It’s the championship game of the Maui Invitational between the Wichita State Shockers and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Who wins this battle between two top-15 teams?
TV schedule: Wednesday, Nov. 22 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Arena: Lahaina Civic Center in Maui, Hawaii
This was the battle all neutral fans were hoping for, as two great, experienced teams will fight it out on Wednesday night for the prestigious Maui Invitational title.
Wichita State (5-0) struggled against California before pulling away at the end. In the semi-finals game against Marquette, it was the defense that prevailed, only allowing 66 points to a high-flying Golden Eagles team.
Point guard Landry Shamet has looked just fine after recovering from a foot injury in the off-season, leading the team with 19 points in the previous game. Head coach Gregg Marshall has one of the more experienced teams in the country with seven seniors on the roster. That doesn’t even include their lead scorer from last year in Markus McDuffie, who’s expected to return in December. Even without him, it’s been a team effort to get to this point.
They take on a Notre Dame (5-0) team that may have faced the two weakest teams in this event. After drawing Division II team and the hosts of the Maui Invitational Chaminade, they sounded defeated an LSU team that pulled off the upset against Michigan. While seniors Matt Farrell and Bonzie Colson are as consistent as they come, the early emergence of sophomore Temple Gibbs has added a dangerous element to this team. He had a career-high 26 on 9/15 shooting in the 39 point win versus the Tigers.
With so many seniors on the court for this game, expect the quality of play to be on a high level throughout the game. Shamet and Farrell will be an interesting battle as the size advantage leans towards the Shockers. The last time the small point guard for the Irish faced a big defensive guard was Javon Carter of West Virginia in the NCAA Tournament. He struggled in that game and could in this one as well. Colson will have his hands full against Wichita’s frontline as well, especially Rashard Kelly, whose defensive prowess gave Marquette’s bigs fits.
Next: Wichita State beats Marquette in a team effort
This game comes down to which style of offense will prevail, the Irish’s offense or the Shocker’s defense? As talented as Notre Dame is, an off night from either of their two stars could put them in trouble. Even if one Shocker has an off night, there are others that can fill in. That’ll be the difference in this highly anticipated matchup of top-15 teams.
Prediction: Wichita State 75 – Notre Dame 67