SPOKANE, Wash. — The Gonzaga basketball team will join seven other teams for the 40th annual Maui Jim Maui Invitational next year, according to a press release. This will be the Zags' fifth trip to the invitational.
Gonzaga, Kansas, Marquette, Purdue, Syracuse, Tennessee, UCLA and Chaminade will meet on Nov. 20-22, 2023, at the historic Lahaina Civic Center in Maui, Hawaii.
"The Maui Jim Maui Invitational strives to bring the best college basketball teams and talent to the island of Maui and set the precedent for the rest of the season," Tournament Chairman Dave Odom said in a statement. "The 2023 field is no exception, and we could not be more excited to return to our home at the Lahaina Civic Center and show these teams the magic of Maui."
The Zags have participated in the event five times from 2002 to 2018. During the 2018 Maui Invitational championship game, then-No. 3 Gonzaga defeated No. 1 Duke in a close 89-87 game.
The Bulldogs were in the event in 2002, 2005, 2009, 2013 and 2018. No. 3 Gonzaga topped No. 1 Duke in the 2018 Maui Invitational championship game, 89-87. Former Zag Rui Hachimura earned MVP honors after scoring 20 points in the final.
The men also won the 2009 tournament title following MVP performances from former Zags Steven Gray and Matt Bouldin.
The Zags won the 2009 tournament title behind co-Tournament MVP performances from Steven Gray and Matt Bouldin. Former Zag Adam Morrison was named the tournament's MVP in 2005 following a tournament record 43-point performance against Michigan State.
“We are thrilled to announce the 2023 Maui Jim Maui Invitational field”, Tom Valdiserri, Executive Vice President of KemperLesnik, the operator of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational, said in a statement. “These programs represent the best of college basketball and we look forward to hosting this historic field in Maui.”