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The Maui Invitational truly is one of the best traditions in college sports. The field is always loaded with great teams, there seems to be at least one instant classic each and every year, plus it gives players a chance to spend a few days in paradise in Hawaii.
This year, thanks to The Big Cancel, paradise has been re-located. Instead of heading to Maui to get their seasons underway, college hoops teams will be heading to North Carolina. And no, they’re not headed to the Outer Banks or Charlotte, they’re heading to Asheville.
According to ESPN, Alabama, Davidson, Indiana, North Carolina, Providence, Stanford, UNLV and Texas will be hooping it up at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center in Asheville with the tournament expected to begin on November 30.
Don’t get me wrong, basketball is basketball and at this point we’re lucky that we’re even getting sports, but talk about a kick to the stones.
Imagine UNC head coach Roy Williams telling his players and staff that instead of going to have an awesome time in Hawaii, they’re instead going to be hopping on a bus to make the four-hour drive from Raleigh to Asheville. That’s a major buzzkill.
The hoops will still be good, it’s nice that we have a handful of good teams joining forces for a tournament, but the Maui Invitational held in Asheville, North Carolina doesn’t have that great of a ring to it.