NCAA Basketball: 2019 Maui Invitational preview and predictions

LAHAINA, HI - NOVEMBER 22: Fans pack the Lahaina Civic Center to watch the Maui Invitational NCAA college basketball game between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Oklahoma State Cowboys at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 22, 2016 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images) /

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LAHAINA, HI – NOVEMBER 21: The Gonzaga Bulldogs players and coaches pose for a photo after winning the 2018 Maui Invitational against the Duke Blue Devils at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 21, 2018 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images) /

One of the most prestigious in-season NCAA Basketball tournaments kicks off Monday in Maui, who will take home the 2019 Maui Jim Maui Invitational title? Here’s a preview of the event.

The Maui Jim Maui Invitational is the most recognizable early-season tournament that NCAA Basketball has. The 12-team tournament that takes place in Hawaii has been run since 1984 with some of the most competitive fields of any tournament each season. The tournament is hosted by the Chaminade Silver Swords, a Division II school, but a school that has arguably the biggest upset in the history of the sport on their resume, a five-point upset of top-ranked University of Virginia, who was led by future Hall-of-Famer Ralph Sampson in 1982.

It was because of this win that the idea of a tournament was born, and two years later, we had the then Maui Classic. I know, at least for me, seeing mid-week, mid-day basketball from the Lahaina Civic Center is a sign that the season is in full swing.

The past champions of the event is a virtual who’s who of the sport, led by the five titles Duke has won, but their tobacco road brethren are right behind them with four. But, Syracuse, Arizona, Gonzaga, Connecticut, Kansas, and Michigan have all won it at least twice.

This is a 12-team tournament, but only eight teams compete in Hawaii, there is always one representative from the top six conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big East, Big 12, SEC, and Pac-12), along with one team from the next tier of conferences (American, Atlantic 10, Conference USA, or Mountain West) to go along with the host Silver Swords.

This year’s tournament will take place Nov. 25-27 with a star-studded field that includes preseason No. 1 Michigan State, the Kansas Jayhawks, one of the best freshmen in the country Anthony Edwards and Georgia, Mick Cronin’s UCLA Bruins, to go along with BYU, Dayton and Virginia Tech.

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