While there were three early-season tournaments to kick off the college basketball season, the Maui Invitational received the most hype. And with four of the eight participants ranked in the top 12 in the country, the tournament lived up to expectations and then some.
Buzzer-beaters, overtimes and closely-contested games in Maui may be a sign of a more wide-open national title chase then in years past.
The first round went as expected, with all of the favorites advancing on an uneventful opening day. But the semifinal round kicked off two days of excitement. The best game of the week, an instant classic by all accounts, took place between the Gonzaga Bulldogs and the Michigan State Spartans. The game was extremely close throughout, with numerous lead changes, including four in the final 90 seconds of play.
With Gonzaga up by three in the final seconds of regulation, Michigan State's Maurice Ager created some space with a pump-fake and hit a 25-foot three-pointer to send the game into overtime. The Bulldogs had a chance to win it in the waning seconds of the first overtime, only to see three shots on the last possession of the period fail to find the net. In the second OT, the Spartans turned the ball over in the final seconds, but Gonzaga failed to capitalize yet again on an opportunity to seal the game.
In the third overtime, Gonzaga made good on its chances. After superstar Adam Morrison made two free throws to give the Bulldogs a 107-106 lead, Michigan State freshman Goran Suton missed a go-ahead layup, and Gonzaga's Derek Raivio made two free throws to provide the final 109-106 score.
Michigan State's Shannon Brown had a chance to tie the game as time expired, but he lost the ball as he went to shoot. Despite the outrage of Spartans coach Tom Izzo, no foul was called.
Morrison scored a game-high and tournament record 43 points and asserted himself as an early leader in the chase for the Wooden Award throughout the week. Ager led the Spartans with 36 points, and teammate Paul Davis turned in a stellar performance with 26 points and 13 rebounds. Both teams capitalized on their free throws, with the Bulldogs shooting an incredible 27-for-28 while the Spartans were close behind at 26-for-29.
This game had the intensity of a late March matchup between NCAA Tournament heavyweights, and may well be as good, if not better, than any other game that occurs this year. It also foreshadowed the ensuing excitement of the championship and consolation games the following day.
Michigan State faced off against the Arizona Wildcats, who had lost to the Connecticut Huskies the day before in the other semifinal game. After dominating the glass and scoreboard for much of the game, the Spartans played sloppily, allowing Arizona to go on a 16-0 run for a 60-58 lead.
But a pair of Paul Davis free throws tied the game and sent the Spartans into overtime for the second consecutive day. In the extra period, Brown gave them the lead for good on a short jumper, and Michigan State came out victorious, ending a hectic week in Maui.
Gonzaga, not to be outdone, took its championship matchup with the Huskies down to the wire. The Bulldogs were down just two points at halftime, and kept it close for the entire game, neutralizing UConn star forward Rudy Gay and forcing his teammates to step up.
Gay's supporting cast responded, with freshman Jeff Adrien and senior Rashad Anderson teaming up for 25 points in 34 combined minutes off the bench. Gonzaga's big three contributors - Morrison, Raivio, and J.P. Batista - were not nearly as dominating as they had been the previous night.
Fitting with the theme of the week, the game came down to the final possession, when UConn's Denham Brown hit a turnaround jumper over Morrison and Batista as time expired to give the Huskies a two-point victory. Despite the absence of Marcus Williams, UConn looked sharp in all of its games and took home the title even with Gay's underperformance in the championship game.
The must-see game this weekend is when the Oklahoma Sooners take on the Villanova Wildcats in a matchup of national championship contenders on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. Earlier in the day, the defending champion North Carolina Tar Heels take on ophomore standout Rajon Rondo and the Kentucky Wildcats.
