T I PO F F A preview of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational • Friday, Nov. 20, 2015
ALMA
MATTERS
ALFORD, MANNING COULD END UP COACHING AGAINST THEIR FORMER TEAMS
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TIPOFF • MAUI JIM MAUI INVITATIONAL PREVIEW
Friday, Nov. 20, 2015
T A B L E
Wake Forest coach Danny Manning, a former Kansas star, and UCLA coach Steve Alford, who was a standout at Indiana, face potential final-day games against their alma maters.........Pages 4-5
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Fans on Maui may be getting an early glimpse at a title contender in the SEC..............................Page 7
C O N T E N T S
Records and history A list of champions, tournament MVPs, top performances and team-by-team records ................Page 3
Cover story St. John’s A player with Valley Isle experience could help a team filled with freshmen ................................Page 6
Vanderbilt Bracket and rosters A day-by-day looks at matchups and times, plus rosters of all eight teams in the field ...........Pages 8-9
Wake Forest Confidence abounds, even with the possibility of being short-handed due to injury ..................Page 10
Indiana A well-tested group will be bolstered by an impressive freshman class....................................Page 11
Kansas Ranked fourth in the nation, there’s talk of a national championship ......................................Page 12
Chaminade The Division II host school brings back three of its top four scorers from last season ..............Page 13
UNLV Sophomores and some key transfers will be expected to play important roles .......................Page 14
UCLA Three starters return from a team coming off an appearance in the Sweet 16.......................Page 15
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H I S T O R Y and
R E C O R D S
TIPOFF • MAUI JIM MAUI INVITATIONAL PREVIEW WIN-LOSS TOTALS
Maui records only 2015 participants in bold 15-0 1.000 Duke Syracuse 9-0 1.000 8-1 .889 Connecticut 15-3 .833 North Carolina Dayton 7-2 .778 9-3 .750 Illinois Michigan 10-4 .714 Arizona 12-6 .667 10-5 .667 Kentucky Gonzaga 8-4 .667 Michigan St. 8-4 .667 8-4 .667 Vanderbilt Iowa 6-3 .667 6-3 .667 Ohio St. 6-3 .667 Purdue Marquette 4-2 .667 2-1 .667 Alabama 2-1 .667 Ball St. Butler 2-1 .667 2-1 .667 Charlotte 2-1 .667 Cincinnati Clemson 2-1 .667 2-1 .667 Florida George Washington 2-1 .667 2-1 .667 Georgia Tech 2-1 .667 Hawaii James Madison 2-1 .667 2-1 .667 New Mexico Pittsburgh 2-1 .667 Rice 2-1 .667 Toledo 2-1 .667 Tulane 2-1 .667 Utah St. 2-1 .667 Wichita St. 2-1 .667 Arizona St. 9-6 .600 Indiana 9-6 .600
Memphis 7-8 4-5 Arkansas 4-5 BYU 4-5 Utah Oklahoma 5-7 3-5 Kansas St. 4-8 DePaul LSU 3-6 3-6 Stanford 2-4 Boston College Massachusetts 2-4 Southern California 2-4 The Maui News file photo Tennessee 2-4 1-2 Arkansas St. Roy Williams guid- Colorado 1-2 1-2 ed Kansas to five of Evansville Houston 1-2 its Maui wins. 1-2 Iowa St. 1-2 Kansas 9-6 .600 Long Beach St. 3-2 .600 Loyola Marymount 1-2 Providence 1-2 7-5 .583 Nebraska Missouri 1-2 Texas 7-5 .583 Northeastern 1-2 7-5 .583 Oklahoma St. Villanova Oregon 1-2 UCLA 7-5 .583 1-2 5-4 .555 Seton Hall Louisville 1-2 5-4 .555 St. Joseph’s San Diego St. 1-2 Santa Clara 5-4 .555 Tennessee Tech 1-2 6-5 .545 Texas A&M Virginia 1-2 Maryland 6-6 .500 VCU 1-2 3-3 .500 Washington Baylor 7-84 3-3 .500 Chaminade California 0-2 Minnesota 3-3 .500 Davidson Georgetown 3-3 .333 Central Michigan 0-3 Notre Dame 3-3 .500 Lamar 0-3 South Carolina 3-3 .500 Mississippi St. 0-3 UNLV 3-3 .500 Princeton 0-3 Wisconsin 3-3 .500 St.John’s 0-0 Virginia Tech 1-1 .500 Wake Forest 0-0
CHAMPIONS .467 .444 .444 .444 .417 .375 .333 .333 .333 .333 .333 .333 .333 .333 .333 .333 .333 .333 .333 .333 .333 .333 .333 .333 .333 .333 .333 .333 .333 .333 .086 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000
RECORDS Maui games only Individual Points—43, Adam Morrison, Gonzaga, vs. Michigan St., 2005. Rebounds—21, Derrick Randall, Pittsburgh, vs. Chaminade, 2014. Assists—15, Brandon Granville, Southern California, vs. Memphis, 1999. Steals—10, Jeff Trepagnier, Southern California, vs. Utah St., 1999. Blocks—7, Ray Gromlowicz, UNC-Charlotte, vs. Chaminade, 1986; Dan Godfread, Evansville, vs. Missouri, 1989; Arne Alig, Chaminade, vs. Providence, 1991; Jelani McCoy, UCLA, vs. Santa Clara, 1995; Earl Barron, Memphis, vs. Chaminade, 1999; Lonny Baxter, Maryland, vs. Dayton, 2000; Tommy Smith, Arizona St., vs. Utah, 2002; Zach Finley, Princeton, vs. Duke, 2007. Field goals—16, Dell Curry, Virginia Tech, vs. Michigan, 1985; Everick Sullivan, Louisville, vs. Chaminade, 1989. Free throws made—21, Kaspars Kambala, UNLV, vs. Louisville, 2000. 3-pointers—10, Kyle McAlarney, Notre Dame, vs.
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Friday, Nov. 20, 2015
North Carolina, 2008; Christophe Varidel, Chaminade, vs. Baylor, 2013; Chase Fischer, BYU, vs. Chaminade, 2014. Turnovers—13, Maurice Houston, Tennessee Tech, vs. Texas, 1993. Team Most points—162, Loyola Marymount, vs. Chaminade, 1990. Fewest points—37, Arizona St., vs. Minnesota, 1991. Rebounds—70, Northeastern, vs. Loyola Marymount, 1990. Assists—37, Northeastern, vs. Loyola Marymount, 1990. Steals—20, Oklahoma, vs. BYU, 1992. Blocks—13, Maryland, vs. Dayton, 2000. Field goals—57, Northeastern, vs. Loyola Marymount, 1990. Free throws made—36, Iowa, vs. Kansas, 1987. 3-pointers—19, Loyola Marymount, vs. Chaminade, 1990. Turnovers—32, Northeastern, vs. Loyola Marymount, 1990; Santa Clara, vs. Loyola Marymount, 1990.
2014—Arizona 2013—Syracuse 2012—Illinois 2011—Duke 2010—Connecticut 2009—Gonzaga 2008—North Carolina 2007—Duke 2006—UCLA 2005—Connecticut 2004—North Carolina 2003—Dayton 2002—Indiana 2001—Duke 2000—Arizona 1999—North Carolina 1998—Syracuse 1997—Duke 1996—Kansas 1995—Villanova 1994—Arizona St. 1993—Kentucky 1992—Duke
The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo
Indiana celebrates winning the Maui Invitational title in 2002 1991—Michigan St. 1990—Syracuse
1989—Missouri 1988—Michigan
1987—Iowa 1986—Vanderbilt
1985—Michigan 1984—Providence
MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS 2014—Stanley Johnson, Arizona 1999—Joseph Forte, North Carolina 2013—C.J. Fair, Syracuse 1998—Jason Hart, Syracuse 2012—Brandon Paul, Illinois 1997—Steve Wojciechowski, Duke 2011—Ryan Kelly, Duke 1996—Raef LaFrentz, Kansas 2010—Kemba Walker, Connecticut 1995—Kerry Kittles, Villanova 2009—Matt Bouldin and Steven 1994—Mario Bennett, Arizona St. Gray, Gonzaga 1993—Travis Ford, Kentucky 2008—Ty Lawson, North Carolina 1992—Bobby Hurley, Duke; Anfer2007—Kyle Singler, Duke nee Hardaway, Memphis St. 2006—Darren Collison, UCLA 1991—George Gilmore, Chaminade 2005—Adam Morrison, Gonzaga 1990—Billy Owens, Syracuse 2004—Raymond Felton, North Car- 1989—Doug Smith, Missouri olina 1988—Glenn Rice, Michigan The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo 2003—Keith Waleskowski, Dayton 1987—Iowa team 2002—Bracey Wright, Indiana 1986—Will Perdue, Vanderbilt Darren Collison of UCLA was 2001—Mike Dunleavy, Duke 1985—Dell Curry, Virginia Tech 1984—Patrick Langlois, Chaminade the tournament MVP in 2006. 2000—Michael Wright, Arizona
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TIPOFF • MAUI JIM MAUI INVITATIONAL PREVIEW
Friday, Nov. 20, 2015
SCHOOL TIES By ROBERT COLLIAS Staff Writer
Nearly three decades after winning NCAA titles as players, Steve Alford and Danny Manning have each firmly grasped the coaching mantra of not looking past the opponent in front of them. It wouldn’t be until Wednesday, but Alford, the coach at UCLA, and Manning, who heads the Wake Forest bench, could face their alma maters — Alford at Indiana, Manning at Kansas — on the final day of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational at the Lahaina Civic Center. “Well, that’s the last day of the tournament, you’ve got to take it one day at a time,” Manning said. “Hopefully we get ON THE COVER … to that point, then they get to Steve Alford gets a chance to that point, we’ll go out and do •smile on the UCLA bench. whatever we can to continue • Alford drives during his playing to have success in the tourdays at Indiana. nament. That’s a ways off. • Wake Forest coach Danny We’ll cross that bridge when Manning claps for his team. • Manning huddles with his we get there.” Kansas teammates during the Manning led the “Danny 1987 Maui Invitational. and the Miracles” Jayhawks to the 1988 national champiUCLA photo (Alford coaching); INDIANA UNIVERSITY photo (Alford onship, one year after the playing); Wake Forest University / Hoosiers claimed the crown BRIAN WESTERHOLT photo (Manwith Alford as their top scorer. ning coaching); The Maui News file photo (Manning playing) “We don’t look ahead, we know we’ve got a very, very good (first-round) opponent in UNLV, which has had a really good recruiting class,” said Alford, in his third season with the Bruins. “I know it’s a great field and Indiana is one of those teams in the field that is a great basketball team, so regardless of who our matchups are, we know one matchup, but we don’t know our other two matchups. Regardless of who it is, we are going to have to play really well to give ourselves a chance to win.” Manning, whose team will face Indiana on Monday, echoed that thought. AP photo “I don’t think Steve is sitting there wondering if he’s going to Steve Alford, in his third season coaching UCLA, won an NCAA title as a player at Indiana get a chance to match up with Indiana and I’m not sitting there
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TIPOFF • MAUI JIM MAUI INVITATIONAL PREVIEW
Friday, Nov. 20, 2015
Manning vs. Jayhawks, Alford vs. Hoosiers possible on tournament’s final day
wondering if I’m going to get a chance to match up with Kansas,” said Manning, who is in his second season with the Demon Deacons. “I’m just concerned with making sure we get out there and perform well that very first game.” Two other coaches in the Maui field face pressures of a different sort, working at their alma maters. “It’s special to be part of college basketball,” said Dave Rice, who is in his fifth season coaching UNLV — he played on the Runnin’ Rebels team that won an NCAA title in 1990. “I think it takes an extra-special significance when you’re at your alma mater. It’s maybe a raised expectation level, too.” Former St. John’s star Chris Mullin is guiding the Red Storm in his first season as a coach at any level. “Coach Mullin, being back in the city of New York, he’s recognized,” said St. John’s senior Durand Johnson. “You’ve got guys doing construction on the street stopping and waving, acknowledging him.”
Manning knows that experience — after retiring from the NBA in 2003, he spent nine seasons on the Kansas staff. His son, Evan Manning, is a senior guard for the Jayhawks. “I get back and I watch as many games as I can and I see them online or on tape if I can’t see them live,” said Manning, who played in the Maui Invitational in 1987 — Kansas placed fourth. Steve Alford won’t have to address a family showdown — his son, Bryce Alford, plays for the Bruins. “Obviously him having played (at Indiana) and him having such a successful, great career, I’m sure he’ll definitely look forward to that,” Bryce Alford said. “He’s got nothing but respect for that program and everything that they’ve done for him and what he’s done for them, so I’m sure he’ll treat it just like another game just like we all do.” Wake Forest / BRIAN WESTERHOLT photo ■ Robert Collias is at rcollias@ Second-year Wake Forest coach Danny Manning played for a namauinews.com tional championship team at Kansas.
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TIPOFF • MAUI JIM MAUI INVITATIONAL PREVIEW
Friday, Nov. 20, 2015
S Red Storm undergoing many changes A I N T By BRAD SHERMAN Sports Editor
J O H N’ S
St. John’s was widely expected to face an uphill battle in Chris Mullin’s first year as a coach. All of the Red Storm’s returning players averaged less than two points per game last season. Freshmen are going to be asked to log some significant minutes. Mullin himself has a world-class basketball resume, but as a player and executive. Then the challenge became greater. St. John’s learned this month that an incoming recruit was going to have to wait before debuting at the college level. Marcus LoVett has received partial qualifier status from the NCAA, meaning he has to complete a year of residence at the school beMullin fore appearing in a game. Felix Balamou, a senior, had his eligibility reinstated by the NCAA on Thursday. The situation cried out for players able to help provide guidance. Ready to answer was someone new to the program, but familiar with the immediate demands facing his team. “I definitely see myself as one of the leaders,” said Durand Johnson, a transfer from Pittsburgh who was immediately eligible because he has graduated. “We have a bunch of young guys, and I’ve been through some of this before.” Pitt finished third in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational last season, though Johnson did not play because of team suspension. “I’ve talked about (Maui) briefly with them already, and I’ll talk about it some more,” said Johnson, who averaged 8.8 points per game with the Panthers as a sophomore before suffering a knee injury
totaled 36 points and eight assists in those games, Johnson had 27 points and fellow graduate student Ron Mvouika, a transfer from Missouri State, totaled 25, going 5-for-9 from 3-point range. Yankuba Sima, a 6-foot-11 freshman, racked up 16 points, 17 rebounds and six blocked shots. That quartet, plus juniors Christian Jones and Darien Williams and freshman Malik Ellison, handled all but 15 minutes of playing time for the Red Storm in their first two games. “We don’t have a deep bench right now so we need contributions from everybody,” Mullin said on the school’s athletics website after the win over UMBC — a matchup with Rutgers was scheduled for Thursday before St. John’s makes its Maui debut in the opening game at the Lahaina Civic Center on Monday against Vanderbilt, ranked 17th in the nation by The Associated Press. Mullin, who holds the St. John’s career scoring record, is a two-time inductee to the Basketball Hall of Fame — individually for a playing career spent mainly with the Golden State Warriors, and as part of the 1992 U.S. Olympic “Dream Team.” After more than a decade working in the front offices of the Warriors and Sacramento Kings, he took over as coach at St. John’s less than a week after the school and Steve Lavin agreed to part ways following a 21-12 season that ended in the NCAA tournament’s round of 64. “We’re getting a little better on taking our work from the practice floor to the game floor,” Mullin said after Monday’s game. “It’s a long, tedious process, but when you do it with purpose, it’s something you can enjoy. I am happy with the ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY photo way we work, but (improvement) is Durand Johnson scored 27 points in his first two games with St. John’s something we can’t rush.” over Wagner and Maryland-Baltimore ■ Robert Collias is at rcollias@ that ended his season after 16 games. St. John’s began this season with wins County. Federico Mussini, a freshman, mauinews.com
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TIPOFF • MAUI JIM MAUI INVITATIONAL PREVIEW
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V Commodores poised for step forward A N D E R B I L T By ROBERT COLLIAS Staff Writer
Vanderbilt is the 17th-ranked team in The Associated Press poll and the media pick for second place in the Southeastern Conference, behind Kentucky. Damian Jones, a 7-foot junior center, was an SEC first-team pick last season and a preseason first-teamer this year. Riley LaChance led all SEC freshmen in scoring last season and is a secondteam preseason all-conference selection this year. That’s all welcome news to coach Kevin Stallings, and could signal the end of a three-year run in which the Commodores have been unable to finish above .500 in the conference. Another reason for optimism is that last season, Vanderbilt won eight of its final 10 regular-season games and finished 21-14 after a third-round loss in the National Invitation Tournament. “We had some success at the end of last year, which I think gave these guys a great deal of confidence,� Stallings said. “We certainly have some good things about our team. We can score a little, we can score inside, we can score outside, we’ve got some length inside and so we’re a team that’s capable on any given night, for sure. “How capable only time will tell, but we’re excited about our group.� Vanderbilt opened this season by beating Austin Peay and Gardner-Webb by a combined 75 points. The Commodores faced Stony Brook on Thursday, and will meet St. John’s on Monday at the Lahaina Civic Center to begin play in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational. “I think we can be really good, as long as we continue to compete hard,� Jones said. “If we tune in on defense and rebound, we should be a pretty good team.� The Commodores come to Maui with
Vanderbilt University / JOE HOWELL photos
four returning starters. “In 2012, we won the SEC tournament championship and then we took a step back the next two years, we lost three guys to the NBA and several others that were top-flight players for that team,� Stallings said. “So we knew there was going to be a little bit of an adjustment, but that adjustment really started hitting toward the second half of last year and we really feel good about this group. “We’re still a very young team — we’ll start three sophomores and two juniors or two sophomores and three juniors. We’re a solid team, we have some guys that can play, some guys that will play the game for a living and that always gives you a better chance.� Jones averaged 14.5 points per game
Vanderbilt’s Damian Jones (left photo) averaged 14.5 points per game last season while leading the Southeastern Conference in shooting percentage. Riley LaChance (right photo) scored 429 total points, third-most in school history for a freshman.
last season while shooting an SEC-best 56.3 percent from the field. He also averaged 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks. Stallings said Jones could come up in national player of the year discussions. “I would say that if our team did well enough he would be because he’s certainly the marquee player on our team and as I mentioned before he’s got a great chance to play the game for a long time,� Stallings said. “He’s as athletic as any 6-foot-11 guy you’ll ever see and his skill level has improved immensely since he’s gotten here.� LaChance, a 6-2 sophomore guard, averaged 12.3 points per game last season — his 429 total points rank third in Vanderbilt history for a freshman. He and Wade Baldwin IV, who averaged
9.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists, were both SEC all-freshman team picks. Luke Kornet, a 7-1 junior, averaged 8.7 points last season and shot 40 percent from 3-point range. “We’re very unselfish,� Stallings said. “(Fans) will enjoy watching our team play because of how we share the ball. Our team is maybe as unselfish as any basketball team I have ever coached. On the right night we can make some shots, so that unselfishness looks even better.� Vanderbilt is one of the top academic schools in the tournament, and Stallings put playing on Maui in those terms. “It’s a high-level exam right out of the gate for all of the teams in it,� he said. ■Robert Collias is at rcollias@ mauinews.com
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B R A C K E T and
R O S T E R S
KANSAS JAYHAWKS No. 0 1 2 4 5 10 11 13 14 15 21 22 31 33 34 42
Name Ht. Frank Mason III 5-11 Wayne Selden Jr. 6-5 Lagerald Vick 6-5 Devonte’ Graham 6-2 Evan Manning 6-3 Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk 6-8 Tyler Self 6-2 Cheick Diallo 6-9 Brannen Greene 6-7 Carlton Bragg Jr. 6-9 Clay Young 6-5 Dwight Coleby 6-9 Jamari Traylor 6-8 Landen Lucas 6-10 Perry Ellis 6-8 Hunter Mickelson 6-10 Coach—Bill Self
INDIANA HOOSIERS Pos. Yr. G Jr. G Jr. G Fr. G So. G Sr. G So. G Jr. F Fr. G Jr. F Fr. F So. F Jr. F Sr. F Jr. F Sr. F Sr.
No. Name Ht. 0 Max Bielfeldt 6-8 1 James Blackmon Jr. 6-4 2 Nick Zeisloft 6-4 3 O.G. Anunoby 6-8 4 Robert Johnson 6-3 5 Troy Williams 6-7 10 Ryan Burton 6-7 11 Kevin Yogi Ferrell 6-0 13 Juwan Morgan 6-7 15 Harrison Niego 6-2 20 Jordan Fuchs 6-6 22 Quentin Taylor 6-2 23 Josh Newkirk 6-1 30 Collin Hartman 6-7 31 Thomas Bryant 6-10 35 Tim Priller 6-9 Coach—Tom Crean
WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS
UCLA BRUINS Pos. Yr. F Sr. G So. G Sr. F Fr. G So. F Jr. F Sr. G Sr. F Fr. G Fr. F So. G Fr. G Jr. F Jr. C Fr. F So.
No. 0 1 2 3 5 10 14 15 20 21 22 23 24 34 40 43
Name Ht. Alex Olesinski 6-10 Wonder Smith 6-1 Noah Allen 6-7 Aaron Holiday 6-1 Prince Ali 6-3 Isaac Hamilton 6-5 Gyorgy Goloman 6-11 Jerrold Smith 6-0 Bryce Alford 6-3 Alec Wulff 6-3 Gabriel Bell-Williams 6-5 Tony Parker 6-9 Justis Bell-Williams 6-4 Ikenna Okwarabizie 6-9 Thomas Welsh 7-0 Jonah Bolden 6-10 Coach—Steve Alford
Pos. Yr. F Fr. G Fr. G/F Jr. G Fr. G Fr. G Jr. F So. G Jr. G Jr. G So. G Fr. F/C Sr. G Fr. C So. C So. G/F So.
No. 0 2 4 10 11 13 20 23 25 30 31 35 40 42 43 44 45 51 52
Name Ht. Codi Miller-McIntyre 6-3 Devin Thomas 6-9 Doral Moore 7-1 Mitchell Wilbekin 6-2 Greg McClinton 6-7 Bryant Crawford 6-3 John Collins 6-10 Rondale Watson 6-3 Cornelius Hudson 6-7 Keyshawn Woods 6-3 Andre Washington 7-0 Stephen Prendergast 6-1 Anthony Bilas 6-2 Gilbert McGregor 6-4 Trent VanHorn 6-3 Dnos Mitoglou 6-10 Troy Rike 6-7 Grant O’Brien 6-7 Britton Anderson 6-4 Coach—Danny Manning
Pos. Yr. G Sr. F Sr. C Fr. G So. F So. G Fr. F Fr. G So. F So. G So. C Sr. G Sr. G Fr. F Jr. G Jr. F So. F So. F Sr. G Fr.
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B R A C K E T and
CHAMINADE SILVERSWORDS No. 1 2 3 4 5 10 11 12 13 14 15 20 21 23 24 32 33
Name Ht. Dantley Walker 5-10 Kahanu Pu‘ulei-Auld 5-11 James Harper 6-4 Chris Johnstone 6-1 Amu Rosen 6-3 Michael Sakazaki 6-5 David Ware 6-3 Sam Daly 6-4 Tyler Cartaino 6-6 Kaleb Gilmore 6-0 Kuany Kuany 6-7 Masa Swain 6-3 Rohndell Goodwin 6-5 Kevin Hu 6-6 Oscar Pedroso 6-4 Matt Southard 6-9 Kiran Shastri 6-7 Coach—Eric Bovaird
Pos. Yr. G So. G So. G Sr. G Fr. G Jr. F So. G Sr. G Jr. G/F Fr. G Fr. G Jr. G Fr. G Jr. G Sr. G Sr. F/C So. G Jr.
UNLV RUNNIN’ REBELS No. 0 1 2 3 10 11 12 13 14 15 20 22 24 33 34
Name Ht. Ike Nwamu 6-5 Derrick Jones Jr. 6-7 Jerome Seagears 6-1 Jordan Cornish 6-6 Daquan Cook 6-2 Goodluck Okonoboh 6-10 Tyrell Green 6-7 Ben Carter 6-9 Alex Perez 6-4 Dwayne Morgan 6-8 Austin Starr 6-3 Patrick McCaw 6-7 Jalen Poyser 6-4 Stephen Zimmerman Jr. 7-0 Chris Obekpa 6-10 Coach—Dave Rice
Pos. Yr. G Sr. F Fr. G Sr. G So. G Jr. F/C So. F Jr. F Jr. G Sr. F So. G Fr. G So. G Fr. F Fr. F Sr.
VANDERBILT COMMODORES No. 0 2 3 4 5 10 11 12 13 14 20 21 24 30 40
Name Ht. Camron Justice 6-3 Joe Toye 6-7 Luke Kornet 7-1 Wade Baldwin IV 6-3 Matthew Fisher-Davis 6-5 Nathan Watkins 6-5 Jeff Roberson 6-6 Djery Baptiste 6-10 Riley LaChance 6-2 Carter Josephs 6-0 Phillip McGloin 6-1 Samir Sehic 6-9 Nolan Cressler 6-4 Damian Jones 7-0 Josh Henderson 7-0 Coach—Kevin Stallings
Pos. Yr. G Fr. G/F Fr. F Jr. G So. G/F So. G Sr. F So. C Fr. G So. G Sr. G So. F Fr. G Jr. C Jr. C Gr.
ST. JOHN’S RED STORM No. 0 1 2 3 4 5 10 11 12 14 23 24 35 45
Name Ht. Malik Ellison 6-6 Amar Alibegovic 6-9 Christian Jones 6-7 Marcus LoVett 6-0 Federico Mussini 6-1 Durand Johnson 6-6 Felix Balamou 6-4 Tariq Owens 6-10 Elijah Holifield 6-2 Kassoum Yakwe 6-7 Abdul Dial 6-3 Ron Mvouika 6-6 Yankuba Sima 6-11 Darien Williams 6-8 Coach—Chris Mullin
Pos. Yr. G Fr. F So. F Jr. G Fr. G Fr. G/F Gr. G Sr. F So. G Fr. F Fr. G Fr. G/F Gr. C Fr. F Jr.
R O S T E R S
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TIPOFF • MAUI JIM MAUI INVITATIONAL PREVIEW
Friday, Nov. 20, 2015
W Demon Deacons display confidence A K E By ROBERT COLLIAS Staff Writer
F O R E S T
Wake Forest’s Devin Thomas is one of the top players returning in the Atlantic Coast Conference, the league’s active leader in rebounds and double doubles. The 6-foot-9 senior said he owes a lot of his prowess to second-year coach Danny Manning. “He’s taught me a lot,” Thomas said. “He’s a great person, he’s a great coach and he’s going to have us ready each and every game this year.” The Demon Deacons will need to be ready right from the start in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational — they’ll face Indiana, No. 14 in The Associated Press rankings, Monday at the Lahaina Civic Center. “Whenever you play in the Maui Invitational it’s going to be top-notch competition, it’s going to help prepare you for your conference season, and this field is no different,” said Manning, who played in the 1987 tournament while at Kansas — the Jayhawks went on to win the NCAA title that season. “There’s some true blue bloods who have been very successful throughout the course of time in college basketball,” Manning said. “You start off with Kanas, then you talk about Indiana, UCLA, St. John’s — these are names that historically have great reputations.” Wake Forest, which went 13-19 last season, may be missing point guard Codi Miller-McIntyre for the tournament. The second-leading returning scorer in the ACC at 14.5 points per game is nursing a foot fracture. Thomas had double-doubles in each game as the Demon Deacons began the season 2-1. He is averaging 17.0 points and 13.0 rebounds. Four other Wake Forest players are averaging double digits in points as well — Bryant Crawford (17.0), Dinos Mitoglou
Wake Forest University / BRIAN WESTERHOLT photo
Wake Forest’s Devin Thomas leads active Atlantic Coast Conference players in rebounds and double-doubles (13.0), Mitchell Wilbekin (11.0) and John Collins (10.3). Mitoglou is averaging 11.3 rebounds. “We can be as good as we want to be,” Thomas said. “Last year was a learning curve for all of us, this year we know what to expect from the coaches. We had a great offseason and we have a lot of key
parts. We just have to stay together through adversities, not get complacent and attack each and every day.” Wake Forest is making its first appearance in the Maui Invitational. “Growing up you always see the Maui tournament being the big tournament to get the season started,” Thomas said. “To
be able to play in it in reality is a big honor and privilege. I’ve probably watched it eight, nine years in a row since I became a big basketball fan. When we get down there we’re going to treat it as a business trip and take every game serious.” ■ Robert Collias is at rcollias@ mauinews.com
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The Maui News
TIPOFF • MAUI JIM MAUI INVITATIONAL PREVIEW
Friday, Nov. 20, 2015
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I Hoosiers hope trip builds momentum By ROBERT COLLIAS Staff Writer
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Indiana coach Tom Crean has experienced both ends of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational bracket. In 2007, Crean led Marquette to the title game — his team lost 77-73 to Duke. “It was an incredible game,” Crean said via email. “An incredible atmosphere.” That run on the Valley Isle, he said, “helped propel us to a lot of good things.” The next season, Crean’s first with the Hoosiers, there were losses to Notre Dame and St. Joseph’s by a combined 74 points before an 81-79 victory over Chaminade for seventh place. “(We) had really been left in a tough spot and we were really starting over with a new group of scholarship guys and walk-on guys,” Crean said. “We ended up beating Chaminade … and it was like we were going to the Final Four. That’s how exciting that win was for us. So we’ve seen it on both accounts.” The numbers say this trip for Indiana could be about championship goals. The Hoosiers, who will play Wake Forest in the first round Monday at the Lahaina Civic Center, are ranked 14th in the nation by The Associated Press, and have some proven talent. Senior point guard Yogi Ferrell was sixth in the Big Ten in scoring last season, averaging 16.3 points per game as the Hoosiers went 20-14 and reached the NCAA tournament. His 4.9 assists ranked fourth in the conference. James Blackmon Jr. averaged 15.7 points per game last season, while adding 5.3 rebounds. Troy Williams provided 13.0 points and 7.4 rebounds. “I think it can help a lot,” Ferrell said of playing on Maui. “If you do well, it can give your team a real boost. You can be challenged and see where you have to improve.”
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INDIANA UNIVERSITY photo
Yogi Ferrell averaged 16.3 points and 4.9 assists per game for Indiana last season, ranking in the top six in the Big Ten in each category. Indiana could meet No. 17 Vanderbilt on Tuesday, the only potential matchup between ranked teams before the final day. “You’ve got to be able to play through successes and adversities in a hurry and stay truly focused in a possession-bypossession way, which is hard for any player early in the season, but especially in an environment like Maui will be with the teams that are there,” Crean said. Blackmon was the Hoosiers’ leading scorer through two games, totaling 37
points in wins over Austin Peay and Eastern Illinois. Ferrell scored 35. Indiana met Creighton on Thursday. “I feel like we have a lot of guys who can make big plays,” Ferrell said. “Most of all, we need to stay focused for 40 minutes to reach our potential. I think our team has great togetherness. We have been through adversity and that draws you closer to one another.” Freshman center Thomas Bryant was ranked as the nation’s No. 19 recruit by ESPN.com, and forward Juwan Morgan
was named a top-100 high school senior by 247 Sports and scout.com. “We need to build depth and consistency and get the young guys up front to get some experience,” Crean said. “We have to play with a chip on our shoulder and we’ve got to be tougher. We’ve got to be better defensively. We’ve got to be committed to moving the ball. We’ve got to be able to play through lulls and successes.” ■ Robert Collias is at rcollias@ mauinews.com
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The Maui News
TIPOFF • MAUI JIM MAUI INVITATIONAL PREVIEW
Friday, Nov. 20, 2015
K Jayhawks are NCAA title contender By STEFANIE NAKASONE Staff Writer
A N S A S
As is the case most seasons, expectations are high at Kansas. The Jayhawks, the fourth-ranked team in The Associated Press poll, are favored to win their 12th straight Big 12 regularseason title and are among the handful of teams with national-championship buzz. The college basketball powerhouse, though, can rely on something extra that it hasn’t had the past few years. “For the first time in a while, we’ve got an experienced team for the most part,” coach Bill Self said during a news conference earlier this month that was posted on the school’s website. The Jayhawks return their top three scorers from last season — a group led by senior forward Perry Ellis, who averaged team highs of 13.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Junior guard Frank Mason III, who contributed 13.8 points per game, led the team in assists (3.9) and steals (1.4), and junior guard Wayne Selden Jr. (9.4 points) made a team-high 46 3-pointers. The trio helped lead Kansas to a 27-9 record and 26th straight NCAA tournament appearance — the second-seeded Jayhawks were upset by in-state rival Wichita State in the round of 32. To make matters worse for opponents, Ellis, Mason and Selden are getting better. Asked who he felt was the most improved player on his squad, Self pointed to his proven veterans. “I think Frank and Perry are both really improved,” he said. “So if you want to pick somebody to be improved, I think you’d want to pick your best guys.” Ellis scored 37 points as Kansas split its first two games this season — he had 21 in Tuesday’s loss to No. 13 Michigan State. An All-American honorable mention last year, he enters Monday’s
AP photo
Kansas’ Perry Ellis averaged 13.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per game last season, both best on the team.
game against Chaminade in the opening round of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational at the Lahaina Civic Center with 1,194 career points, putting him 36th in Jayhawks history. “Depending on what kind of year he has — which I predict he’ll be a guy that could average 17 a game — he could go
down as the fifth-leading scorer in the history of the school,” Self said. In order to do that, Ellis would have to pass Sherron Collins, who scored 1,888 points. He’d then rank behind only Clyde Lovellette (1,979), Raef LaFrentz (2,066), Nick Collison (2,097) and Danny Manning (2,951), who will also be on
Maui this year, as coach of Wake Forest. Other key returnees include junior Brannen Greene, who had offseason hip surgery after shooting 40.4 percent from 3-point range last season, sophomore guard Devonte’ Graham and fifth-year senior forward Jamari Traylor. Helping improve Kansas’ inside game is Carlton Bragg Jr. — fellow five-star freshman forward Cheick Diallo is waiting on an NCAA eligibility ruling. Self has high expectations for Bragg, a possible one-and-done player. “We knew he’d be good,” the coach said. “But he’s been really, really good at times, and then he’s been a freshman at times. I think he’s going to be a little inconsistent early. But he’s going to be terrific. He’s won’t be in school here four years. I honestly feel that way.” Diallo, voted by Big 12 coaches as the league’s preseason Freshman of the Year, is facing questions about his high school and middle school transcripts — born in Mali, Diallo transferred to Our Savior New American in Centereach, N.Y., as a 9th-grader. Diallo, who has been allowed to practice with the team, would certainly provide a big boost, but the Jayhawks appear to have the experience and talent to vie for the school’s third NCAA tournament title — and first since 2008 — with or without him. Over the summer, a mostly Kansas team (12 of 14 players) led by Self won the World University Games in South Korea. “My goals have always just been ‘Hey, let’s just get as close to our ceiling as we possibly can,’ ” Self said. If the Jayhawks do that, the rafters at Allen Fieldhouse could soon be home to another national championship banner. ■ Stefanie Nakasone is at snakasone@ mauinews.com
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TIPOFF • MAUI JIM MAUI INVITATIONAL PREVIEW
13
Friday, Nov. 20, 2015
C Silverswords get immediate challenge H A M I N A D E By STEFANIE NAKASONE Staff Writer
When taking the court for its opening game of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational on Monday at the Lahaina Civic Center, Chaminade will find itself up against a Kansas team that, on paper, should crush the Division II host school. Of course, being the heavy underdogs is something the Silverswords are used to. Taking on Goliath after Goliath is the inevitable — and some would say unenviable — task they draw each year. The Jayhawks, though, are not just any major-conference team. Ranked fourth in the country by The Associated Press, Kansas is a national championship contender, a fact that is not lost upon Chaminade coach Eric Bovaird. “In my opinion, this is going to be the toughest team we’ve ever played” the fifth-year coach said. “Anybody realizes that for us to compete with Kansas, we’d have to have every guy out there playing the best game they’ve ever played.” The Silverswords’ best would include relying on their strength — guard play. Of the 17 players on the roster, Bovaird said 16 consider themselves guards. In fact, they only have one player listed as 6-foot-8 or taller — sophomore forward/ center Matt Southard, at 6-9. While the lack of height can be a disadvantage, especially on the defensive end — “We look twice as small” against big teams, Bovaird said — it also allows the team to play fast. Very fast. In an exhibition against the University of Hawaii earlier this month, Chaminade raced out to a 21-point lead in the first half. Though the Silverswords eventually lost 101-96 in overtime, they had five players score in double digits, led by jun-
The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photos
Kuany Kuany (left photo) and Kevin Hu (right photo) are two of three Chaminade returnees who averaged double digits in scoring last season.
ior Kiran Shastri with 20 points. Chaminade then began its regular season by going 0-2 at last week’s PacWest/ Great Northwest Athletic Conference Challenge in Fairbanks, Alaska, but averaged 96 points in those games. “Our strength is our speed,” said senior Kevin Hu. “We play a high-speed, hightempo game. We all can run.” The Silverswords return three of their top four scorers from a team that went 12-14 last season: junior Kuany Kuany (15.3 points per game), Hu (14.1) and Shastri (11.8). Bovaird said he is also looking to get major contributions from senior David Ware, who made four starts last season and had a team-high 33 steals. Newcomers include Grand Canyon
transfer Sam Daly, Nevada-Las Vegas transfer Dantley Walker and Rohndell Goodwin, last season’s Northern California Junior College Player of the Year for Canada College, averaging 17.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals. “Offensively, I think we are pretty solid,” Bovaird said. “Everybody can step out and shoot the 3.” Chaminade’s mix of sharpshooting returnees and talented transfers has caught the attention of other coaches around the PacWest Conference. The Silverswords were picked to finish fifth in this year’s preseason poll, and Kuany was the only nonsenior named to the preseason allconference team. For Hu, this year’s Maui Invitational
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takes on special meaning — family members will be making the trip from their home of Taiwan to watch him play. “I’m really excited about this tournament,” Hu said. “My whole family will be here, for the first time in four years.” Over the summer, Hu played for Chinese Taipei in the World University Games — Kansas played in the same tournament as the U.S. representative. He didn’t get to play against the Jayhawks in South Korea — Taipei was in a different pool and lost all seven of its games — but gets his chance now. “It’s going be a good challenge,” Hu said, “but I like it.” ■ Stefanie Nakasone is at snakasone@ mauinews.com
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TIPOFF • MAUI JIM MAUI INVITATIONAL PREVIEW
Friday, Nov. 20, 2015
U Rebels have tested underclassmen By BRAD SHERMAN Sports Editor
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After a first glance at its roster, NevadaLas Vegas could look to some like a team that might need to take a few lumps this season, with an eye toward the future. A closer examination, though, shows that the Runnin’ Rebels may be well past growing pains, and are ready for success right now. The only returning players who took the floor for UNLV last season are now just sophomores, but that means it will be a group of experienced underclassmen — and some new additions with longer resumes — headed to this year’s Maui Jim Maui Invitational. “Typically that many freshmen don’t get an opportunity,” Rebels coach Dave Rice said of last season’s team, which went 18-15. “It definitely could help us. … We were trying to win every game we could, but the plan was also to let them grow into something.” Two of the sophomores are returning starters — Patrick McCaw averaged 9.6 points per game for UNLV last season, and Goodluck Okonoboh’s 2.9 blocks per game ranked ninth in the country. He also averaged 5.7 points and 4.5 rebounds. “I’ve been through it, and I hope to help,” said McCaw, who averaged 16.7 points as the Rebels began their season with three straight wins. UNLV will play UCLA on Monday at the Lahaina Civic Center — the trip to Maui is part of a nonconference schedule that also includes games against Arizona, Wichita State and Oregon. “We’re just trying to show people what we can do,” McCaw said. UNLV never won more than three games in a row last season, but didn’t endure a losing streak longer than that, either. The Rebels went 8-10 in the Mountain West Conference, and were picked
UNLV Photo Services / AARON MAYES photo
Patrick McCaw, one of Nevada-Las Vegas’s two returning starters, averaged 9.6 points per game last season
to finish fourth in the league in this year’s preseason media poll. “The season is based on being consistent the whole year,” McCaw said. “Last year in conference, we were mediocre.” The other returnees from last season are Jordan Cornish, who scored 5.5 points per game and shot a team-best 48.7 percent from 3-point range, and Dwayne Morgan, who averaged 5.3 points. Jerome Seagears, a senior guard who transferred from Rutgers after starting 56 games in three years with the Scarlet
Knights, is available after sitting out last season, as is Las Vegas native Ben Carter, who last played at Oregon. “Those two guys will be counted on very heavily,” Rice said. “The thing they bring more than anything is experience at the D-I level. They were leaders for us last year even when they weren’t playing.” Another transfer, guard Ike Nwamu, was Mercer’s leading scorer last season, averaging 15.1 points, and is immediately eligible because he has graduated.
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The freshman class includes 7-footer Stephen Zimmerman Jr., who earned McDonald’s All-American honors at Las Vegas’ Bishop Gorman High School, has averaged 12.2 points with eight total blocks in his first three college games and seems to have a beyond-his-years mentality that could fit in well with his new team. “He’s a humble guy,” McCaw said. “He comes out and works. He doesn’t really brag about what he’s done.” ■ Brad Sherman is at sports@ mauinews.com
The Maui News
TIPOFF • MAUI JIM MAUI INVITATIONAL PREVIEW
Friday, Nov. 20, 2015
15
U Bruins know value of trip to Valley Isle By ROBERT COLLIAS Staff Writer
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Steve Alford knows that wins in earlyseason tournaments like the Maui Jim Maui Invitational are not easy to come by, but also aren’t always the most important part of the season-long journey. “Every time we have taken teams, whether it be Maui or other places, those exempt tournaments mean an awful lot,” the UCLA coach said. “Last year we finished seventh in the (Battle 4 Atlantis) tournament over the holidays and still made the Sweet 16, and we really built from that. The experience in Maui, it’s such an elite tournament — you obviously look at this year’s field, it’s got elite coaches and players and teams in it. “So this is going to be a great experience for our basketball team. We will leave the island having a much better feel on who we are as a team.” What is known is that three starters return from last season’s squad, which went 22-14 — junior guards Bryce Alford, the coach’s son, and Isaac Hamilton, and senior forward/center Tony Parker. Bryce Alford, who averaged 15.4 points and a team-high 4.9 assists last season, along with 3.2 rebounds, traveled to Maui in 2004 when his father coached Iowa to a runner-up finish. “I just remember (the Lahaina Civic Center) being a small gym, they pack it in there and it gets pretty loud for being such a small gym,” Bryce Alford said. “It’s a cool place to play, it’s in Maui, there’s some local people coming to watch, and the team’s obviously bringing some of their fans as well, so it’s a pretty cool atmosphere.” Hamilton averaged 10.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists last season. Parker averaged 11.5 points and 6.7 rebounds. “Those three got an awful lot of expe-
UCLA / PERCY ANDERSON photos
Tony Parker (left photo) averaged 11.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game last season, helping UCLA reach the NCAA tournament’s regional semifinals. Bryce Alford (right photo) averaged 15.4 points, 4.9 assists and 3.2 rebounds. rience last year with what we wanted to get done,” Steve Alford said. “That’s a lot to ask of them. We lost five guys to the NBA going into that year, so it was going to be a tough task.” Steve Alford also said 7-foot sophomore Thomas Welsh “made a lot of strides over the summer.” Welsh averaged just 15.7 minutes per game last season, often because of foul trouble, but blocked a team-high 39 shots and also averaged 3.8 rebounds. The freshman class is led by guards
Prince Ali, ranked 41st or better among the country’s incoming recruits by Scout, Rivals and ESPN.com, and Aaron Holiday, a consensus top-100 pick. “We felt like we got a very, very good recruiting class,” Steve Alford said. “We’re going to ask a lot of our freshmen to play considerable minutes.” UCLA, which opened its season with an overtime loss to Monmouth before beating Cal Poly and then playing Pepperdine on Thursday, will meet Nevada-Las Vegas on Monday in the final game of the
Maui Invitational’s first round. “It’s one thing to have five weeks of practice, it’s another thing when you’re playing against quality opponents on a neutral setting,” Steve Alford said. “It has pressure to it as well. You’re looking at national TV, you’re looking at the biggest, most well-known tournament over the holidays. When you’re a part of that, you get a lot of answers to some questions that you’re asking.” ■ Robert Collias is at rcollias@ mauinews.com
The Mark and Debi Rolfing Charitable Foundation Honors Mark Rolfing Founder of The Maui Classic and Congratulates Walter Hester for sponsoring the 2015 Maui Jim Maui Invitational