CLICK HERE FOR TRAVEL PACKAGE INFORMATION

MAUI, HAWAII (November 12, 2015) – The Maui Jim Maui Invitational today announced the Championship Round field for the 2017 Tournament, which features high-profile programs and some of college basketball's rising powerhouses. The field joining Chaminade at the Lahaina Civic Center includes California, LSU, Marquette, Michigan, Notre Dame, VCU and Wichita State. The Championship Round of the 34th edition of the nation's premier early-season tournament will be held Nov. 20-22, 2017 on the beautiful island of Maui.
 
The outstanding group includes six programs, Cal, LSU, Marquette, Michigan, Notre Dame and Wichita State, which are ranked or receiving votes in the preseason top 25 polls entering the 2015-16 season and five that are ranked among the top 25. In addition, the teams have achieved success on the national stage in recent years.
 
Since the 2010-11 season, Michigan, Notre Dame, VCU and Wichita State rank among the top 30 nationally in wins, with Wichita State second (151 wins) and VCU tied for 12th (136). Over the last five seasons, the field has combined for six appearances in the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight and three berths in the Final Four. And with an eye to the future, Cal, LSU and Marquette each had top-10 recruiting classes this past year as ranked by ESPN.com.
 
"Year after year, the Maui Jim Maui Invitational showcases the nation's best players and coaches, and the 2017 field will continue that tradition," said Tournament Chairman Dave Odom. "These brand-name programs and rising powerhouse teams will create a special environment at the Lahaina Civic Center. We are excited to welcome them and their fans to Maui in 2017."
 
Since the inception of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational in 1984,108 schools representing 26 conferences and 40 states have competed in the event. Schools that have participated in the Tournament in November have won 67 of 77 NCAA Championships, six of which have won the national championship after making an appearance in Maui earlier in the season.  
 
2017 Championship Round Teams
 
California:

• Cal will be making its third all-time appearance at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational (1996, 2013)
• The Golden Bears begin the 2015-16 season ranked No. 14 in the preseason Associated Press (AP) and USA Today Coaches polls and boast a top-10 recruiting class

 
LSU:

• LSU will be making its fourth all-time appearance at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational (1992, 1996, 2007)
• The Tigers are 19th in the USA Today Coaches poll and 21st in the AP poll entering the 2015-16 season and welcome one the nation's highest ranked recruiting classes

 
Marquette:

• Second-year head coach Steve Wojciechowski has won the Maui Jim Maui Invitational as both a player (1997) and assistant coach (2001, 2007, 2011) at Duke
• Marquette will be making its third all-time appearance at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational (2007, 2011), earning runner-up honors in 2007
• The Golden Eagles most recent recruiting class was ranked 10th in the nation
• Since the 1992-93 season, Marquette has won 20 or more games 16 times and made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, including eight straight from 2006-2013

 
Michigan:

• Head Coach John Beilein is entering his ninth season at Michigan
• Beilein owns 717 all-time victories in 38 years as a collegiate head coach
• Michigan, ranked 25th in the preseason AP poll, will be making its sixth all-time appearance at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational (1985, 1988, 1994, 1998, 2011) claiming titles in its first two trips to the island
• In the last seven seasons, the Wolverines have five 20-win campaigns and five NCAA tournament berths, including an appearance in the 2013 national championship game

 
Notre Dame:

• Mike Brey, who is entering his 16th season with Notre Dame, is the program's second-winningest coach in school history with 332 triumphs
• Notre Dame will be making its third all-time appearance at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational (1993, 2008), earning runner-up honors in 2008
• The Fighting Irish finished the 2014-15 season with a 32-6 record, claiming their first ACC Championship and 11th 20-win season under Brey
• Notre Dame, which is ranked in the top 20 of the AP and Coaches poll entering the year, has appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 10 of the last 15 seasons, advancing to the Elite Eight last season

 
VCU:

• VCU has appeared in the NCAA Tournament each year since 2011, and ended the 2015 campaign as Atlantic 10 Tournament Champions and ranked No. 25 in the final Associated Press poll
• VCU will be making its second all-time appearance at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational (1986)

 
Wichita State:

• Head Coach Gregg Marshall is entering his ninth season at Wichita State and 18th year overall
• Wichita State will be making its second all-time appearance at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational (2010)
• The Shockers have appeared in the NCAA Tournament in each of the last four seasons, most notably reaching the Final Four in 2013 and entering the 2014 Tournament with a perfect 34-0 record
• Ranked 10th by the AP to begin the year, Wichita State has won 30 or more games in each of the last three seasons

 
Chaminade:

• Eric Bovaird is entering his fifth season at Chaminade as the fourth-winningest coach in program history   
• Chaminade owns seven all-time victories at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational, knocking off the likes of Texas, Oklahoma, Stanford and Villanova
• Two Silverswords have won Tournament MVP honors – Patrick Langlois in 1984 and George Gilmore in 1991
• Chaminade has appeared in five NCAA Division II Tournaments, including three in the last five seasons and back-to-back NCAA West Regionals in 2013 and 2014

 
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 31 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.
 
About Maui Jim Sunglasses
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 skin.  For more information, visit MauiJim.com or on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram at @OfficialMauiJim.
 
About Tournament Sponsors
Other tournament sponsors include the Maui Visitors and Convention Bureau, County of Maui Department of Parks and Recreation, Hawaii Tourism Authority, adidas, Continental Tire, GEICO, GNC, Hawaiian Airlines and Odor-Eaters. The Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa, Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa and Westin Maui Resort & Spa, all located in the beautiful Ka'anapali Beach Resort area, serve as host hotels.
 
About Chaminade University
Chaminade University, the only Catholic university in Hawaii, provides a rich educational experience. Chaminade is a place where people grow: professionally, intellectually and spiritually. The Society of Mary, the Marianists, founded Chaminade University in 1955 (as St. Louis Junior College.) Chaminade University offers its students an education in a collaborative learning environment that prepares them for life, service and successful careers.
 
About KemperLesnik
KemperLesnik is a sports marketing, events and public relations agency. Ranked by Crain's Chicago Business among Chicago's top PR agencies, KemperLesnik produces integrated communications programs and manages major national events, including the Maui Jim Maui Invitational, the CBS SPORTS Classic, the McDonald's All American Games, the POWERADE Jam Fest and activation for KitchenAid and its PGA of America partnership. KemperLesnik has operated the Maui Jim Maui Invitational since 1990. For more information, visit www.kemperlesnik.com.