Ladies and gentlemen, we have actually received the Maui championship game we wanted. After Georgetown screwed everything up last year, the Maui Invitational has made up for it by pairing up Wichita State and Notre Dame for the title tomorrow.
The finals better be good because the semifinals weren't anything special. Wichita State beat Marquette handily 80-66, and Notre Dame put the hurt on LSU by a score of 92-53.
Wichita State looks really good defensively. Their full-court press is incredibly difficult to break, helping the Shockers force 28 turnovers in their two games so far. Big man Shaquille Morris is averaging 18 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3 blocks during the tournament and will be a key defensive presence against a Notre Dame squad that can fill it up. Landry Shamet is also playing quite well for Wichita State, but it's really been a team effort. The loose balls, offensive rebounds and deflections are propelling Wichita State to victories; it'll be interesting to see how they do against on of the nation's best offenses.
Notre Dame is coming off two games in which the combined margin of victory was 33 points. Fun fact: they actually beat LSU by more points than Division II host Chaminade. Anyway, you've all heard about Matt Farrell and Bonzie Colson. Yeah, they're great. But Temple Gibbs has silently been one of Notre Dame's most productive players offensively. He's averaging 15 points per game on the season and exploded for 27 tonight. He could end up being the X-factor in the championship tomorrow.
As for a prediction, I'll take the Irish by 7. We have to remember that Wichita State isn't fully healthy, as Markis McDuffie is recovering from a broken foot. Ultimately, I think Notre Dame has too much firepower on the offensive end for Wichita State to keep up with, at least for tomorrow night.
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