This year’s eight-team event features some of the biggest sports brands and five teams ranked in the top 20 Sports Illustrated Latest 25. The entire field includes Arizona (No. 17 in the SI rankings), Arkansas (No. 5), Cincinnati, Creighton (No. 10), Louisville, Ohio, San Diego (No. 14), and Texas. Tech (No. 15).
“I don’t know we have the kind of balance that we got in this year’s tournament,” tournament president Dave Odom says. “They’re the eight most balanced teams I’ve seen since I’ve been doing this.”
The first round matches of the matches played on Monday, November 21, and the TV broadcast dates are as follows:
- Texas Tech vs. Creighton, 2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2
- Louisville v Arkansas, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN2
- Ohio State v San Diego State, 9 p.m. ET, Espino
- Cincinnati vs. Arizona, 11:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2
The semi-final match and consolation play continues on November 22 before the championship game on November 23, which kicks off at 5 p.m. ET and will be televised on ESPN.
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All matches will be played at the Lahaina Civic Centre, which has hosted several iconic early-season games throughout the tournament’s history. The event returns to Maui after it was played in 2020 in bubble format in Asheville, NC and is being moved to Las Vegas in 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions in Hawaii.
“While we’ve been able to keep the magic of Maui alive for the past two years on the mainland, returning to our rightful home on the island has never felt so good,” Odom said in a statement.
The first round matches of a potential Top 15 showdown were topped by Texas Tech and Creighton, who are both making their first-ever trip to Maui. Excitement is very high with the Bluejays, who have brought back a very talented young core that includes star Ryan Kalkbrenner, likely NBA first-round pick Arthur Caluma and talented young point guard Ryan Nymbard. Additionally, Greg McDermott’s club, Baylor Sherman, is adding the South Dakota State transfer, who has been one of the most-followed names in the gate this spring. Meanwhile, Texas Tech comes up with a Sweet 16 and Top 10 KenPom finish in year one under trainer Mark Adams and brings in a loaded class of newcomers.
New Louisville coach Kenny Payne will bring the Cardinals to Maui and draw a stacked Arkansas team in the first round. Louisville, emerging from a horrific 13-19 season that led to the sacking of Chris Mack, turned to Payne, who won a national title as a player in Louisville. You’ll match the Razorbacks adding three McDonald’s All-Americans, including guard Nick Smith, to a squad that made the Elite Eight a season before.
There’s plenty of excitement around San Diego State in 2022–23 thanks to an elite defense and star striker winger Matt Bradley’s return after his extra year of eligibility. The Aztecs will have a tough first-round test at Ohio State, losing a pair of NBA draft picks to EJ Liddell and Malaki Branham but boosting their roster this spring with three prestigious transfers including Oklahoma State’s Isaac Likekele.
Finally, Arizona is looking to build on its impressive first season under head coach Tommy Lloyd, who led the Wildcats to the Pac-12 Championship, the NCAA Championship No. 1 and a Sweet 16 debut. It’s roster with a fresh look with three NBA picks leaving, but forward Azuolas Tubelis could To be an All-American and Wildcats should be among the top Pac-12 again. They painted Cincinnati, which is preparing to compete for the NCAA Championship berth under sophomore coach Wes Miller.
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