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Princeton University Athletics
Tigers To Meet Duke in EA Sports Maui Invitational First Round
August 07, 2007 | Men's Basketball
For the third time in five seasons, the Princeton men's basketball team will meet Duke on national television. This time, the matchup takes place in paradise.
The tournament bracket for the 24th EA Sports Maui Invitational was announced Tuesday, and the Tigers will face the Blue Devils in the first round Mon., Nov. 19, at 9 p.m. ET at the Lahaina Civic Center. That game, along with the three other first-round games, will be televised by ESPN2.
Host Chaminade will play Marquette in Monday's first game, while LSU will face Oklahoma State in the second game of the early session. The winner of the Princeton-Duke game will play the winner of Monday's final first-round game between Arizona State and Illinois.
"These are all terrific programs and the opportunity to compete against them in Maui will certainly serve as a challenge," says Princeton head coach Sydney Johnson. "We'll work our hardest to be ready to take advantage of that opportunity."
ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU will combine to offer live television coverage of all 12 tournament games. In addition, ESPN360 will provide live simulcasts of games televised on ESPN and ESPN2.
Tuesday's consolation bracket games begin at 1:30 and 4 p.m. ET, and the semifinal games take place at 7 and 9:30 p.m. ET. Action on Wed., Nov. 21, begins with the 5th-6th place game at 2 p.m. ET and continues through the tournament championship game at 10 p.m.
Princeton is one of three teams in the 2007 field making its initial visit to the EA Sports Maui Invitational along with Marquette and Oklahoma State. The 2007 field features three teams that made the NCAA tournament last season and four schools that have either won the NCAA championship or finished as national runner-up.
"Year after year, the EA Sports Maui Invitational ushers in the college basketball season with marquee fields," says tournament chairman Dave Gavitt. "Basketball fans are in store for another strong tournament field featuring highly-ranked teams when Maui becomes the mecca of college basketball this November."
Remaining school booster tickets and single game tickets for the tournament will go on sale to the general public Wed., Aug. 22, at 3 p.m. ET via the tournament website at http://www.mauiinvitational.com and through Oahu Travel (1-800-826-3822), the official tournament travel agency. In addition, tickets for the tournament's Tip-Off Banquet and space at the 4th Annual EA Sports Maui Golf Invitational are available. Visit the web site's "Tickets and Travel" page for more details.
Princeton last visited Hawaii in December 1998, winning the Rainbow Classic
in Honolulu thanks to victories over Florida State, Texas and Charlotte.
Princeton also met Duke in 2003 and 2005 at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Tigers last played Illinois in 1994 at the Illini Classic and Marquette at the 1996 First Bank Classic in Milwaukee, though Princeton did return to that same tournament in Milwaukee this past season. The Tigers' one meeting with Oklahoma State was a big one, a 56-53 win over the Cowboys in Corvallis, Ore., in the first round of the 1983 NCAA tournament.
The Tigers have never played Arizona State, Louisiana State or tournament host Chaminade.