On Tuesday, LSU’s basketball team found out it would be playing Michigan in a first round matchup at the Maui Invitational Tournament this November.
The tournament features seven other teams – including coach Will Wade’s former team VCU – and runs from Nov. 20 to Nov. 22. It will be the first time the Tigers have appeared in the Hawaiian tournament since 2007, when LSU went 1-2 with a win over Chaminade and close losses to Oklahoma State and Arizona State.
This year in Hawaii, the Tigers open up with Michigan, who made it to the Sweet Sixteen last season. LSU will then play either Notre Dame or Chaminade.
“It’s a great field,” Wade said in a teleconference on July 18. “I’m familiar with most of the teams. Michigan will be a big challenge for us, they are a perennial national program. They have had tremendous teams, tremendous success under Coach Beilein.”
“It’ll be a tough game from a big time opponent from the Big Ten,” Wade added. “We need to play well to give ourselves an opportunity to get it done.”
The opportunity to play elite basketball programs early on is a chance for LSU and Wade to create an early season résumé that could help push the team into the NCAA Tournament. It will also give the new-look Tigers a chance to test themselves against some of the nation’s best teams.
“With NCAA placing a new emphasis on road and neutral site wins, these tournaments are extremely important,” Wade said. “To compete with really good teams and try to win against really good teams on a neutral court is important. This gives you multiple opportunities at that.”
Wade will also have an opportunity to face off against his former team VCU. The Rams are now coached by Wade’s former colleague Mike Rhoades, who was Wade’s roommate on road trips for four years when they were assistants at VCU.
“If we met VCU, it would certainly be an odd experience,” Wade said. “You coach those kids the year before and you recruited some of them, and now you’re playing against them.”
Wade added that he would prefer not to play his former team because of friends and familiarity.
Wade said that he is excited to use the invitational as a test to see what kind of team he has. He mentioned junior guard Brandon Sampson, senior forward Duop Reath and sophomore guard Skylar Mays as three returning players he expects to make an impact in the tournament.
The Maui Invitational will also give Wade a firsthand look at his six new players in an LSU uniform against elite competition.
“We are excited to be in the Maui Invitational,” Wade said. “It’s a phenomenal tournament, it’ll be a phenomenal experience for our players and our fans. We look forward to getting out there.”
