UCONN BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
UConn will make its fourth appearance ever in Maui as the Huskies have been added to the field for the 2016 EA Sports Maui Invitational, it was announced Monday.
The Huskies will be joined by a strong field comprised of Georgetown, North Carolina, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Tennessee, Wisconsin and the host team from Chaminade. Those teams will battle for the Wayne Duke Trophy Nov. 21-23 at the Lahaina Civic Center.
The 2016 field has combined for 14 national championships, including six different teams that have won at least one NCAA title, and 35 Final Four appearances. Last season, UConn won the NCAA championship, Wisconsin joined the Huskies in the Final Four, and seven of the eight teams earned NCAA tourney berths. The teams have combined for 160 conference championships.
UConn’s three previous appearances in the Maui Invitational came 2000, 2005, and 2010. The Huskies have an 8-1 record in the tourney, winning the championship in both 2005 and 2010.
This year’s tournament began Monday with a field of Arizona, BYU, Chaminade, Kansas State, Missouri, Pittsburgh, Purdue and San Diego State.
The 2015 Maui Invitational will be held Nov. 23-25 with a field of Indiana, Kansas, St. John’s, UCLA, UNLV, Vanderbilt, Chaminade, and Wake Forest.
For more information about the tournament, visit www.mauiinvitational.com. You can also follow live updates and interact with the Tournament on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @EASPORTSMauiInv and with the Tournament’s official hashtag, #mauihoops.
UCONN No. 24 in AP POLL
UConn’s 78-68 loss to West Virginia in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off cost the Huskies seven spots in the Associated Press poll released Monday. The unranked Mountaineers (5-0) jumped into the poll at No. 21 and UConn fell from No .17 to No. 24.
Kentucky remained No. 1 with all but three first-place votes in the poll. Wisconsin, tied at No. 2 with Arizona, picked up the other three votes for the top spot. Duke, North Carolina, Louisville, Texas (at UConn Sunday), Virginia, Wichita State and Gonzaga round out the AP Top 10.
Kansas dropped from No. 5 to No. 11 after a 72-40 loss to Kentucky.
In the USA Today Coaches Poll, UConn was ranked No. 22 with West Virginia 24. Providence, which won twice in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic last weekend at Mohegan Sun Arena, was No. 25 in the coahes’ poll.
AAC HONORS
UConn swept the American Athletic Conference men’s basketball honors this week as senior Ryan Boatright was named the AAC Player of the Week and freshman Daniel Hamilton was selected as the AAC Rookie of the Week, the league announced today.
It is the first time either has won the league’s weekly award. Boatright made the AAC Weekly Honor Roll last year and again during the opening week of the season this year.
Boatright, a 6-0 guard, averaged 18.7 points (19, 20, 17), 5.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in the three games and was named to the All-Tournament Team. The conference Preseason Player of the Year, Boatright leads the league in scoring at 20.0 points per game.
Hamilton, a 6-7 swingman, averaged 14.7 points (15, 14, 15), 6.3 rebounds and shot 59.3 percent overall and 66.7 percent from three-point range during the tourney.
The American Weekly Honor Roll included B.J. Taylor of UCF, Octavius Ellis of Cincinnati, Devonta Pollard of Houston, Will Cummings of Temple, and D’Andre Wright of Tulsa.
HAMILTON ON WATCH LIST
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association announced its preseason watch lists for men’s national player and freshman player of the year today. UConn’s Daniel Hamilton made the list for the Wayman Tisdale Award, which goes to the freshman of the year. There were no Huskies on the list for the Oscar Robertson Trophy for the nation’s best player.
TEXAS POINT GUARD OUT
Texas point guard Isaiah Taylor has a broken left wrist and will miss an extended period of time for the No. 7 Longhorns, who play UConn at Storrs Sunday. Coach Rick Barnes announced the injury Monday and said he doesn’t know when Taylor will return. Taylor doesn’t need surgery and the injury is not season-ending. Taylor, averaging 15 points in three games, was injured in a victory over Iowa last week in New York.
The Longhorns (4-0) play St. Francis (2-2) on Tuesday night. Junior Javan Felix will likely start in place of Taylor.
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