Over Thanksgiving break, college basketball fans were treated to an unbelievable slate of hoops — with the Maui Invitational taking center stage, as it often has over its 40-plus year existence. Auburn came out as the victor after a thrilling, buzzer-beating first-round victory over Iowa State, but the Tigers weren’t the only ones providing the entertainment factor, as five of the tournament’s 12 games came down to the last few possessions.
Quite simply, the Maui Invitational is a magical event. Nowhere else in the world of sports will you find a big-time tournament held in what’s essentially a high school gym, with the Lahaina Civic Center seating just 2,400 fans.