NCAA Basketball: Top 2018-19 early season tournament fields

DURHAM, NC - MAY 31: Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski sits down for SiriusXM's Town Hall With Hall Of Fame Coach Mike Krzyzewski at Bill Brill Media Room in Cameron Indoor Stadium on May 31, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images for SiriusXM) /

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OMAHA, NE – MARCH 25: Marques Bolden and Javin DeLaurier celebrate. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

Maui Jim Maui Invitational

Household names and perennially successful programs like Duke, Auburn, and Arizona are enough to secure hundreds of thousands of tune-ins around the country. Coach K and War Eagle aren’t the only draws present in this tropical tournament, though. The field is strong from top to bottom. Gonzaga and San Diego State provide some strong west coast representation for this event as well. Many key starters return for Auburn, making them a preseason top-25 team.

Duke famously lost their entire starting five to the 2018 NBA Draft, only to put together the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class (per 247sports). Zion Williamson and Tyus Jones are the already heralded phenoms slated to join the club. The stage is set for these kids to make a splash against some very fine teams. Bruce Pearl and Auburn look to continue building their success despite looming controversy surrounding the program. A strong performance for the Tigers may provide some much needed distraction from the headlines.

San Diego State enjoyed a Mountain West Conference Tournament championship last season and key pieces like Matt Mitchell and Jalen McDaniels return for the Aztecs. A victory over a Duke or an Auburn would be huge for Brian Dutcher’s club.

The Maui Jim Maui Invitational will conclude with a championship round at Lahani Civic Center in Maui, HI from November 19-21.

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