NCAA Basketball: 2023 Maui Invitational preview and prediction
UCLA
UCLA lost their top 5 scorers from a season ago (roughly 86% of their offense), and yet Mick Cronin still has the Bruins on the verge of the top 25. Adem Bona is an absolute force down low, both offensively and defensively. He is off to a great start, and if the Bruins want to compete in the Pac-12’s final season, he will have to continue to improve. UCLA is also depending on Sebastian Mack and Dylan Andrews, both top 70 recruits in their respective classes (Mack – 67th in 2023, Andrews- 47th in 2022). They’ve both shown flashes of what they can do, but they will need to grow up quickly and shoot the ball a little bit better if UCLA wants to leave the Island with a winning record.
Their first matchup with Maquette is a daunting one, and I will get into why in their preview, but experience will be a big disadvantage for UCLA in game one. I would love to see UCLA end up playing Syracuse, it would give two teams looking for their identity an opportunity to play a high level game while also working out the kinks. Obviously, a matchup with a top 10 team isn’t one where you want to be trying new things. UCLA was somewhat of an unknown coming into the season, but don’t be surprised if they pull off an upset or two and find themselves with a number next to their name.
Marquette
Most of the time, you consider yourself lucky if you are able to have some of your top players or top contributors return for the following season. I am not sure what Shaka Smart considers himself, but it has to be more than lucky. Marquette returns Big East player of the year, Tyler Kolek, who is off to another solid start. In addition to Kolek, the Golden Eagles also bring back Kam Jones and Oso Ighodaro, both of whom were integral parts in Marquette winning the Big East regular season and tournament crowns. Returning 3 of their top 4 players from a season ago puts Marquette in a position to be one of the favorites in March.
In game one, I would expect Marquette to use their experience to outlast UCLA. This sets up a possible matchup with Kansas, which could be a game we could see come late March. Marquette has one of the best backcourts in the nation and Ighodaro, alongside David Joplin, don’t exactly make things easy for opposing teams in the paint. They may not leave as champions in Hawaii, but whoever hands them their first loss of the season is going to need to play their A-game.