Bulldogs To Play In 2019 Maui Invitational

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ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia fans who have dreamed of spending the first half of Thanksgiving Week in Maui will have the chance to do so in 2019. The Bulldogs are among eight teams set to compete in the 2019 Maui Jim Maui Invitational it was announced on Tuesday.

Georgia will compete with BYU, Dayton, Kansas, Michigan State, UCLA, Virginia Tech and tournament host Chaminade on November 25-27 (Monday-Wednesday) of 2019 at the Lahaina Civic Center. All told, those programs boast a combined 198 NCAA Tournament appearances, 44 Final Four berths and 16 national championships.

"I think any time you have an opportunity to play in the Maui Invitational it's a great honor for your program," head coach Tom Crean said. "It will be exciting to take our Georgia program there and to have our fans in the Bulldog Nation be part of such a special event. Any time you're in Maui, you know you are going to be severely tested three straight days. It's an incredible opportunity for your team."

Half of the field received bids to this year's NCAA Tournament, including Final Four participant Kansas.

"What you learn right away is that you've got to go in there with mid-season to late-season toughness, execution, perseverance and energy because that's what everybody else has," Crean said. "The atmosphere is second to none when it comes to the way the tournament is run, whether it's the music, whether it's the public address announcer or whether it's the way the fans treat you. It prepares your team for so many things that you will see throughout the season. It is an absolute marathon inside of three days to see where your team can go."

Since the inception of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational in 1984, 124 schools representing 26 conferences and 40 states have competed in the event. Teams that have participated in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational throughout the event's history own 68 of the 79 NCAA Division I Basketball Championships. Six schools have gone on to win the National Championship after competing in Maui earlier in the season.

"The Maui Jim Maui Invitational has earned a reputation for showcasing powerhouse teams year over year, and we are thrilled to continue that tradition in 2019," said Dave Odom, the tournament's chairman. "The Lahaina Civic Center will host some of college basketball's best programs, coaches and players when these eight programs converge in Maui."

Fans can immediately begin planning to catch all the action at the 2019 Maui Jim Maui Invitational. Log on to mauiinvitational.com/2019travel for details on travel package information or visit mauiinvitational.com/2019info and register to receive email alerts from the Tournament.

"The key is to get up as a coach and make sure you're getting a little bit of time to exercise outside because you spend so much time in the film room," Crean said. "Maui is a fantastic place for your players, for the families, for your fans to be a part of. What's also so unique is that it's the first and only time some people will ever be there. It's great to see what it looks like to them."

While this will be the Bulldogs' first trip to Maui, Georgia has traveled to Hawaii on four previous occasions. The Bulldogs competed in tournaments in Honolulu in 1987, 1996, 2001 and 2007. Georgia compiled a 7-5 record in those events and won the 1996 Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic.

This will be Crean's third time coaching in the Maui Invitational. He took Indiana to the island in 2015 and led Marquette to a runner-up finish in 2007.

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