MAUI, HAWAII (July 11, 2019) – Virginia Tech will face Michigan State in the opening round of the 2019 Maui Jim Maui Invitational. The game will tip at 5 p.m. EST on Nov. 25 on ESPN2.
The Hokies and Michigan State have only met one previous time on the hardwood, as the top-ranked Spartans defeated Tech, 96-77, in the 2013 Coaches Vs. Cancer Tournament at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The Hokies and Spartans both competed in the 2019 NCAA East Regional Sweet 16 at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. in March. MSU advanced to the Final Four out of the East Regional.
The Maui Jim Maui Invitational revealed the 2019 Tournament bracket, setting the stage for an action-packed three days at the Lahaina Civic Center. Monday's matchups will feature Georgia squaring off against Dayton, along with the Hokies taking on Michigan State in the top half of the bracket. In the bottom half of the bracket, Kansas will face Chaminade and BYU will go head-to-head against UCLA. The 36th edition of the nation's premier early season Tournament will take place Nov. 25-27 at the Lahaina Civic Center on the island of Maui.
All 12 Championship Round games of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational will be televised on either ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU, and streamed on ESPN3.
"It's another great year for the Maui Jim Maui Invitational, with several teams expected to have big seasons ahead of them," said Tournament Chairman David Odom. "This field features a spread of young and experienced talent – both from the players and the coaches. We're looking forward to seeing who will take home the Wayne Duke Championship Trophy in the unbeatable atmosphere that is the Lahaina Civic Center this November."
Packages to the Maui Jim Maui Invitational through Virginia Tech's allotment are still available and can be purchased here. Season ticket renewals are currently available to purchase, with prices remaining the same as the last two seasons. Season tickets can be renewed by logging in to your ticket account here. New donors and the general public may purchase season tickets later this month.
Combined, the teams in the 2019 Maui Jim Maui Invitational field own 196 NCAA Tournament berths, including 44 Final Four appearances and 16 National Championships. Accompanied by Tournament newcomer Georgia, the seven returning programs will come to Maui with a combined five Tournament championships. BYU, Michigan State and Kansas are among the top 20 winningest programs in the nation since the start of the 2009-10 season. Michigan State enters the 2019 Tournament coming off a trip to the Final Four last season.
The field will feature three coaches with Final Four appearances to their names — Kansas' Bill Self, Michigan State's Tom Izzo and Georgia's Tom Crean — as well as three coaches who will take over new programs after successful 2018-2019 campaigns. These include Mick Cronin at UCLA (from Cincinnati), Mike Young at Virginia Tech (from Wofford) and Mark Pope at BYU (from Utah Valley). Izzo and Self have each been honored as AP Coach of the Year.
Over the years, the Tournament has proven to be a key ingredient in a team's success late into the season. Since the Tournament's inception, 128 teams that have started the season in Maui have gone on to compete in the NCAA Tournament, with 49 teams having advanced to the Sweet 16. In each of the last nine seasons, one or more teams who have competed in Maui have gone on to reach at least the Elite Eight.
Matchup History
Virginia Tech vs. Michigan State
Series record: Michigan State leads 1-0
Last matchup: Nov. 22, 2013 (Michigan State 96, Virginia Tech 77)
Notes: Michigan State is making its fifth all-time appearance in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational, boasting an 8-4 record and a Maui Jim Maui Invitational title in 1991; Virginia Tech has made one previous appearance in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational, finishing third in 1985.
About the Maui Jim Maui Invitational
In December 1982, then No. 1 ranked Virginia, led by National College Player of the Year Ralph Sampson, played little-known NAIA Chaminade University in Honolulu while on the way back from a trip to Tokyo. The Silverswords stunned Virginia 77-72 in one of the greatest upsets in college basketball history. Two years later, in 1984, Chaminade University hosted the first Maui Jim Maui Invitational and it has proven to be the premier early-season college basketball tournament for 32 years running. Each year, the Maui Jim Maui Invitational attracts the top programs, best-known coaches and most outstanding players to compete in an exciting atmosphere at the Lahaina Civic Center near the beautiful beaches of Maui.
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Maui Jim sunglasses were born on the beaches of Maui and designed to protect eyes from the harsh rays of the island sun. Today, Maui Jim is recognized for unparalleled "Aloha Spirit" and customer service as well as patented PolarizedPlus2® lens technology, which blocks 100% of UV rays and eliminates glare while enhancing color, definition and depth perception. Maui Jim sunglasses have earned the Skin Cancer Foundation Seal of Recommendation as an effective UV filter for the eyes and surrounding
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