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Louisville Joins Impressive Maui Invitational Field with Ohio State, Cincinnati, and More

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Basketball

The University of Louisville men's basketball team is among an impressive eight-team field announced today for the 2022 Maui Jim Maui Invitational.

In addition to Louisville, the 39th annual event will include Arkansas, Arizona, Cincinnati, Creighton, Ohio State, San Diego State and Texas Tech for the tournament on Nov. 21-23, 2022, at the historic Lahaina Civic Center on the island of Maui.

It will be the Cardinals' fourth appearance in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational and first in 18 years.  In its last time as a participant in 2004, UofL lost to Iowa before beating host Chaminade and Stanford.  Louisville was also a participant in 1989 and 2000.

Teams that have participated in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational throughout the event's history own 69 of the 81 NCAA championships, and seven of those schools have gone on to win the national championship after competing in Maui earlier in the season.

"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," said Tournament Chairman Dave Odom. "The 2022 field is no exception, and we could not be more excited to return to our home yet again at the Lahaina Civic Center and show these teams the magic of Maui." 

The impressive collection of programs boasts a combined 237 NCAA Tournament appearances, 36 Final Four berths, 8 NCAA Tournament Championship Titles, and one AP Coach of the Year winner. Four of the 2022 participants are ranked in the top 35 all-time winningest schools, including Cincinnati, Louisville, Ohio State and Arkansas and two schools advanced to the second weekend of the 2021 NCAA Tournament with Creighton making it to the Sweet Sixteen and Arkansas continuing to the Elite Eight.

Travel packages for the 2022 Maui Jim Maui Invitational will be available at a later date.

About the 2022 Maui Jim Maui Invitational Teams

Arkansas
•    Eric Musselman enters his third season as head coach of the Razorbacks where he continues to build on his winning percentage of .739 ranking ninth-best among active coaches. 
•    Prior to coaching at Arkansas, Musselman led the Nevada Wolf Pack to three consecutive Mountain West regular season championships and NCAA Tournaments in 2017-2019 while he earned Mountain West Coach of the Year in 2018.
•    The Hogs have earned 33 NCAA Tournament berths, winning the NCAA Championship Title in 1994 and most recently making it to the Elite Eight in 2021.
•    2022 will be Arkansas' fourth appearance in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational following the 1991, 2005 and 2013 Tournaments.

Arizona
•    Sean Miller has coached the Wildcats for 12 seasons, during which he has taken the team to three Elite Eight and two Sweet Sixteen appearances while coaching 13 players who would be selected in the NBA Draft.
•    The 2022 Tournament will be the Wildcats eighth trip to Maui following their appearances in 1993, 1997, 2000, 2005, 2009, 2014 and 2018.
•    Arizona holds a 14-8 record at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational, including Championship Titles in 2000 and 2014.

Cincinnati
•    Cincinnati Head Coach John Brannen enters his third season with the Bearcats with a 32-30 record. 
•    Prior to joining the Bearcats, Brannen led Northern Kentucky to two NCAA Tournaments in the first three years of its NCAA Division 1 membership while earning two regular season league titles and two league tournament titles in the Horizon League.
•    The Bearcats have made 32 appearances in the NCAA Tournament including six Final Fours and two National Championships.
•    2022 marks Cincinnati's second appearance in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational, having previously appeared in 2009.

Creighton
•    Greg McDermott enters his 12th season as head coach of the Bluejays and was awarded the 2020 Big East Coach of the Year. 
•    Greg McDermott has led Creighton to six post season tournament appearances, including four NCAA Tournament and most recently making it to the Sweet Sixteen in 2021.
•    Creighton owns 22 NCAA Tournament berths.
•    2022 will mark the Bluejays first appearance at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational.
ks in the Top Ten programs for all-time NCAA Tournament wins with 61 victories. 

Louisville
•    In his third season at the helm, Chris Mack has an overall winning percentage of .687 ranking him 18th in the nation among active coaches. Prior to joining the Cardinals, Mack coached Xavier leading them to eight NCAA Tournaments during his nine years with the Musketeers. 
•    Louisville ranks eighth overall for all-time NCAA Tournament appearances with 39 berths. 
•    This will be Louisville's fourth appearance at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational following the 1989, 2000 and 2004 Tournaments. Louisville ranks in the Top Ten programs for all-time NCAA Tournament wins with 61 victories. 

Ohio State
•    Head Coach Chris Holtmann is entering his fifth season coaching the Buckeyes earning a win percentage of .609 at Ohio State. Prior to joining the Buckeyes, Holtmann coached at Butler bringing them to three consecutive NCAA Tournaments in 2015-2017 while earning Big East Coach of the Year in 2017.
•    The Buckeyes have earned 34 NCAA Tournament berths with 11 Final Four appearances and one National Championship in 1960 under Head Coach Fred Taylor. 
•    Ohio State makes its fourth appearance at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational following the 1988, 1993 and 2003 Tournaments. 

San Diego State 
•    Brian Dutcher enters his fifth season at the helm for the Aztecs as two-time Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year in 2020 and 2021 while leading the Aztecs to two NCAA Tournaments in 2018 and 2021.
•    The Aztecs have made 12 appearances in the NCAA Tournament with two Sweet Sixteen berths. 
•    In 2022, San Diego State will make its fifth appearance at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational following participation in the 1989, 2003, 2014 and 2018 Tournaments.

Texas Tech
•    Texas Tech has earned 18 NCAA Tournament berths including a run to the 2019 Championship game against Virginia and the second round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
•    Texas Tech will be making its inaugural appearance at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational in 2022. 

About the Maui Jim Maui Invitational
In December 1982, then No. 1 ranked Virginia, led by National College Player of the Year Ralph Sampson, played little-known NAIA Chaminade University in Honolulu while on the way back from a trip to Tokyo. The Silverswords stunned Virginia 77-72 in one of the greatest upsets in college basketball history. Two years later, in 1984, Chaminade University hosted the first Maui Jim Maui Invitational and it has proven to be the premier early-season college basketball tournament for 36 years running. Each year, the Maui Jim Maui Invitational attracts the top programs, best-known coaches and most outstanding players to compete in an exciting atmosphere at the Lahaina Civic Center near the beautiful beaches of Maui.