The Maui Invitational is the college basketball’s premier early season tournament and the 2018 field is absolutely loaded. Who will rule the island?
College basketball’s late November slate is highlighted by a plethora of early season non-conference tournaments, but none of those tournaments have the tradition, pedigree, or prestige of the Maui Invitational.
The tournament, which has been played every year since 1984, was created thanks to perhaps the biggest upset in college basketball history. Chaminade, the host of the Maui Invitational, famously upset No. 1 Virginia and Ralph Sampson in 1982 and, afterward, UVA head coach Terry Holland made the suggestion to Chaminade athletic director Mike Vasconcellos that they host an early season tournament every year. And so the tournament was started in 1984.
The tournament has since become the place for some of the country’s premier teams to test themselves during the first month of the season. As such, it’s no surprise that five national champions (including four since 2004-05) have competed in the tournament.
The 2018 tournament represents a bit of a watershed moment as it will be the first year in which Chaminade, a Division II school, will not be competing in the eight-team field. They will now be competing on an every-other-year basis.
However, tournament officials have used that to put together perhaps the best field in Maui history. Five of the eight teams made the NCAA Tournament last year and three (Duke, Gonzaga, Auburn) are currently ranked in the top 10 nationally.
Which team will instant credibility and have a gold star on their tournament resume by winning the Maui Invitational? Here’s a full preview of the tournament (which starts Monday, Nov. 19) and predictions for every game.