2012 Maui Invitational Field announced

[CTWarrior]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/basketball/ncaa/07/27/Maui.Invitational.ap/index.html?sct=cb_t2_a5

North Carolina, Butler, Illinois, Marquette, Mississippi State, Southern California, Texas and Division II Chaminade

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/basketball/ncaa/07/27/Maui.Invitational.ap/index.html#ixzz1TKBnjyIw

[dgies9156]

Wow, this would be worth going to Maui -- just for the basketball!

I think this is a better, deeper tournament than the NCAA

[mutodd5]

My wife is a UNC alum and I told her if Marquette and UNC were ever there together, we'd go....

Guess I need to start making plans!

[77ncaachamps]

Some possible storylines...

UNC - Could be a Harrison Barnes-less UNC team. Revenge match for Sweet 16 loss.
USC - If he's still with the team then, former coach (O'Neill) faces MU.
Texas - Texan HCO Buzz faces off against the flagship university. Can help solidify TX recruiting base with a huge win.
Butler - Two of the younger head coaches in D1 stewarding rising programs.
Illinois - Like TX, a huge win can further solidify recruiting base in IL.

Not sure of Mississippi State and Chaminade.

[leever]

Not sure of Mississippi State and Chaminade.

You never can tell when Buzz might want to recruit a Hawaiian big!

[Mr. Nielsen]

MU must of dropped out of the 76st classic to play in Maui. Too bad for myself.

[GGGG]

Some possible storylines...

Not sure of Mississippi State and Chaminade.

Mississippi State:  The "Rodney Hood obviously made a big mistake" game...

[brewcity77]

Chaminade: The "God let's hope we aren't 1982 Virginia revisted" game.

[77ncaachamps]

Chaminade: The "God let's hope we aren't 1982 Virginia revisted" game.

I thought Marquette had struggled to beat Chaminade in the early 80s...?!?

[MUMac]

I thought Marquette had struggled to beat Chaminade in the early 80s...?!?

'07 was the first meeting.  MU struggled in that one, though.  Pulling away late to win by 10 or so.

[brewcity77]

'07 was the first meeting.  MU struggled in that one, though.  Pulling away late to win by 10 or so.

Yeah, but that was nothing compared to lowly Chaminade knocking off Ralph Sampson and #1 Virginia. That was the game that really put the Maui Invitational on the map and helped make it the marquee tournament of the non-conference portion of the season.

[SaintPaulWarrior]

Walked into a bar today and I was greeted with this.  Sorry about the flash and the size...feel free to edit.

[RyanConroy]

That is going to be awesome.

[marquette09]

UNC- Great, always.
MU- Should be good next year.
Butler-  Glory days are over.
ILL- Will have a new coach after wheels fall of in Big 10 this year.
Miss. State?
Texas- Down year this year, who knows next year.
USC- Not good; see loss to Cal Poly where they scored 36 pts. 
Chaminade- nothing to say. 

This field is not as strong as it looks, but it should be better than the Paradise Jam Field this year.  Early prediction, MU beats UNC in championship game (assuming Barnes goes pro).

[wadesworld]

UNC- Great, always.
MU- Should be good next year.
Butler-  Glory days are over.
ILL- Will have a new coach after wheels fall of in Big 10 this year.
Miss. State?
Texas- Down year this year, who knows next year.
USC- Not good; see loss to Cal Poly where they scored 36 pts.  
Chaminade- nothing to say.  

This field is not as strong as it looks, but it should be better than the Paradise Jam Field this year.  Early prediction, MU beats UNC in championship game (assuming Barnes goes pro).

A lot of assumptions there.  The one I will address:

Remember when Butler's glory days were over when Hayward went pro after losing in the NCAA Championship?   Wait a minute...

I will not count out a Butler team until Brad Stevens stops making National Championship games with mid-major (at best) talent.  2 years ago Hayward was a stud and Mack was a very good player.  Last year Mack was a stud and nobody else would have been on Marquette's team.  They had no business being in either of those National Championships, especially last year.  They lost 5 non-conference games last year and will end up with 5 non-conference losses this year.  They lost 5 Horizon League games last year.  Twice to UWM.  If they had lost before the finals of the Horizon League Tournament they're probably not even in the NCAA Tournament.  Brad Stevens is one of the very few coaches I would take over Buzz in the country.

And before all the Buzz lovers come screaming for my head, I realize that Buzz is getting superior talent compared to Brad Stevens.  But where is it easier to recruit at?  Middle-of-nowhere Indiana vs. urban Milwaukee.  Most of the high talent is coming from big cities.  I realize Indiana is an exception to this, but then you look at who they have to recruit against to get those kids: Indiana first and then Purdue.  Horizon League vs. Big East.  Don't think any explanation is needed there.  Much more difficult to get kids to Butler than it is to get them to Marquette.  Not that it's easy getting kids anywhere outside of Duke, Kansas, UNC, Kentucky.  And then you look at success.  Buzz has success, no doubt.  But 2 National Championship games in 4 years?  Vs. a Sweet Sixteen and a second round.  More than any team I can ever remember seeing, his teams play the way that they want to play and nobody can stop that.  Even in both National Championships, they controlled how the game was played.  They just did not have the talent to get the job done in those games.  The definition of cool, calm, and collected.

[NersEllenson]

 Brad Stevens is one of the very few coaches I would take over Buzz in the country.

And before all the Buzz lovers come screaming for my head, I realize that Buzz is getting superior talent compared to Brad Stevens.  But where is it easier to recruit at?  Middle-of-nowhere Indiana vs. urban Milwaukee.  Most of the high talent is coming from big cities.  I realize Indiana is an exception to this, but then you look at who they have to recruit against to get those kids: Indiana first and then Purdue.  Horizon League vs. Big East.  Don't think any explanation is needed there.  Much more difficult to get kids to Butler than it is to get them to Marquette.  Not that it's easy getting kids anywhere outside of Duke, Kansas, UNC, Kentucky.  And then you look at success.  Buzz has success, no doubt.  But 2 National Championship games in 4 years?  Vs. a Sweet Sixteen and a second round.  More than any team I can ever remember seeing, his teams play the way that they want to play and nobody can stop that.  Even in both National Championships, they controlled how the game was played.  They just did not have the talent to get the job done in those games.  The definition of cool, calm, and collected.

Butler is located in Indianapolis, just as urban, in fact more urban than Milwaukee.  So Butler has to deal with IU and Purdue?  MU has to deal with UW.  Any idea about the drastic difference in talent pools between the state of Indiana and Wisconsin??  My guess - Indiana produces 2-3 times as many D-1 basketball players as the state of WI. 

So Stevens has been at Butler 4 years?  Did he recruit Gordon Hayward?  Shelvin Mack?  I think not.  Butler has been getting their ass kicked all year long this year.  If you want to talk about two programs going in opposite directions - you can look at MU and Butler.  MU on a serious rise, Butler on a decline.  The truth of the matter is there is very little difference between a school like Butler and MU.  Perhaps MU has gotten some benefit recruiting to the Big East, but I propose that if Butler were playing in the Big East last year - they wouldn't have even made the NCAA tourney..given their marginal Horizon league performance..

[Wade for President]

But where is it easier to recruit at?  Middle-of-nowhere Indiana vs. urban Milwaukee.

Very accurate.  It's too bad that "middle-of-nowhere Indiana" couldn't get a SuperBowl, host a Final Four every four years, host every forseeable Big Ten Football Championships (and many Basketball Championships), two professional sports teams, and be home to the NCAA.

I live in Indy (moved here from Chicago three years ago), and am consistently blown away by the basketball talent in this state.  The major in-state programs could be regular fixtures in the Top 25, if they were able to protect their borders, and keep kids in Indiana.

Arguably the two biggest recruits in Izzo's tenure, have come from Indiana in back to back years (Brendon Dawson and Gary Harris).  Hell...Thad Matta got to a National Championship game with two Indy ballers (Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr).

[4everwarriors]

Not to worry. Brad Stevens will likely be coachin' IU by then.

[brewcity77]

Miss. State?
Texas- Down year this year, who knows next year. 

This field is not as strong as it looks, but it should be better than the Paradise Jam Field this year.  Early prediction, MU beats UNC in championship game

Mississippi State should be loaded next year. Rodney Hood is a pure stud, Moultrie is a double-double machine, and they have a strong supporting cast coming back. If Texas lands Cameron Ridley, they could be title contenders. They have a great freshman class this year and if Kabongo stays, that's a great lineup. Illinois isn't as good as their record, but Leonard is a beast. If he's back, they could well be a fifth ranked team in Maui next year.

Barring early-entry, that field is still stacked.

[GGGG]

Mississippi State should be loaded next year. Rodney Hood is a pure stud, Moultrie is a double-double machine, and they have a strong supporting cast coming back. If Texas lands Cameron Ridley, they could be title contenders.

Not worried about Ridley.  We will have a guy who has gone against him in practice regularly.

[brewcity77]

Not worried about Ridley.  We will have a guy who has gone against him in practice regularly.

Out of curiosity, did you see Ridley's line the other day? 52 points, 25 rebounds, and 10 blocks. Now that is a triple-double. In the same game, Durley had 10 points (one of 8 players in double-figures for his team).

[OhioGoldenEagle]

Mississippi State:  The "Rodney Hood obviously made a big mistake" game...

Insert JP Tokoto

[CTWarrior]

Out of curiosity, did you see Ridley's line the other day? 52 points, 25 rebounds, and 10 blocks. Now that is a triple-double. In the same game, Durley had 10 points (one of 8 players in double-figures for his team).

How many points did they score in a 32 minute high school game?  If Ridley scored 52 and 7 other guys hit double figures, thats a minimum of 122, and that's only if the other 7 guys scored only exactly 10 and nobody else scored any which seems unlikely.

[brewcity77]

How many points did they score in a 32 minute high school game?  If Ridley scored 52 and 7 other guys hit double figures, thats a minimum of 122, and that's only if the other 7 guys scored only exactly 10 and nobody else scored any which seems unlikely.

My bad, misread part of the box score. That was 10 total in double figures. Anyway...here's the link:

http://www.chron.com/sports/highschool/scoreboard/?site=default&mkt=houston&Season=2011&tpl=Boxscore&Sport=6&ID=126802&TeamID=774&SearchType=Teams

[Carl Spackler]

MU must of dropped out of the 76st classic to play in Maui. Too bad for myself.

we're playing in the 76 classic in 2013
then Old Spice in 2014

http://wiki.muscoop.com/doku.php/men_s_basketball/2013