2018 Maui Invitational Bracket
The Maui Jim Maui Invitational has revealed the 2018 Tournament bracket, which will feature national championship contenders, three preseason top-10 programs, numerous player of the year candidates and future NBA draft picks in what promises to be an action-packed three days at the Lahaina Civic Center.
Illinois opens the tournament against Gonzaga in the quarterfinal round on Monday, Nov. 19 at 10:30 p.m. Central Time. The game will be televised on ESPN2.
Illinois is making its fifth appearance in the Maui Invitational, owning an all-time record of 10-3 highlighted by the 2012 championship in its most recent trip. Illinois was runner-up in 2000 and finished third in 2007 and 1987.
The Fighting Illini are 5-1 all-time against Gonzaga, most recently defeating the Bulldogs 85-74 in Spokane on Dec. 8, 2012, less than three weeks after winning the 2012 Maui crown.
The other quarterfinal match-ups in Maui feature Auburn taking on Xavier, Duke squaring off against San Diego State, and Arizona facing Iowa State.
"The Maui Invitational is without question the elite pre-conference tournament in all of college basketball," Illinois head coach Brad Underwood said. "This year's tournament has arguably the strongest field in the history of the event. All eight of these programs have tremendous winning traditions, rosters filled with extremely talented players, and outstanding fan bases who travel to support their teams. Playing three high-level games in the beautiful Maui setting and on the ESPN networks is a great honor for our program; we are looking forward to the opportunity."
The 35th edition of the nation's premier early season Tournament will take place Nov. 19-21 at the Lahaina Civic Center on the island of Maui. All 12 Championship Round games of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational will be televised on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU and available to stream via the ESPN app.
Due to high demand, travel packages for the 2018 Maui Jim Maui Invitational are sold out. Ticket packages, based on availability, will be available for purchase through the Tournament website, mauiinvitational.com/tickets, beginning at 4 p.m. ET on August 8.
"Each of the eight teams that step on the hardwood at the Lahaina Civic Center is capable of winning the 2018 Maui Jim Maui Invitational," said Tournament Chairman David Odom. "All 12 games in Maui will help shape the course of the 2018-19 college basketball season, and the team that leaves the island with the Wayne Duke Championship Trophy will have incredible momentum to begin the year. The atmosphere is going to be electric, and we're looking forward to hosting the teams and their fans in November."
"It's another great Maui Jim Maui Invitational field, obviously with two or three teams that potentially are Final Four and national championship worthy," said longtime ESPN college basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla. "It's almost like an NCAA Regional bracket, but it's played in one of the most beautiful places on Earth. There are going to be some incredible performances that we will remember long after these young men leave the island."
"To win the Maui Jim Maui Invitational, a team has to have depth and talent, and has to be able to survive three games against great competition," added ESPN and Maui broadcasting veteran Jay Bilas. "You cannot have an off game in Maui or you will be sent to the consolation bracket. One thing is for certain, you cannot back into a Maui title, and you cannot luck into one. This is a title you have to earn. Usually, a Maui title is a sign of a national championship caliber team. That is especially true this season."
The 2018 Maui Jim Maui Invitational field comprises one of the most accomplished fields in Tournament history. It will feature four national coach of the year winners, led by Duke's 12-time honoree Mike Krzyzewski. He is one of six Maui-bound head coaches, with at least five years' experience, who appear among the NCAA's top 20 active leaders in winning percentage, joining Gonzaga's Mark Few, Arizona's Sean Miller, Illinois' Brad Underwood, Auburn's Bruce Pearl and Iowa State's Steve Prohm.
Combined, the teams own 196 NCAA Tournament berths, including 27 Final Four appearances, and 197 conference regular season and tournament championships. Accompanied by Tournament newcomers Auburn and Xavier, the six returning programs have a combined 55-19 record in Maui, with the Blue Devils, Wildcats, Bulldogs and Illini boasting Maui Jim Maui Invitational championships. Arizona (2014), Duke (2011) and Illinois (2012) each return to Maui having claimed the Tournament title in their most recent appearance.
Over the years, the Tournament has proven to be a key ingredient in a team's success. Since the Tournament's inception, 124 teams that have started the season in Maui have gone on to compete in the NCAA Tournament, with 46 teams having advanced to the Sweet 16. In each of the last eight seasons, one or more teams that have competed in Maui to begin the season have gone on to at least the Elite Eight. All time, seven Maui programs have gone on to win the NCAA championship, with North Carolina the last team to do so during the 2016-17 season.
