Newly crowned NCAA champ UConn part of 2024 Maui Invitational field | News, Sports, Jobs

May 2024 · 4 minute read

UConn head coach Dan Hurley celebrates during the net cutting after the Huskies’ 76-59 win over San Diego State in the NCAA Tournament final Monday. AP photo

For the second straight year, the newly crowned NCAA Tournament champion has been named to the following year’s Maui Jim Maui Invitational.

UConn, hot off its 76-59 victory over San Diego State in the national championship game, will be part of the 2024 field at Lahaina Civic Center, tournament organizer KemperLesnik announced Tuesday.

Joining the Huskies for the Thanksgiving week tournament, Nov. 25-27, 2024, will be a strong field that includes North Carolina, Michigan State, Memphis, Dayton, Iowa State, Auburn and Colorado.

“There is simply no other early-season college basketball tournament that rivals the spirit, talent and overall ‘magic’ of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational,” tournament chairman Dave Odom was quoted as saying in an article on the tournament website. “The 2024 field is not only going to bring top tier programs representing eight of the most dominant conferences in the sport, but also fans from all corners of the country. Whether it’s your first time on-island, or you’ve made packing into the historic Lahaina Civic Center an annual tradition, this Tournament experience is on every college basketball fan’s bucket list — and this loaded 2024 field is going to make it hard to resist.”

Tom Izzo, shown during the 2019 Maui Invitational, is set to bring his Michigan State team back to the Lahaina Civic Center in 2024. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

Teams in the 2024 field boast a total of 218 NCAA Tournament appearances, 45 Final Four berths and 13 NCAA titles. Half of the teams competing rank within the top-40 of the winningest programs of all-time in men’s college basketball.

The Huskies capped off one of the most dominant runs through the NCAA tourney — having beaten their six opponents by an average of 20 points — with their fifth national championship Monday night. They will be making their fifth appearance in the Maui Invitational.

UNC, a six-time NCAA champion, is in the Maui field for the eighth time; Memphis will be making its sixth trip to Maui; two-time NCAA champ Michigan State and Dayton will be back for the fifth time; and Iowa State, Auburn and Colorado are in the field for the second time.

The 2023 field, announced last spring, is headlined by 2021-22 national champion Kansas, though the Jayhawks are not the only men’s college basketball powerhouse headed to Maui. The tournament, set for Nov. 20-22 at Lahaina Civic Center, also includes Gonzaga, Syracuse, UCLA, Purdue, Tennessee, Marquette and host Chaminade.

*****

Maui Jim Maui Invitational

• 2023 FIELD

(Tournament: Nov. 20-22, 2023 at Lahaina Civic Center)

Chaminade, Gonzaga, Kansas, Marquette, Purdue, Syracuse, Tennessee, UCLA

• 2024 FIELD

(Tournament: Nov. 25-27, 2024 at Lahaina Civic Center)

Auburn, Colorado, Dayton, Iowa St., Memphis, Michigan St., North Carolina, UConn

UConn head coach Dan Hurley celebrates during the net cutting after the Huskies’ 76-59 win over San Diego State in the NCAA Tournament final Monday. AP photo Tom Izzo, shown during the 2019 Maui Invitational, is set to bring his Michigan State team back to the Lahaina Civic Center in 2024. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

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