Maui Invitational bracket released
Men’s college basketball tournament set for Valley Isle return Nov. 21-23
Arkansas guard Davonte Davis goes up for a shot against Gonzaga center Chet Holmgren during their Sweet 16 matchup in the NCAA Tournament on March 24. The Razorbacks, who upset the top-seeded Zags to advance to the Elite Eight, are headed to the Valley Isle this fall for the Maui Jim Maui Invitational, set for Nov. 21-23 at Lahaina Civic Center. AP file photos
Tommy Lloyd — who in his first season as Arizona head coach in 2021-22 was named the National Coach of the Year by the NABC, USBWA and The Associated Press — brings his Wildcats to Maui as the only program in the 2022 field to have previously won the tournament (2000, 2014).
Arkansas guard Davonte Davis goes up for a shot against Gonzaga center Chet Holmgren during their Sweet 16 matchup in the NCAA Tournament on March 24. The Razorbacks, who upset the top-seeded Zags to advance to the Elite Eight, are headed to the Valley Isle this fall for the Maui Jim Maui Invitational, set for Nov. 21-23 at Lahaina Civic Center. AP file photos
Tommy Lloyd — who in his first season as Arizona head coach in 2021-22 was named the National Coach of the Year by the NABC, USBWA and The Associated Press — brings his Wildcats to Maui as the only program in the 2022 field to have previously won the tournament (2000, 2014).
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The Maui News
The Maui Jim Maui Invitational has revealed the bracket for this year's return to the Lahaina Civic Center of the Thanksgiving week men's college basketball tournament.
First-round matchups, set for Nov. 21, will feature Texas Tech squaring off against Creighton, and Louisville taking on Arkansas in the top half of the bracket.
In the bottom half of the bracket, Ohio State will face San Diego State, and Cincinnati will go head-to-head against Arizona.
The past two editions of the tournament -- which had been played on Maui every year since 1984 -- were moved to the Mainland due to pandemic restrictions. The 2020 tournament was held in Asheville, N.C., and the 2021 event was played in Las Vegas.
"Finalizing the Maui Jim Maui Invitational bracket signals to fans and teams everywhere that the college basketball season is upon us, but this year feels even more exciting," tournament chairman David Odom said in a news release Monday. "While we've been able to keep the magic of Maui alive the last two years on the Mainland, returning to our rightful home on the island has never felt so good -- and we're bringing an incredible field of teams to help us celebrate that homecoming."
All 12 games of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational will be televised on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU, and will also be available on the ESPN app. Semifinals are set for Nov. 22, and the championship game is at noon on Nov. 23.
Six of this year's eight programs made the 2022 NCAA Tournament, with Texas Tech and Arizona advancing to the Sweet 16, and Arkansas making it to the Elite Eight.
Arizona and Cincinnati are also two of the top-12 all-time winningest schools in NCAA history, while Louisville (39), Arkansas (34), Ohio State (31) and Creighton (23) are in the top 50 nationally for most NCAA Tournament appearances.
Additionally, San Diego State is coming off back-to-back March Madness selections.
This year's field also features six teams that will be making a return appearance in Maui, while Creighton and Texas Tech will be making their first-ever appearance. Arizona is the only returning program to have earned a Maui Invitational championship, having done so in 2000 and 2014.
In April, the Maui Invitational announced the tournament's 2023 field, which is headlined by 2022 national champion Kansas and also includes Gonzaga, UCLA, Syracuse, Marquette, Tennessee, Purdue and host Chaminade.
For more information on this year's tournament, visit mauiinvitational.com.
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Maui Jim Maui Invitational
At Lahaina Civic Center
Monday, Nov. 21
First Round
Texas Tech vs. Creighton, 9:30 a.m. (ESPN2)
Louisville vs. Arkansas, noon (ESPN2)
Ohio St. vs. San Diego St., 4 p.m. (ESPNU)
Cincinnati vs. Arizona, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Tuesday, Nov. 22
Consolation Semifinals
Texas Tech-Creighton loser vs. Louisville-Arkansas loser, 9:30 a.m. (ESPN2)
Ohio St.-San Diego St. loser vs. Cincinnati-Arizona loser, noon (ESPN2)
Semifinals
Texas Tech-Creighton winner vs. Louisville-Arkansas winner, 3 p.m. (ESPN)
Ohio St.-San Diego St. winner vs. Cincinnati-Arizona winner, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Wednesday, Nov. 23
Fifth-place game, 9:30 a.m. (ESPN2)
Championship, noon (ESPN)
Seventh-place game, 2:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
Third-place game, 5 p.m. (ESPN2)