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LAHAINA, Hawaii – The Maui Invitational championship game that was the most anticipated and most favorite at the initial announcement of matches for this tournament will begin Wednesday at 5pm. And on ESPN when the No. 1 Duke faces No. 3 Gonzaga in the title match
The Blue Devils and Bulldogs were on most lists of potential teams in the Final Four before preseason. But for different reasons. Duke was commended for his new talent, while Gonzaga was congratulated for the group of players who came back.
Mike Krzyzewski and Mark Few will be remembered as two of the most talented coaches in the history of college basketball each time they leave the game. Zion Williamson of Duke, RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish, and Rui Hachimura of Gonzaga, are among the top 12 choices in the 2019 NBA simulated draft of ESPN 2019.
A fleet of NBA teams will have representatives at the championship game. It's the show.
Maui Invitational
| Wednesday's games |
| SDSU vs. Iowa State, 2:30 pm, ESPN2 |
| Duc vs. Gonzaga, 17h, ESPN |
| Xavier vs. Illinois, 21h, ESPNU |
| Auburn vs. Arizona, 11:30 am, ESPN2 |
| Tuesday's results |
| State of San Diego 79, Xavier 74 |
| State of Iowa 84, Illinois 68 |
| Duc 78, Auburn 72 |
| Gonzaga 91, Arizona 74 |
| Results of Monday |
| Auburn 88, Xavier 79 (OT) |
| Duc 90, state of San Diego 64 |
| Arizona 71, State of Iowa 66 |
| Gonzaga 84, Illinois 78 |
| (HE hours) |
It's also the second showdown between two of the top three schools in Maui's invitation history, according to ESPN Stats & Information. In 1997, number 3 Duke beat number 1 Arizona in the title game.
In this match, Duke will have the opportunity to record his third win against a top-10 opponent this month. And Gonzaga could spoil Duke's hype with a convincing win over a program that many penciled in for a spot in the April national championship game.
Here's what you need to know about the Maui Invitational title game:
Pop popcorn for Hachimura against Duke's stars: Hachimura is a versatile 6-foot-8 striker who has become the face of Japanese basketball. His presence in the Japanese national team has changed the expectations of the host country at the 2020 Olympics.
He is also a potential lottery player who will face three large physical wings of Duke that will become the reasons why Hachimura leaves Maui as a more intriguing prospect or the reasons his stock falls if exposed against top athletes.
Williamson, Reddish and Barrett have all highlighted their strengths (and some of their weaknesses) in prestigious games this season. But this will be the first important game of the season for Hachimura. If he wears Gonzaga to a victory, his stock will skyrocket overnight.
Duke faces his first real winner of the season: The Blue Devils have put together one of the most impressive debut for a young team in the recent history of college basketball. Although Auburn reduced the gap – Duke led 17 points at one point – at five points late in the second half of the semifinal, the Blue Devils did not seem worried.
"We threatened, but they were never scared," said Bruce Pearl in the wake of Auburn's 78-72 loss to Duke.
Gonzaga's advantage over Kentucky and Auburn, a pair of top-10 teams that both lost in November against the Blue Devils, is his pedigree. A young Kentucky team full of new faces has talent. Auburn won a SEC championship last season. But neither program has players that have had the consistent success that Gonzaga veterans have experienced in recent years.
In three plus years with the program, Josh Perkins, Gonzaga has won 102 games, won the national title and has made up a top 30 defense in three consecutive seasons. Even young players such as Hachimura and Zach Norvell Jr., who participated in the team last season who won 32 games and reached the Sweet 16, know how to win.
"We knew things would end up going our best," Perkins said after Gonzaga overcame a 13-point deficit in the second half and defeated Arizona by 17 points in the semifinal on Tuesday.
Duke did not face a team with this attitude. Bulldogs just know how to win. San Diego State and Auburn had their moments against Duke, but both seemed intimidated by the Blue Devils on Maui. This will not be the case on Wednesday.
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Duke, freshman, Tre Jones, leads the baseline and knocks before the ring.
Tre Jones, again, was the most important player on the field for Duke: After his team's win over Auburn, Krzyzewski credited his first rookie for the defense of Jared Harper, a solid guard who finished with a 1 to 9 defeat score. Jones' early pressure on the Auburn leader changed the dynamics of this game. On Wednesday, he will face another talented leader, although Perkins is a more experienced player who has run his program despite turbulent times. Jones, however, was critical to Duke's success. After Tuesday's game against Auburn, Duke averaged 1.34 points per possession with Jones on the ground and only 0.91 APPS without him.
Although Reddish, Williamson and Barrett are attracting the biggest spotlight as potential NBA contenders, who could win the NBA Draft first place next summer, Jones has become the stabilizing force of the program, while like his brother Tyus Jones, who led Duke to a national title. in 2015 and played a similar role.
Eventually disputed, the Blue Devils advanced to Maui, but it was not one of their fabulous freshmen who led them.
The Blue Devils will face another top-10 opponent at Tuesday's Maui Invitational.
Mike Schmitz highlights the three great players of Duke at the tournament of the best NBA.
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Gonzaga will miss Killian Tillie: Following the impending victory of his team on Arizona, Few said Tillie (12.9 points per game, 47.9% vs. 3 points last season) had been his best player since several games last season. Now he is absent with an ankle injury until next month.
Gonzaga will miss his presence against Duke, especially if Marques Bolden (seven blocks) competes as he did against Auburn. Tillie would have been the first strong man able to stretch the ground that Duke had faced this season. What happens when Williamson, Bolden or Javin DeLaurier have to get to the 3-point line because Tillie is a threat? We will not know Wednesday. And that could play an important role in the outcome of the match. Tillie counts a lot for this Gonzaga team.
The action around the edge could be more important than what happens on the perimeter: Last season, Gonzaga achieved 37% of his 3 points. Most players on this team have come back this season. But the Bulldogs have scored only 33.1% of their attempts this season. The absence of Tillie did not help. But the long balloon has not been a constant component of their offensive attack, which is odd since most of Few's teams have been dangerous beyond the bow. Gonzaga scored 33.3 percent of his 3-point attempts on Maui.
Duke was not much better, starting the tournament with a 17-over-50 streak in two games after entering the Maui Invitational, making close to 40% of his 3 points.
But both programs have been wonderful in the bow: Gonzaga has made 65% of his throws and Duke has cashed 58.5% this season. With the big explosive athletes on both formations, the action around the rim could be more meaningful than on the 3-point line. Both teams have hard-to-keep finishers when entering.
The other element here is that Gonzaga must allow athletes to go on defense. Arizona players said their defensive versatility disrupted their pace. Duke is a tough team to stop when his players attack, but Gonzaga is more equipped than Auburn and San Diego State to adapt.
Brandon Clarke is a name that many people will know after Wednesday's game. He is an explosive, 6-8 striker who could have a great game. He and Hachimura are able to keep any position on the ground.
Maui Invitation Notes
• Dave Odom, president of the Maui Invitational, said his team has been working longer to treat slippery floors throughout the tournament. There was clearly a problem with the floors in Monday's games. Several players have slipped. Odom said that one air conditioning unit had malfunctioned and contributed to moisture in the arena. But he added that he had asked the event staff to clean problem areas after the end of the games on Monday. He also said that the air conditioning unit had been repaired. The floors were much better Tuesday.
• Vlade Divac, a former NBA prominent member and current leader of the Sacramento Kings, was the most popular man in Maui, unnamed Zion Williamson or Bill Walton. Several fans have approached for selfies and autographs. He entertained every request. Divac was there to watch the NBA's prospects in the building, but he was a very popular figure at the tournament this week.
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