NCAA Basketball: Ranking the 8 teams in the 2018 Maui Invitational
8. Illinois Fighting Illini
2017-18 season record: 14-18 (4-14) – No postseason
Head coach Brad Underwood is still undergoing a roster overhaul that fits his system, evident by the many departures of the Illini this offseason. Several key contributors are gone including Mark Smith, Te’Jon Lucas, Michael Finke and leading scorer Leron Black.
The hope for Illinois next season is that Ayo Dosunmu has his own Trae Young like campaign. The five-star guard is from Chicago and has a big significance on and off the court for the program. He and rising sophomore Trent Frazier will form one of the better backcourts in the Big Ten. The problem will be in the frontcourt, which is unproven at best.
7. Arizona Wildcats
2017-18 season record: 27-8 (14-4) – NCAA Tournament 1st Round
As much as Illinois lost in terms of production from last season, it’s nothing compared to what the Wildcats endured. All five starters along with a key reserve are gone, with not one player projected to be an All-Pac 12 guy for 2019.
Related Story. Analyzing Arizona's rotation for 2018-19. light
That’s not to say that Arizona will be awful. Two grad transfers in Justin Coleman and Ryan Luther add much-needed experience to the team, along with former Duke big man Chase Jeter now eligible to play.
The ceiling and the floor for the team will depend on whether the potential for the top-40 recruits will be realized. Guys like Brandon Randolph, Emmanuel Akot, and Ira Lee didn’t have good freshman years. Their improvement as sophomores will be the deciding factor for the Wildcats. Until then, the unknowns make it hard to project them very high – especially considering this Maui field.