NCAA Basketball: 2023 Maui Invitational preview and prediction

Kansas

Coming off a great game and a great game win against Kentucky, Kansas is looking to build off of that momentum and walk away with some early season hardware. The top ranked team in the country wants to prove just how good they are by taking on this stacked field, but they definitely showed they may not be as unbeatable as some people thought during the Champions Classic. This roster is loaded at every position, and their most valuable attribute may be their experience.

Hunter Dickinson was the top transfer in the country, and he has gotten off to a great start thanks to playing alongside of one of the best creators in the college game, Dajuan Harris Jr. While every team wants to slow down Dickinson, the player that makes this team go is Harris. He is currently averaging a tick above 7 assists per game and erupted for 23 points against Kentucky. Basically, he is looking to setup his teammates, but you can’t leave him open.

The duo of Harris and Dickinson would be a top 25 team by itself, but pairing them with some of the other players on this roster is exactly why many are expecting Kansas to compete for their second national title in 3 years. Kevin McCullar Jr. and KJ Adams are combining for 30 points per game, Elmarko Jackson was the 26th ranked recruit in the country, and Parker Braun and Nicolas Timberlake were both highly touted transfers that Kansas was able to pickup to solidify their depth. This team can hurt you in so many ways, and they’ll be fun to watch in some of the heavyweight bouts they’ll find themselves in during their stay in Hawaii.

Chaminade

I’m happy to see Chaminade in this event; since 2018 they have only appeared in odd-numbered years, so last year they didn’t make an appearance. Obviously, they are not expected to compete with the teams in this event, but you could arguably put about 90% of division 1 teams in this event and they’d walk away 0-3. Louisville basically took their place last year, losing 80-54, 70-38, and 81-62. Honestly, I’d be surprised if Chaminade didn’t put forth a better effort than that.

Chaminade does return it’s top two scorers from last year, Isaac Amaral-Artharee (16ppg) and Ross Reeves (15.6ppg). I am not expecting Chaminade to walk away with any wins, but I’d love to see them matchup with teams like Syracuse and Gonzaga. In high-tempo, free-flowing games some of these guys will be able to showcase what they can do. Either way, playing against these big name programs and future NBA stars will most likely be an experience some of these players will never forget.