KU Basketball: Champions Classic and Maui Inviatational Looming
After last week’s 109-72 victory over Northern Colorado, the KU Basketball team will spend some time traveling to Chicago and Maui in the next week.
The first two exhibition wins for the Kansas Jayhawks against Pittsburg State and Fort Hays State helped the team get comfortable going into the Northern Colorado game.
Winning that game in such an easy fashion should be a momentum booster as the Jayhawks looked terrific and shot well (55.7 percent).
The upcoming games will be a tough test for the Jayhawks as they take on Michigan State, Chaminade, and either UNLV/ or UCLA.
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Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans are always a threat no matter the talent on the floor. Izzo, with his 495 wins and five Final Fours with Michigan State, will go down as one of the best to coach. That’s why Tuesday night’s matchup is such a test.
The Spartans landed a very talented freshman in Deyonta Davis, who happened to be a McDonald’s All-American. Senior Denzel Valentine, who averaged 14.5 points last season, as well as 4.5 assists, will run the floor for the Spartans.
Last year, KU beat MSU 61-56 in the championship of the Orlando Classic Valentine leading the way for MSU.
The Champions Classic are always fun games to watch because it showcases four of the top schools in the nation. Kansas will be hungry for a win after being embarrassed by Kentucky 70-42 last year at the Classic in Indianapolis.
It will also be an opportunity for coach Bill Self to scout Kentucky in person for the January 30th game against the Wildcats in Allen Fieldhouse.
Michigan State should be a strong, early season test to how ready this veteran KU basketball team is for the upcoming schedule.
Kansas will have another great slate of games on the island of Maui in Hawaii. The first game will be against the host of the tournament, Chaminade. The Silverswords have found ways in the past to upset teams so don’t think they will go down easy.
The winner of that game plays the winner of UNLV and UCLA. UNLV had a great recruiting class this year, landing former Kansas recruiting target Stephen Zimmerman and Derrick Jones.
In the Mountain West, they have a chance to challenge San Diego State for the conference title.
UCLA came off a sweet sixteen loss to Gonzaga last season before losing their best player in Kevon Looney to the NBA Draft. They are led by Bryce Alford, son of head coach Steve Alford.
The Bruins did not have an extremely heralded recruiting class only landing, Prince Ali and Aaron Holiday, brother of NBA point guard Jrue Holiday.
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This veteran Kansas Jayhawks basketball team needs to get off to a strong start this season and establish themselves as a favorite to win it all. A strong win against Michigan State in the Champions Classic and a Maui Invitational Championship would be a fantastic beginning.