The Maui Invitational has a different feel, having moved from its long-time home of Lahaina to Honolulu due to the disastrous wildfires that devastated the area in early August.
The event still features some of college basketball’s best teams, which was illustrated by perennial powers Purdue and Gonzaga getting together for a first-round game on Monday since the field is so packed with quality.
Maui Invitational semifinal betting odds list nationally-ranked unbeatens Tennessee and Marquette in underdog roles they’re unlikely to be placed in much following this event.
Kansas and Purdue, led by arguably the nation’s top two centers, and predicted to win the Big 12 and Big Ten, respectively, will look to avoid upsets after posting double-digit wins in their Monday quarterfinals.
Joining Gonzaga in a stacked consolation round are UCLA, which blew a double-digit second-half lead against Marquette, Syracuse, which hung around until melting late against the Volunteers, and tournament host Chaminade, which covered handily as an underdog of 42.5 points against the Jayhawks.
They’ll provide the lead-up to the main course, two of the best nonconference matchups we’ll see all season.
Tennessee vs. Purdue odds, props, prediction: Vols' defensive chops to be tested by Purdue’s Edey
Rick Barnes’ Vols teams have become synonymous with defense during his tenure in Knoxville, which produced 175 wins over the past eight seasons. Last year’s team was ranked No. 1 defensively by most metrics, relying on length, athleticism and stifling on-ball pressure to generate results.
They don’t run into 7-foot-4 kids who can flip the ball in over either shoulder very often, however, so Tennessee will have to carve out a plan of action against Purdue’s Zach Edey.
Edey was last season’s unanimous National Player of the Year, spent this past summer honing his game alongside NBA players on the Canadian National Team at the FIBA World Cup, and looks better for it.
His 25 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks led the way for the Boilermakers in a 73-63 win over Gonzaga, who didn’t employ many double-teams in an effort to keep his teammates from getting going through open looks. Mark Few’s strategy nearly paid off since the Bulldogs led 35-30 at halftime, but he landed their big men in foul trouble and ultimately wore them down, helping Purdue to an insurmountable 44-30 edge in points in the paint.
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Tennessee had to deal with a less offensively inclined 7-foot-4 force in Naheem McLeod as a warm-up for this one, and although the Syracuse center had an impact defensively with three blocks and discouraged the Vols from attacking the rim, he didn’t even manage a field goal attempt.
The Vols won 73-56 despite trailing for much of the first half, relying on the early scoring of Northern Colorado transfer Dalton Knecht to hang around. Knecht experienced some cramping issues but returned to finish with a game-high 17 points and should be fine to play in Tuesday’s semis.
The same may not hold true for 6-foot-8, 250-pound Tobe Awaka, who left Monday’s game with an ankle injury after playing a minute and never returned. Given how much Edey taxes opponents through foul trouble, not having Awaka available would make life significantly harder on Barnes to match up.
Freshmen J.P. Estrella and Cade Phillips helped make up for Awaka’s absence against ‘Cuse and would be in line for a lot of action behind 6-foot-11 junior Jonas Aidoo, who will draw Edey first and will be an asset provided he can stay out on the floor since he’s a more fluid athlete, has a 7-foot-5 wingspan and can step out to the perimeter, drawing Edey away from the basket.
Barnes can survive if Awaka can’t play due to the presence of smaller forwards Josiah Jordan-James and Jahmaii Mashack, great athletes who are in the 6-foot-5 range but can swarm and have some girth to them. Ideally, however, Tennessee would prefer if Awaka suits up.
They’re already down a key guard in Freddie Dilione, who won’t play at all due to a partial torn plantar fascia. His absence will force Zakai Zeigler, less than nine months removed from a torn ACL, to play more minutes in a back-to-back situation after looking spry Monday in helping Tennessee overcome a shaky start by providing nine points and three assists in 21 minutes off the bench.
Tennessee vs. Purdue prediction
Given the Vols’ attrition, expect Purdue’s Matt Painter to try and wear them down with his depth. Although Edey is rightfully the main attraction, nine other Boilers got double-digit minutes and Gonzaga wore down in the second half, losing 73-63. Purdue won despite shooting just 4-for-17 from 3-point range, although guards Braden Smith and Lance Jones each added 13 points to aid the cause.
With guys like Mason Gillis and Caleb Furst coming off the bench to help potentially take advantage of a depleted frontcourt and Foster Loyer likely to shoot better than 0-for-6, the Boilermakers appear better-equipped to advance to the championship.
Pick: Purdue
Kansas vs. Marquette odds, props, prediction: Eagles hope to recover quick after late-night battle with UCLA
Shaka Smart’s Golden Eagles were down seemingly all night against a UCLA team they were expected to handle in the last of the quarterfinals, and physically, the Bruins looked superior in terms of athleticism.
Although Mick Cronin lost many of his best players from the teams that have been some of the West coast’s most formidable for years, namely Jaime Jaquez, Jr. and Tyger Campbell, they’ll be a tough out again.
Marquette may not have covered a six-point spread, but in rallying from 12 points down in the second half, did put its own pedigree on display. UCLA was bigger and got the better of them most of the way, but not quitting and persevering says a lot about the Golden Eagles.
Their reward? A date with top-ranked Kansas.
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Although it didn't please Bill Self, the Jayhawks definitely had the just happy to be here vibe in Honolulu in their opener, which is why the Division II Silverswords trailed just 25-20 late in the first half. Kansas would pull away and was never seriously challenged, but also never came close to covering the spread.
Seven-footer Hunter Dickinson missed just three of 18 shots, Kevin McCullar Jr. finished with a triple-double for the second straight game and the Jayhawks managed to shoot 60 percent despite finishing just 4-for-19 from 3-point range.
The Jayhawks are set to play their fifth game and have only been challenged once, scuffling with a young Kentucky squad in winning 89-84 in Chicago’s United Center during last week’s Champions Classic.
Dickinson and McCullar have been brilliant, point guard KJ Harris is as steady as ever, and, unfortunately, power forward KJ Adams is playing through a heavy heart after the recent death of his mother. He’s made 25 of 32 shots this season and is a great piece to have next to Dickinson as a help defender and fellow rebounder, but he’ll double as an inspiration in Hawai’i since teammates badly want to win this tournament for him.
Adams and Dickinson will be tested up front by Marquete’s Oso Ighodaro, a 6-foot-11 senior who scored a season-high 14 points against UCLA but will have to deliver much more for the Golden Eagles to pull off this upset.
He had 10 points, five boards and five assists in last year’s Gavitt Games against Purdue’s Edey and has toiled against some of the country’s top big men in and outside the Big East throughout his career, so utilizing his experience to come up with a big night will be essential.
This matchup also pits two of college basketball’s top floor generals against one another in Harris and Tyler Kolek, the nation’s returning leader in assists. Kolek averaged 7.5 last season in finishing third nationally, while Harris finished ninth.
Kansas vs. Marquette prediction
Oddsmakers are expecting plenty of helpers to go around given the total, which is the second-highest we’ve seen in the event behind the one set for the consolation second round matchup between Gonzaga and Syracuse, which closed over 160. My expectation is that the books are correct to expect a high-scoring affair in Honolulu.
Pick: OVER
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