NCAA Tournament Central

Maui, Hawaii – North Carolina and Oregon will square off in the national semifinals on Saturday evening, ending the season in a place that has become typical of teams that have opened the season at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational.
 
#1 North Carolina vs. #3 Oregon
Glendale, Ariz.
8:49 p.m. ET, CBS
 
The Tar Heels and Ducks are the 17th and 18th teams to advance to the Final Four after having participated in Maui to start the season. With the two teams squaring off in the national semifinals, it will be the 10th time that a team from the Maui Jim Maui Invitational will play for the national championship. The winner will take on either Gonzaga, a 2018 Maui Jim Maui Invitational participant, or South Carolina on Monday night.
 
Saturday's matchup will be the first meeting between the programs since they met in the 2008 Maui Jim Maui Invitational semifinals, a contest won by the Tar Heels. North Carolina is 4-0 all-time against the Ducks.
 
For the Tar Heels, history has shown that winning the Maui Jim Maui Invitational has led to success in the NCAA Tournament. Their last two national championships have come in years in which they claimed the Maui Jim Maui Invitational title to begin the season (2004-05 and 2008-09 seasons). It is the fourth time the Tar Heels will appear in the Final Four after winning the title in Maui, having also achieved the double in the 1999-00 season. This year's Carolina team looks to join the 2005 and 2009 squads, along with Michigan in 1989 and UConn in 2011, to win both the Maui Jim Maui Invitational and the NCAA titles in the same season.
 
Meanwhile, Oregon had to knock off teams from the 2015 and 2017 Maui Jim Maui Invitational fields to reach the Final Four. The Ducks upended Michigan in the Sweet 16 before upsetting top-seeded and 2015 Maui champion Kansas in the regional finals. A victory over North Carolina would give the Ducks three straight wins over Maui programs, including the last two champions. Should Oregon face Gonzaga on Monday night, the Ducks would play their final four games of the NCAA Tournament against teams from the 2015-2018 Maui Jim Maui Invitational fields.
 
Tipoff between North Carolina and Oregon is scheduled for 8:49 p.m. ET on Saturday and will be televised by CBS. The winner will take on the Gonzaga-South Carolina winner in the national championship game on Monday at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.
 
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.
 
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.