Maui Jim Maui Invitational Bracket Unveiled

Maui Jim Maui Invitational 2015 bracket.

By Maui Now Staff

The 2015 Maui Jim Maui Invitational bracket was revealed today.  The bracket sets up a potential championship game pitting two preseason top-10 teams and semifinal contests featuring four of the winningest teams in NCAA history.

The Championship Round will feature Indiana, Kansas, St. John’s, UCLA, UNLV, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest and host Chaminade.

The teams of the Championship Round have combined to win 20 national championships, 11 from NCAA leader UCLA, 47 trips to the Final Four and 215 NCAA Tournament berths. Indiana, Kansas, St. John’s, UCLA appeared in the 2015 NCAA Tournament, with the Bruins advancing to their second straight regional semifinal. Indiana and Kansas rank in the top 10 in various early-season projections, while the Hoosiers, Jayhawks, Red Storm and Bruins are among the top 10 all-time winningest programs in NCAA Division I history. Kansas ranks second, UCLA is seventh, St. John’s ranks eighth and Indiana is 10th.

The 32nd edition of the nation’s premier early-season college basketball tournament will be held Nov. 23-25, 2015 at the Lahaina Civic Center in West Maui.

Last year, the tournament is credited with contributing $13.3 million in visitor spending to Maui County, according to estimates by tourism officials.  Tournament representatives say the figure translates to a nearly 5% increase over the previous year.

Since its debut in 1984, the tournament has boosted the local economy by more than $190 million.

All 12 games of the tournament will be broadcast to a national television audience via the ESPN network of stations, reaching an estimated 4.5 million viewers.

“The Maui Jim Maui Invitational is sure to deliver three days of the best basketball of the early season,” Tournament Chairman Dave Odom said in a press announcement. “This bracket features compelling match-ups and exciting story lines starting on day one. It is said that the path to the Final Four starts in Maui. I have no doubt that this statement will be true this year,” said Odom.

Prior to heading to the Maui Jim Maui Invitational, the seven island teams will host one of four regional games participants in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational Opening Games. Those games are scheduled for Nov. 13-16. The four mainland teams will participate in the Regional Games at the University of Northern Colorado Nov. 21 and 22.

Opening Games Schedule
November 13
Northern Colorado at Kansas
Cal Poly at UNLV
Austin Peay at Vanderbilt
UMBC at Wake Forest
November 15
Cal Poly at UCLA
November 16
Austin Peay at Indiana
UMBC at St. John’s

Regional Games Schedule
November 21
Northern Colorado vs. UMBC
Cal Poly vs. Austin Peay
November 22
UMBC vs. Cal Poly/Austin Peay
Northern Colorado vs. Cal Poly/Austin Peay