The return flight is always slightly heavier than the flight there. Not only have past Duke basketball players had to board the plane from Maui back to Durham with sand stuck to their shoes and souvenirs stuffed in their luggage, but they also have had a championship trophy to take back home with them.
Every single time. Five for five (’92, ’97, ’01, ’07, ’11). A combined 16-0 record.
And starting with a game against San Diego State at the Lahaina Civic Center on Monday at 5 p.m. EST on ESPN2, the top-ranked 3-0 Blue Devils — whose plane safely arrived in Maui just after midnight Saturday on the East Coast — will be seeking their sixth title at the 35th Maui Jim Maui Invitational.