Field Level Media
20 Nov 2023, 07:35 GMT+10
(Photo credit: Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK)
No. 1 Kansas wants a third Maui Invitational title in as many tries, a mission that begins with an opening-round game against Chaminade Monday in Honolulu.
The Jayhawks won the tournament in 2015 and 2019, defeating Chaminade in the first round each time. Teams are only allowed to participate every four years.
Kansas (3-0) opened the season with easy victories over North Carolina Central and Manhattan, scoring 99 points in both wins. Then, in the beginning of what head coach Bill Self called the "monster" portion of their schedule, the Jayhawks came from 14 points behind in the second half to defeat No. 17 Kentucky 89-84 Tuesday in the Champions Classic in Chicago.
"I don't know anybody will be playing the schedule we'll be playing up until the Indiana game (Dec. 16)," Self said Thursday before leaving for Honolulu.
After Chaminade, the Jayhawks will play either No. 4 Marquette or UCLA on Tuesday. The final game Wednesday would bring a matchup with No. 2 Purdue, No. 7 Tennessee, No. 11 Gonzaga or Syracuse.
There are other ranked opponents awaiting the Jayhawks upon return to the mainland, but Self said nobody is foolish enough to look ahead.
"The fun and games are over. Now the real season starts," Self said before the Kentucky game. "(We'll face) talent, athleticism, size, speed, a lot of things."
The Jayhawks are well-equipped to face any competition with a three-headed monster of Hunter Dickinson, Dajuan Harris and Kevin McCullar. Dickinson had a game-high 27 points and a career-high 21 rebounds against Kentucky.
"What he does is take pressure off everybody else by having everybody else focused on him," Self said after that game. "So that's a big bonus."
The problem for Kansas' opponents is that McCullar and Harris can be just as clutch. McCullar had just the third triple-double in Kansas history and first since 2012 against Kentucky. McCullar had 12 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high 10 assists.
Harris added a career-high 23 points for the Jayhawks. K.J. Adams added 16 points.
The Jayhawks have a significant size advantage over Chaminade (1-2). Dickinson is 7-foot-2, with Adams playing power forward at 6-foot-7 after playing the post last season. There are five players coming off the bench listed at 6-foot-9 or taller.
The Silverswords have a trio of players standing 6-foot-9, but none is a key contributor. Wyatt Lowell is averaging 6.0 points and 1.7 rebounds per game to lead that group.
Isaac Amaral-Artharee leads Chaminade with 21.7 points per game. He's joined in double figures by Jamir Thomas (16.3 ppg) and Ross Reeves (10.0).
"It's going to be the hardest test in our life playing against them but we still relish the opportunities," Chaminade coach Eric Bovaird told NCAA.com. "We know we would need some divine intervention in order to beat a team like that. But we just cherish the moment of getting that opportunity."
Chaminade is 8-96 all-time in the Maui Invitational, with the most famous upset -- possibly in college basketball history -- coming against No. 1 Virginia in December 1982.
--Field Level MediaGet a daily dose of Hawaii Telegraph news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Hawaii Telegraph.
More InformationEVERGLADES, Florida: Over the weekend, a diverse coalition of environmental activists, Native American leaders, and residents gathered...
BEIJING, China: China's national soccer team may struggle to stir excitement, but its humanoid robots are drawing cheers — and not...
]LONDON, U.K.: A World Health Organization (WHO) expert group investigating the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic released its final...
DOVER, Delaware: California Governor Gavin Newsom has taken legal aim at Fox News, accusing the network of deliberately distorting...
FRANKFURT, Germany: Germany has become the latest country to challenge Chinese AI firm DeepSeek over its data practices, as pressure...
TORONTO, Canada: Harvard University and the University of Toronto have created a backup plan to ensure Harvard graduate students continue...
NEW YORK, New York - Global stock indices closed with divergent performances on Tuesday, as investors weighed corporate earnings, central...
TORONTO, Canada: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced late on June 29 that trade negotiations with the U.S. have recommenced...
Vancouver, Canada: A high-stakes legal showdown is brewing in the world of athleisure. Lululemon, the Canadian brand known for its...
LONDON, U.K.: British oil giant Shell has denied reports that it is in talks to acquire rival oil company BP. The Wall Street Journal...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stock markets closed firmly in positive territory to start the week Monday, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: On Friday, President Donald Trump announced that he was halting trade discussions with Canada due to its decision...