Creighton vs Arizona: 2022 Maui Invitational game preview, TV schedule

Mar 18, 2022; San Diego, CA, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Azuolas Tubelis (10) dribbles the basketball against Wright State Raiders guard Tim Finke (24) during the second half during the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports /

The finals of this loaded Maui Invitational Tournament feature a pair of ranked teams in Creighton and Arizona. Who will get the big win and title?

TV schedule: Wednesday, November 23rd, 5:00 pm ET. ESPN

Arena: Lahaina Civic Center in Maui, Hawaii

Heading into the annual Maui Invitational Tournament, there are five ranked programs that all had a chance to win it all. Two of them were Creighton and Arizona, two Final Four teams with plenty of hype. And so far in Hawaii, both have looked highly impressive.

In what is now a four-game stretch against ranked opponents, Creighton (6-0) defeated Texas Tech, 76-65, in the quarterfinal matchup, with all five starters scoring in double figures. They followed that up with a 90-87 win over Arkansas in the semis. Three different Jayhawks had at least 20 points in Ryan Nembhard, Ryan Kalkbrenner, and Baylor Scheierman. It was a great display of how good this team can be offensively and how potent the starting five is.

Their next test is Arizona (5-0). They have little issue with Cincinnati, up double figures for most of the game, winning with a final score of 101-93, led by 30 points and 11 rebounds from Azuolas Tubelis. The Wildcats had a tougher time last night against San Diego State in a ranked matchup, giving up an early double-digit lead and trailing early in the second half.

But a huge run in the final 20 minutes allowed the Pac-12 program to run away with an 87-70 win. Guards Kerr Kriisa and Courtney each had 21 points to lead the way, while center Oumar Ballo had a double-double. Arizona, despite losing Pac-12 Player of the Year Bennedict Mathurin, remains one of the highest-scoring teams in the country and the matchup with Creighton will be one filled with fireworks.

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Both teams already have at least one quad 1 victory and will leave with more positives than negatives in the Maui Invitational. But now, one will get one more big win and likely move towards around the top 5 in the next AP ranking. These are teams with fairly similar rosters and starting lineups and quality coaches on the sidelines. So ultimately it’ll come down to who is more consistent in 40 minutes. I’m higher on the Bluejays in that regard so I’ll be picking them.

Prediction: Creighton 87, Arizona 82

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