KU won the last meeting, 92-87, in the 2018 Champions Classic in Indianapolis.
Kansas vs. Chaminade, 8 p.m., Monday, ESPNU
Chaminade: The host school of the Maui Invitational is 8-92 in tourney history. The Silverswords competed in the tourney every year from 1984 to 2017. In 2018, it was decided that Chaminade would only compete in Maui in odd-numbered years.
Chaminade’s biggest win in school history remains a victory over Virginia on Dec. 23, 1982, in Hawaii. That led to creation of the tourney in ’84. The Div. II Silverswords, coached by Eric Bovaird, were picked to finish third of 12 teams in the Pacific West Conference.
Tyler Cartaino, a 6-6 senior wing from Newbury Park, California, was chosen to the preseason all-league team. Chaminade enters this year’s tourney 2-0 following a 26-point victory over Alaska and 29-point win over Alaska Anchorage. Cartaino is off to a great start, averaging 20.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists a game.
Kansas: The (3-1) Jayhawks, who have won three straight games (Monmouth, UNC Greensboro, East Tennessee State) since falling to Duke at the Champions Classic, are led by NBA prospects Devon Dotson (18.8 ppg) and Udoka Azubuike (12.8 ppg, 8.3 rpg).
KU is making its seventh appearance in Maui, winning in 1996 and 2015 and also competing in 1987, 2001, 2005 and 2011. The Jayhawks are 3-0 all-time versus Chaminade — with all three meetings coming at the Maui Invitational.
BYU vs. UCLA, 10:30 p.m., Monday, ESPN2
BYU: Former Utah Valley coach Mark Pope has the Cougars off to a 3-2 start — wins over Cal State Fullerton, Southern Utah and Houston plus losses to San Diego State and Boise State.
The Cougars, who are making a fourth appearance at the Maui Invitational, returns all-conference players in seniors Yoeli Childs (6-8 senior forward), TJ Haws (6-4 senior guard, 12.0 ppg), and former Utah Valley-player Jake Toolson (6-5 senior guard, averaging 16.0 ppg).
Alec Barcello, a 6-2 junior guard, is a transfer from Arizona averaging 13.0 ppg. BYU was picked third of 10 teams in the West Coast Conference preseason poll. Childs will miss the first nine games because of an NCAA matter involving his hiring of an agent before filing the proper paperwork with the NCAA before testing the waters of the 2019 NBA Draft.
UCLA: The Bruins, who will be making their sixth appearance in Maui, are rebuilding under former Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin. UCLA was picked to finish eighth in the Pac 12 preseason poll.
After leading Cincinnati to nine-straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament, Cronin has UCLA off to a 4-1 start (wins over Long Beach State, UC Santa Barbara, UNLV, Southern Utah; loss to Hofstra)
Jalen Hill, a 6-10 sophomore, is the squad’s leading scorer at 15.2 ppg. Chris Smith, a 6-9 junior, averages 14.8 ppg.
KU coach Bill Self gave his take on the eight-team Maui field: “I think it’s terrific again. On our side ... there’s Chaminade, who we’ve played before. BYU lost a heartbreaker to Boise State in overtime. Boise is good. They (Cougars) won at Houston. They are more than capable. UCLA … Mick has them off to a fast start.
“There are good teams on the other side as well. Most point to Michigan State — they are rated so high (No 3; KU No. 4 nationally). It’s a great field and we expect it’ll be a great tournament. We’re certainly looking forward to it.”
This story was originally published November 23, 2019 at 12:20 PM with the headline "KU and three other teams in this year’s field have captured the title trophy in Maui."
