Arizona State part of loaded Maui Invitational basketball field next season
Arizona State basketball fans are already making plans to spend next Thanksgiving on the Hawaiian islands.
The Maui Invitational, arguably the most prestigious tournament in college basketball, announced its 2025 field this week - and the Sun Devils are in it.
Arizona State and Washington State were officially added to the eight-team bracket on Wednesday, joining North Carolina State, Seton Hall, Texas, UNLV, USC and host Chaminade.
The Sun Devils last played in the Maui Invitational in 2007 — when James Harden was a freshman in Tempe. This will be their sixth appearance in the tournament. ASU won the Maui in 1994 when Isaac Burton and Mario Bennett led them past Maryland 97-90 in the championship game.
Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley played in the Maui Invitational in 1992, winning tournament MVP honors after leading Duke to an 89-66 victory over BYU in the championship game.
"We are excited to welcome Arizona State and Washington State to the 2025 Maui Invitational, rounding out another very competitive field," said KemperSports LIVE Executive Vice President and Managing Director Tom Valdiserri in a press releasel.
Tickets and travel packages for the 2025 Maui Invitational are expected to be available in early 2025.
Hurley and the Sun Devils tip off their 2024-25 season on Tuesday vs. Idaho State. Their nonconference schedule is daunting, with a road game at No. 6 Gonzaga and neutral site games vs. New Mexico, USC or St. Mary's and No. 21 Florida.
ASU's 20-game Big 12 schedule starts on New Year's Eve with a road game at BYU. The Sun Devils were picked to finish 12th out of 16 teams in the preseason Big 12 men's basketball poll.
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Ben Sherman has been covering the sports world for most of his journalism career, including 17 years with The Oregonian/OregonLive. One of his favorite memories was covering the 1999 Fiesta Bowl - the first BCS National Championship Game - at Sun Devil Stadium.