I really wish we weren't playing in the Maui Invitational next season

[seniorsooner]

With the way this year started in Alaska, I am a bit soured on these preseason tournaments. I know they are good exposure, but look at this field we'll be facing:

The EA SPORTS Maui Invitational today announced the eight-team field that will battle at Maui's famed Lahaina Civic Center during Thanksgiving Week in 2010. Connecticut, Kentucky, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Virginia, Washington, Wichita State and host Chaminade University of Honolulu are the scheduled teams for the 27th edition of the nation's premier early-season college basketball tournament.

I'd say we probably come out of there with at least 2 losses. That's not what this team needs to start the year next year.

 

[152219]

With the way this year started in Alaska, I am a bit soured on these preseason tournaments. I know they are good exposure, but look at this field we'll be facing:

The EA SPORTS Maui Invitational today announced the eight-team field that will battle at Maui's famed Lahaina Civic Center during Thanksgiving Week in 2010. Connecticut, Kentucky, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Virginia, Washington, Wichita State and host Chaminade University of Honolulu are the scheduled teams for the 27th edition of the nation's premier early-season college basketball tournament.

I'd say we probably come out of there with at least 2 losses. That's not what this team needs to start the year next year.

Or it is a spring board....but that is a stacked field. Who are they going to match OU with in the opening round?

 

[seniorsooner]

Not sure yet. I guess at least we'll know right off the bat how much/little this team has matured.

 

[IndySooner]

It's funny because I literally just laid the groundwork with my wife to start wiggling my way into a trip to Hawaii in November! :ez-laugh:

Win or lose, we'll know a lot about how seriously these guys took the offseason early next year, and that's not a bad thing.

 

[152219]

Not sure yet. I guess at least we'll know right off the bat how much/little this team has matured.

Yep.

2-1 would be a good to great tourney

 

[campbest]

Or it is a spring board....but that is a stacked field. Who are they going to match OU with in the opening round?

I love it...there are four teams we will have a reasonable shot at beating; Virginia, Wichita State, Washington and Chaminade. Depending on how the bracket sets up, that means we are looking at at least 1 and possibly two victories, which favors us down the road. Unitl Cincinnati's face plant starting two weeks ago, all the cred they were getting up to that point is how well they performed in Maui...this tournament carries weight if you do well, but is far enough in the past to be forgotten if you don't (because of the big names involved, unlike Alaska this year).

Also look at the "name" teams, UCONN should be good, but don't know for sure b/c they are coming off a disappointing year (by their standards). Michigan State loses some good talent and Kentucky will lose Cousins, Wall and Patterson (if the cards are right, maybe Bledsoe).

Furthermore, playing these games at a neutral site allows us to get away from some true road games, correct me if I am wrong, but that just leaves us @ Arizona right now. Rest of the schedule will be home games in order to get some early wins/confidence which our guys will need.

 

[seniorsooner]

If we go 2-1 I will be very pleased.

 

[DenverSooner]

With the way this year started in Alaska, I am a bit soured on these preseason tournaments. I know they are good exposure, but look at this field we'll be facing:

The EA SPORTS Maui Invitational today announced the eight-team field that will battle at Maui's famed Lahaina Civic Center during Thanksgiving Week in 2010. Connecticut, Kentucky, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Virginia, Washington, Wichita State and host Chaminade University of Honolulu are the scheduled teams for the 27th edition of the nation's premier early-season college basketball tournament.

I'd say we probably come out of there with at least 2 losses. That's not what this team needs to start the year next year.

I don't see why a well coached OU team cannot win that tournament. OU will probably have 3 McD AA, plus 6 or 7 other top 100 players. That is a lineup that can a should compete with Kentucky.

 

[Big Old Booger]

I love it...there are four teams we will have a reasonable shot at beating; Virginia, Wichita State, Washington and Chaminade. Depending on how the bracket sets up, that means we are looking at at least 1 and possibly two victories, which favors us down the road. Unitl Cincinnati's face plant starting two weeks ago, all the cred they were getting up to that point is how well they performed in Maui...this tournament carries weight if you do well, but is far enough in the past to be forgotten if you don't (because of the big names involved, unlike Alaska this year).

Also look at the "name" teams, UCONN should be good, but don't know for sure b/c they are coming off a disappointing year (by their standards). Michigan State loses some good talent and Kentucky will lose Cousins, Wall and Patterson (if the cards are right, maybe Bledsoe).

Furthermore, playing these games at a neutral site allows us to get away from some true road games, correct me if I am wrong, but that just leaves us @ Arizona right now. Rest of the schedule will be home games in order to get some early wins/confidence which our guys will need.

No disrespect intended, but your dreaming.

Based on how we ended this year, we will be a lower seeded team. So, we probably won't play Virginia, Washington or Chaminade in the first round. More than likely we will be placed against UConn, Michigan State, or Kentucky in the first round. The nightmare matchup is to play Wichita State because they will eat our lunch if we don't improve significantly and losing to a MVC team on a neutral floor is not positive (not when you are a BCS school).

I also think the game at Arizona will be very tough. Sean Miller will coach circles around Jeff Capel and it's in Tucson. That game could get ugly.

If our team improves, we may win a game in Maui, as I see it, and that's probably against Chaminade or Virginia for 7th place.

However, I'd like to see Joe try to find somebody to trade tournaments with us for this year. Like Sampson did with somebody back in 2003 when we played in the preseason NIT in 03 instead of 04 because he knew 04 was going to be a rebuilding year. Seems like we traded with another team who was just the inverse of us (they were having a rebuilding year in 03 and would be better in 04). Can't remember who it was, but this has happened before...

 

[Sooner23]

UConn is down and Kentucky won't be near as good as they this year. If Calipari reloads with more freshmen and they are that good again, then the guy is a miracle worker. Not sure what Michigan State returns but they'll be solid. The other teams are decent.

We will also have two exhibitions and three non-conference games under our belt before we go out there. I like it. The competition will be tough and we will find out more about what we have.

After Maui we'll have to go to Arizona and play someone in the All-College, other than that our schedule should be loaded with about 7 more cupcake games to build confidence.

 

[p230]

Shoot! Going to Maui to play in this would be enought to keep me in school for another year! I really wanted to go but we are going to start construction on our new home in a couple months so I will have to pass.

 

[campbest]

However, I'd like to see Joe try to find somebody to trade tournaments with us for this year. Like Sampson did with somebody back in 2003 when we played in the preseason NIT in 03 instead of 04 because he knew 04 was going to be a rebuilding year. Seems like we traded with another team who was just the inverse of us (they were having a rebuilding year in 03 and would be better in 04). Can't remember who it was, but this has happened before...

Is there a specific reference of this? Never heard of a team getting out of a tournament, it's a contract that has to be broken. FIU tried to do it this year when they played UNC, but the organizers told them tough sh*t.

Doubt OU would give up national exposure in premier pre-season tournament because Sampson was warry of "rebuilding". Now, if the NCAA rule which was created to limit a certain amount of preseason entries over a certain number of year was the culprit, I can believe that.

 

[DenverSooner]

Is there a specific reference of this? Never heard of a team getting out of a tournament, it's a contract that has to be broken. FIU tried to do it this year when they played UNC, but the organizers told them tough sh*t.

Doubt OU would give up national exposure in premier pre-season tournament because Sampson was warry of "rebuilding". Now, if the NCAA rule which was created to limit a certain amount of preseason entries over a certain number of year was the culprit, I can believe that.

What I recall Sampson doing is playing in an international tournament during the summer in a year when it was fairly clear OU was going to be young and inexperienced. I personally do not recall OU ever trading tournament spots. I do know football programs routinely allow each other to reschedule. That is why it was a fairly big deal when neither Washington nor Oregon would reschedule with OU (and then Oregon cheated OU).

 

[campbest]

What I recall Sampson doing is playing in an international tournament during the summer in a year when it was fairly clear OU was going to be young and inexperienced. I personally do not recall OU ever trading tournament spots. I do know football programs routinely allow each other to reschedule. That is why it was a fairly big deal when neither Washington nor Oregon would reschedule with OU (and then Oregon cheated OU).

Those really aren't "international tournaments", usually the team heads to a foreign country and plays some local universities, which at the time were viewed differently than pre-season tournaments. Maui's field is usually set 1-2 years in advance, no one is dropping out.

 

[cre54]

It will be a tough lineup to compete with but I think our young guys will need this type of challenge early on. Gives Capel time to make changes and coach the team up in areas that are lacking prior to conference play. The kids love this tournament, obviously, and I think it's a great time for the players to see what the real competition is like. The tournament in Alaska just isn't the same as it use to be.

 

[Krugerfan52]

After going to that worthless Alaska tourney I'm glad that we get to go to Hawaii. TMG and the gang that didn't care to play hard in Alaska since there were no NBA scouts and it wasn't televised nationally won't have that problem since this is the biggest preseason tourney around. They should be up for every game.

I hope we either play big name teams in the non-conference or cream puffs from now on. Cream puffs are automatic wins. Thats good. Top 25 teams help if you beat them and don't hurt as much if you lose. Thats good. This years schedule was the worst. It was full of unranked teams that were dangerous like UTEP, VCU, at UTAH, and a Northern Colorado team that won 24 games.

 

[Sooner Quick]

After going to that worthless Alaska tourney I'm glad that we get to go to Hawaii. TMG and the gang that didn't care to play hard in Alaska since there were no NBA scouts and it wasn't televised nationally won't have that problem since this is the biggest preseason tourney around. They should be up for every game.

I hope we either play big name teams in the non-conference or cream puffs from now on. Cream puffs are automatic wins. Thats good. Top 25 teams help if you beat them and don't hurt as much if you lose. Thats good. This years schedule was the worst. It was full of unranked teams that were dangerous like UTEP, VCU, at UTAH, and a Northern Colorado team that won 24 games.

:clap

 

[seniorsooner]

Is the Great Alaskan Shootout dying a slow death?