LAHAINA >> And the Maui Invitational’s All-FBI division consolation prize goes to … No. 8 Auburn.
In a third-place battle of programs that have been mentioned in the FBI’s ongoing investigation of recruiting corruption, Bruce Pearl’s Auburn Tigers outdid Sean Miller’s Arizona Wildcats 73-57 in the last game of the tournament on Wednesday.
Ex-assistant coaches Chuck Person of Auburn and Emanuel “Book” Richardson of Arizona were fired by their respective schools after their indictments in the 2017 FBI case involving apparel giant Adidas and payments to players. They are scheduled for separate trials next year.
So far, neither team’s head coach has been directly implicated. Miller said only, “I just coach Arizona” to reporters before the tournament when he was asked how the ongoing case has affected him personally. Pearl was actually given a contract extension by Auburn following the 2017-18 season.
“You can’t help but be honored to be in this field, in this incredible tournament,” Pearl said postgame Wednesday. “Our kids learned a lot about ourselves, and the possibilities for our basketball team. We got a lot of room to get better. We beat a historic program tonight in Arizona. I told my guys, ‘Sean Miller gets his guys to play as hard as anybody out there.’ ”
Fan duel entertains
No. 3 Gonzaga imported frothing fans from “The Kennel” in Spokane, Wash., to Lahaina Civic Center, and they were a worthy foil for No. 1 Duke’s “Cameron Crazies West” in the championship matchup at the 2,400-seat arena. There were slightly more Duke fans, but the Zags had much more to cheer about (loudly) as their team led nearly wire-to-wire in winning 89-87.
“We’re No. 1” chanted the Zags fans as their team celebrated at midcourt.
It equaled the highest-ranked matchup in a Maui title game. In 1997, No. 3 Duke topped No. 1 Arizona 95-87.
Chaminade ready to return
Chaminade, the traditional Division II host of the tournament, did not compete on Maui for the first time in the event’s 35 years as tournament runners decided to switch them out in alternating years to increase field strength.
But Silverswords coach Eric Bovaird was on hand all three days of the tournament, including the Gonzaga-Duke final, which whet his appetite for the ’Swords return in 2019 — joining a field of Kansas, Michigan State, UCLA, Virginia Tech, Dayton, Georgia and BYU.
“No doubt, can’t wait,” Bovaird told the Star-Advertiser.
San Diego State drubbed
A day after an impressive outing against Xavier, San Diego State absorbed an 87-57 beating at the hands of Iowa State in the fifth-place game.
It was the worst loss for the proud Mountain West program since losing 101-66 at Wyoming in Steve Fisher’s second year at SDSU, according to the San Diego Union Tribune.
Illinois goes from 3-0 to 0-3
Illinois, the 2012 Maui champion, completed a winless three days in Lahaina with an 83-74 defeat at the hands of Xavier in the seventh-place game.
The Fighting Illini became the first Maui champ to finish in last place in a subsequent visit in the 35-year history of the event.
