LAHAINA >> College basketball powerhouses Michigan State and Kansas welcome the timing of the 2019 Maui Jim Maui Invitational, for vastly different reasons.
For the No. 3 Spartans, the elite early-season tournament is an opportunity to recover from tragedy, and a welcome return to normalcy. But for the No. 4 Jayhawks, it’s a chance to get away from it all … including their ongoing battle with the NCAA.
They are the heavy favorites to meet in a top-five matchup in Wednesday’s championship game. The top-heavy 36th edition of the tournament begins today at Lahaina Civic Center, with Michigan State taking on Virginia Tech at noon and Kansas facing Division II host Chaminade — which is back in the field after its first time being rotated out in 2018 — at 4. Georgia vs. Dayton (9:30 a.m.) and BYU vs. UCLA (6:30 p.m.) are the other first-round matchups.
Michigan State’s season-opening loss to Kentucky in the Champions Classic paled to what else the Spartans have endured. A foot injury might cost Joshua Langford, a treasured wing player, his senior season. Then, on Nov. 9, Zachary Winston, the younger brother of Spartans All-American senior point guard Cassius Winston, was hit by a train and killed. MSU’s heartbroken Winston chose to play a game less than 24 hours later.
“The Langford thing is hard because he’s a fourth-year guy, he started when he was a freshman. My most experienced player, and a guy everyone loved on my team,” Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said Sunday. “But it doesn’t even weigh at all compared to Cassius losing his brother. And it wasn’t just that our team lost Cassius’ brother, they lost a friend too. … I can’t say it’s been easy these last two weeks.
“So, we’re just trying to maybe hit the islands to get us back to some normality. It’s never going to go away, but everybody we talk to tells us you’ve gotta get back to normal as best you can.”
Kansas also lost its opener in the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden, to Duke, but that’s about where the similarities between the blue bloods end.
On Sept. 23, an NCAA notice of allegations for major recruiting violations was levied at Kansas, plus a responsibility clause for coach Bill Self. Self told reporters at the Jayhawks’ preseason media day that “we’re going to fight them” and that he and the university relished a future chance to tell their side of the story. However, Kansas drew more attention Oct. 4 with a raucous preseason event that included Snoop Dogg, a money gun and pole dancers. The university later apologized.
Speaking in general terms Sunday, Self was grateful for the trip out to the islands. “I actually enjoy taking our team places where they can get away from everything else,” he said. “Even though people say there’s distractions here, there’s more distractions going to the Garden in New York City to play.”
On the court, the Jayhawks, who feature 7-foot center Udoka Azubuike, committed 28 turnovers in the loss to now-top-ranked Duke. Self conceded his team is not “a great passing team” but noted the Jayhawks have taken care of the ball better since.
Their always-dangerous opponent, Chaminade, has eight all-time wins in its signature event. The last came against California, 96-72, in the 2017 seventh-place game. That was the Silverswords’ last appearance on Maui; as part of a deal with KemperLesnik to boost the field, they’ll be rotated out to mainland games in even-numbered years.
Ninth-year coach Eric Bovaird said that in spectating the 2018 tournament, he gained a newfound appreciation for the nonstop quality of play in the routinely packed 2,400-seat Civic Center.
“(UCLA coach Mick Cronin) said it best. This is the best tournament in the world. Everybody’s thankful to be a part of it, everybody wants an invitation to it. So, yeah, we’re playing in it every other year, but it’s still very special to us,” said Bovaird, who also authored an 86-73 defeat of Texas in the 2012 opening round.
Past hoisters of Maui’s Wayne Duke Trophy abound. Michigan State won it in 1991. Kansas took it in 1996 and 2015. UCLA won in 2006 and Dayton in 2003. Georgia is a first-time invitee and Virginia Tech hasn’t been in it since 1985, when it was a nascent four-team event. BYU made the final once in three appearances.
Three teams have new head coaches: Virginia Tech (Mike Young); UCLA (Cronin); and BYU (Mark Pope).
Maui Jim Maui Invitational, Day 1
Today at Lahaina Civic Center
>> Game 1: Georgia (4-0) vs. Dayton (3-0), 9:30 a.m. (ESPN2)
>> Game 2: Virginia Tech (5-0) vs. No. 3 Michigan State (3-1), noon (ESPN2)
>> Game 3: No. 4 Kansas (3-1) vs. Chaminade (2-0), 4 p.m. (ESPNU)
>> Game 4: BYU (3-2) vs. UCLA (4-1), 6:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
