By
Chris Martin
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Semi-final game against Connecticut possible
When the brackets were announced last week for one of the most anticipated tournaments of the year - the Maui Invitational - the Arizona men's basketball team found itself in a David versus Goliath role in its first game against Chaminade.
Chaminade, the only Division II school in the tournament, will play the role of underdog as they face the Wildcats, who will most likely be ranked as the No. 1 team in the country heading into the invitational.
However, the Silverswords have proven to be a tough team in the invitational throughout the years.
"Chaminade, you got to remember, can be a spoiler," graduate assistant coach Josh Pastner said. "They are in their own territory. They have nothing to lose."
Chaminade pulled off one of the greatest upsets in NCAA basketball history in 1982 when the Division II school defeated top-ranked Virginia, led by All-American Ralph Sampson in Hawaii.
The tournament consists of an eight-team field full of potential top-25 teams - Arizona, Connecticut, Dayton, Maryland, Louisville, Illinois and UNLV.
"It is like a mini-NCAA tournament," Pastner said. "Maryland, Illinois, UConn - those are some big time teams."
One of the most intriguing games could come in the semifinals on day two. Arizona and Connecticut could face off if they open the invitational with wins.
Both powerhouses have won national championships within the last five years and will play later in the season when UA travels to Storrs, Conn.
"It is a great rival game because you're talking West Coast (versus) East Coast," Pastner said. "It is a battle of well-tested programs. It is a great game for college basketball."
The invitational will also feature some of the premier collegiate basketball players in the country. Nine members of the preseason top-50 list for the John R. Wooden Award - Lonny Baxter, Juan Dixon and Terence Morris of Maryland; Kaspars Kambala of UNLV; Albert Mourning of Connecticut; and Gilbert Arenas, Jason Gardner, Richard Jefferson, Michael Wright and Loren Woods of Arizona - will participate.
The 17th annual Maui Invitational will take place Nov. 20-22 at the Lahaina Civic Center in Maui, Hawaii.
