Gonzaga Basketball: Takeaways from the 2018 Maui Invitational

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LAHAINA, HI – NOVEMBER 21: The Gonzaga Bulldogs pose for a photo with the 2018 Maui Invitational championship trophy after beating the Duke Blue Devils 89-87 at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 21, 2018 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images) /

Gonzaga Basketball was already a top-five team going into Maui, but their performance over the three-day tournament may push them to the top.

Early season tournaments are an easy way for teams to test themselves, pick up quality wins and identify areas for improvement. Gonzaga Basketball did just that this week, beating Duke and taking home the Maui Invitational Championship.

The Bulldogs experience was on full display this week, withstanding late runs by both Duke and Illinois and maintaining their poise in a huge comeback win over Arizona. Rui Hachimura, who averaged 22.3 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists, won the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award for his incredible performance.

Despite some slow offensive stretches, struggles from the free throw line, and some untimely turnovers, the Zags managed to put on a performance that had a lot of analysts raving about their Final Four chances. They did not show much panic and continued to play their game for a majority of the 120 minutes played.

This was a good test for Mark Few’s team, especially taking on a Duke team featuring the top three recruits from the 2018 class. In what could go down as the best game of the year, the Zags got off to a great start before surviving the Blue Devils late run for an 89-87 victory.

Along with Hachimura, Zach Norvell was named to the All-Tournament Team, and transfer Brandon Clarke excelled in his first game against a ranked team since joining Gonzaga. Mark Few showed his chops as a coach and proved that nobody should doubt the Zags.

What are the three biggest takeaways for the Zags from the Mau Invitational?