College Basketball
Duke’s Maui Invitational Preview
The Field
Among those playing in the Maui Invitational are Duke, Arizona, Gonzaga, Auburn, Illinois, Iowa State, San Diego State, and Xavier. This is truly a powerhouse field of teams with basketball giants Duke, Arizona, and Gonzaga, specifically.
First Round
Duke’s first-round opponent is San Diego State. In my Duke non-conference prediction series, I had Duke winning this one. Though I am a firm believer that Duke will still take this one, the Aztecs will keep it competitive until late in the second half. They return three double-digit scorers, so they have talent from a year ago when they went to the NCAA Tournament. Regardless, I am sticking with what I predicted a month ago.
Prediction:
Duke: 82
San Diego State: 68
Second Round:
In the second round, Duke will either face either Auburn or Xavier. It is in all likelihood that the Blue Devils will be seeing the Bruce Pearl led Auburn Tigers. A year ago, Auburn went 26-8. This season they enter as a top 25 team with nine returning contributors, two of which return after not playing a year ago due to the FBI investigation. By the time this matchup is in place, it will likely be a Top 15 showdown. It is going to be a close one in Maui, between the youngest team in the nation playing a veteran Auburn squad.
Prediction:
Duke: 87
Auburn: 83
The Championship
Personally, I think Gonzaga is a lock to make the Maui Invitational championship game. The Bulldogs return a starting guard of the last three years in Josh Perkins and WCC Tournament MVP Killian Tilley. They only lose two players from a team that made the Sweet 16 a year ago. They are likely to be a Top 5 team for the upcoming season and per usual, will be a veteran and well-coached Mark Few team. Duke has never lost in the Maui Invitational and losing will not start this season.
Prediction:
Duke: 77
Gonzaga: 69
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Photo Credit: Duke Athletics via GoDuke.com
