MAUI, Hawaii (November 16, 2017) – Through the years, 130 teams that have started the season in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational have finished the year in the NCAA Tournament. Forty-five have gone on to the Sweet 16, 19 have appeared in the Final Four and seven have won the national championship, including last year's Maui and NCAA champion North Carolina.
 
This year's field of Championship Round participants, including Chaminade, Cal, LSU, Marquette, Michigan, Notre Dame, VCU and Wichita State, look to add to those totals and get their respective 2017-18 campaigns off to a successful start when the Maui Jim Maui Invitational gets underway on Monday at the famed Lahaina Civic Center.
 
Headlined by a pair of top-15 programs, No. 6 Wichita State and No. 13 Notre Dame, this year's field features some of the most consistent programs of this decade. Three teams own Final Four berths since 2011, including Michigan, VCU and Wichita State, and along with Notre Dame, these programs rank among the top 30 winningest programs since the start of the 2010-11 season. The eight programs have combined for 38 20-win campaigns and 42 postseason appearances over the last seven seasons.
 
Additionally, the eight head coaches leading the programs into the Tournament boast impressive credentials. Each has appeared in at least one Final Four as a head or assistant coach, with the group combining for 16 total appearances in the national semifinals. Three have won more than 450 games, led by Michigan's John Beilein, who now in his 40th season as a collegiate head coach, has won more than 750 games. Notre Dame's Mike Brey and Wichita State's Gregg Marshall are each closing in on 500 career victories.
 
Ten players who earned All-Conference accolades a season ago will showcase their talents on the Lahaina Civic Center hardwood, including 2017 Preseason All-Americans Bonzie Colson of Notre Dame and Landry Shamet of Wichita State. The two rank among CBS Sports' top 100 players of the 2017-18 season that also includes Notre Dame's Matt Farrell, Michigan's Moritz Wagner, Wichita State's Markis McDuffie – who will miss the Tournament due to injury – and Marquette's Markus Howard.
 
"This year's Maui Jim Maui Invitational title is up for grabs, no doubt about it," said Tournament Chairman Dave Odom, a long-time college coach in the ACC and SEC. "This field features a variety of NCAA and conference championship hopefuls and programs that are looking to make a name for themselves. We've seen it time and time again here, with North Carolina the most recent example; success in Maui often leads to success later in the season."
 
 Maui Jim Maui Invitational Championship Round Schedule
 

CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND - Nov. 20-22
Game	Matchup	Date	Time (EST)	TV
Game 1	Marquette vs. VCU	Nov. 20	2:30 p.m.	ESPN2
Game 2	Wichita State vs. Cal	Nov. 20	5 p.m.	ESPN2
Game 3	Notre Dame vs. Chaminade	Nov. 20	9 p.m.	ESPNU
Game 4	Michigan vs. LSU	Nov. 20	11:30 p.m.	ESPNU
Game 5	G1 Winner vs. G2 Winner	Nov. 21	1:30 p.m.	ESPN
Game 6	G1 Loser vs. G2 Loser	Nov. 21	4 p.m.	ESPN2
Game 7	G3 Loser vs. G3 Loser	Nov. 21	8 p.m.	ESPN2
Game 8	G3 Winner vs. G4 Winner	Nov. 21	10:30 p.m.	ESPN
Game 9	Seventh-Place Game	Nov. 22	2:30 p.m.	ESPNU
Game 10	Fifth-Place Game	Nov. 22	5 p.m.	ESPN2
Game 11	Third-Place Game	Nov. 22	8 p.m.	ESPN2
Game 12	Championship Game	Nov. 22	10:30 p.m.	ESPN2

 
 
The Tournament box office located at the Lahaina Civic Center opens Friday, Nov. 17 at 9 a.m. HST. It will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday through Sunday, and on game days from 8 a.m. until the end of the last game of the day. Tickets are on sale now at www.mauiinvitational.com/tickets and can also be purchased by visiting or calling the box office at 808.667.DUNK (3865) beginning on Friday.
 
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 33 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 sponsors include the Maui Visitors and Convention Bureau, County of Maui Department of Parks and Recreation, Hawaii Tourism Authority, Adidas, Continental Tire and Tommy Bahama. 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 is a private, Catholic university offering more than 25 undergraduate and graduate programs and is federally designated as a Native Hawaiian serving institution. Guided by its Catholic, Marianist and liberal arts educational traditions, Chaminade prepares students for careers in an evolving global marketplace rooted in the development of moral character, personal competencies and a commitment to build a just and peaceful society. Please visit chaminade.edu for more information.
 
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.