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Bovaird: Silverswords sad not to be playing on Maui, but excited for Vegas

Chaminade opens Maui Invitational against No. 12 Oregon on Monday

By Robert Collias 6 min read

It will be the most offbeat Maui Jim Maui Invitational ever for the Chaminade University men's basketball team.

The host Silverswords open with Oregon on Monday in the event that was held on Maui for 36 years until the last two tournaments were forced to move to the Mainland due to COVID concerns.

Last year, when Chaminade sat out the tournament as it does every other year, it was held in Asheville, N.C. Next week's event will be held in Las Vegas, a decision that was announced Oct. 1.

"It's going to be very unique, there's no doubt about it," Chaminade coach Eric Bovaird said via phone Tuesday. "Obviously we are disappointed that we are not having it on Maui, that's where it's meant to be played, where we love to play, but the circumstances are what they are.

"At the time we had to make a decision on where we were going to hold this event I don't think the Hawaii officials were ready to commit to us having full capacity, so we had to move it elsewhere."

Bovaird said he thinks the local support that the Silverswords regularly enjoy in the Lahaina Civic Center will somewhat translate to Las Vegas.

"I guess the second-best place to host it would be in Las Vegas, the ninth island," he said. "We're hoping to have great support from there. There are tons of people from Hawaii there and there's a lot of people interested in basketball. ... I'm expecting pretty big crowds."

The assignment against No. 12 Oregon may have gotten a little harder after Bovaird spoke to The Maui News. The Ducks aren't likely to take the Silverswords lightly after being upset by BYU 81-49 in Portland, Ore., on Tuesday evening.

"I've seen a little bit of them on film and they are going to be an incredible challenge with their size and athleticism and skill," Bovaird said. "I think they are going to have a really, really good year. They are going to be a tough test for us, but we're looking forward to it."

The reaction to the move of the event has been mixed among the Chaminade players.

"The older guys, I have a few juniors and seniors who that have transferred in, and they were very disappointed in the fact that they wouldn't get to play in Maui because next year we'll be on the road, not playing in the Maui portion of the Maui Invitational," Bovaird said. "For them, it was pretty disappointing. For the younger guys with the hopes that someday in the future they will be able to play in Maui, they weren't too disappointed. They are actually looking forward to going to Las Vegas, so we got mixed emotions from a lot of people.

"Obviously, we would rather be in Maui, but that's just the way it is. We're excited to go to Las Vegas. We're going to make the most of it. (Tournament organizer) KemperLesnik has done a great job of putting the tournament together at Mandalay Bay Michelob Ultra Arena, so it's going to be a lot of fun."

Bovaird said the tournament is a huge part of preparing the Silverswords for their NCAA Division II slate in the PacWest Conference.

"It helps us extremely well, there's no doubt about it because these teams have the ability to expose weaknesses that you don't even know you have," he said. "So, in that kind of competition you can find out what you need to improve on in a hurry, and the things you do well, and the direction you can try to take your team based on the success and the weaknesses that you see."

Bovaird anticipates "quite a bit" of Chaminade fans to make the trip.

"We've heard from a lot of people, a lot of people have reached out and have an interest in going," he said. "Obviously I think people would prefer to be in Maui, but let's face it, Las Vegas is a little bit cheaper, whether it's hotels, food, rental cars, flights in and out. So, I think we will have a really, really good following. I'm looking forward to it."

Bovaird said that the decision to move the event did not come easily.

He said officials from KemperLesnik, Chaminade president Lynn Babington and Maui County Mayor Michael Victorino worked until the last moment trying to figure out how to hold the event at the Lahaina Civic Center.

The decision had to be made at a time when no fans were being allowed to University of Hawaii football games yet, which was a major factor cited by state officials on the decision on whether or not to have the Maui Invitational here.

"Our president was involved," Bovaird said. "I know between her and KemperLesnik and talking with Maui officials, Hawaii in general officials, they were meeting regularly to try to figure out a way. Almost everybody wanted to have it in Maui.

"When we were making the final decision two months ago, just about everybody wanted to, except for the upper administration of Hawaii was a little reluctant because at the time they still weren't allowing fans outdoors at UH football games. It wasn't looking very good at the time to have that commitment that we could have a full capacity."

The decision could not wait any longer because television equipment had to be moved to the island and other amenities had to be arranged, events that take time.

"So, our administration, KemperLesnik, in agreement with everybody, just decided that, hey, it might be better this year just to move it to Las Vegas," Bovaird said.

Due to the move, Chaminade will not be in the event here for a span from its last appearance in 2019 to 2023. Bovaird is confident the event will return to Maui next year.

"The only concern I would have is if COVID keeps (going), if there's still restrictions, if COVID recirculates stronger, those kinds of things, but if you take COVID out of the equation, the event will be on Maui again," he said. "They waited until the very, very last second. ... Mayor Victorino was in full support of holding the event in Maui."

* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com.

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