UConn, North Carolina Top MIT Field in 2016

The Maui Invitational Wayne Duke Championship Trophy. File photo by Brian Spurlock/USA Today Sports.

By MauiNow Staff

The EA Sports Maui Invitational unveiled the 2016 tournament field Monday, which includes six teams with at least one NCAA title.

Vying for the Wayne Duke Championship Trophy, from Nov. 21-23, at the Lahaina Civic Center will be host Chaminade, Connecticut, Georgetown, North Carolina, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

The perennial powers have combined for 14 national championships and 35 Final Four appearances. Last season, both Connecticut and Wisconsin advanced to the Final Four, with the Huskies claiming their fourth national championship, while seven of the eight participating teams earned NCAA Tournament berths.

Of course two of college basketball’s active coaching leaders — North Carolina’s Roy Williams and Wisconsin’s Bo Ryan — with more than 700 victories each will be court side in 2016.

Joining Chaminade in next year’s tournament are Indiana, Kansas, St. John’s, UCLA, UNLV, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest. The 2015 tourney will be held Nov. 23-25.

In this Nov. 22, 2006 photo, UCLA coach Ben Howland, second from left, and his team is presented with the championship trophy by Wayne Duke, tournament chairmen emeritus, after UCLA defeated Georgia Tech 88-73 in the championship game at the Maui Invitational college basketball tournament in Lahaina. AP File Photo/Michael Conroy.

Next year’s field includes four of the top-10 winningest programs in NCAA Division I men’s basketball history — Kansas, St. John’s, UCLA and Indiana.

Led by UCLA’s NCAA-record 11 national championships, the seven Division I schools have won 19 national championships, made 47 trips to the Final Four and earned 206 bids to the NCAA Tournament.

“The 2015 Tournament promises to be very special. Kansas, St. John’s, UCLA and Indiana are four of the most storied programs in the history of college basketball,” Tournament Chairman Dave Odom said. “UNLV, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest are among the most successful programs in the past two decades. To have these teams join Chaminade in Maui will make for a spectacular week of basketball.”