The Maui Semi Finals- Players to Watch, Head to Head and Match Preview

The Maui Invitational tournament commenced on 20th November and four teams have qualified for the semi finals. While the Tennessee Volunteers will lock horns with the Purdue Boilermakers, the Kansas Jayhawks will square off against the Marquette Golden Eagles.

Going ahead, the contests are going to be nail-biters with the fans having the most fun. Kicking off on Tuesday, let us analyze how the teams will fare and who will emerge as winners to advance into the highly anticipated Finals.

Tennessee Volunteers vs Purdue Boilermakers

Players to watch out for

Josiah-Jordan James – The Tennessee Volunteers point guard Josiah-Jordan James was phenomenal during the quarterfinals against the Syracuse Orange, achieving a double-double. He potted 15 points with 12 rebounds along with a solitary assist. He had a 75% free throw percentage with a 2-for-4 three-pointer.

Overall, James had grabbed 32 rebounds this season with 49 points in his first four games this season. Furthermore, the Tennessee are yet to face disappointment this NCAA year. Their head coach Rick Barnes has also applauded James for his exceptional rebounding and much of the game will rest on his gameplay when the Volunteers lock horns with the Purdue.

Zach Edey – The Purdue Boilermakers star Zach Edey has stunned all with his performance this season. He has three double-doubles to his name with a season-high of 28-pointers coming against the Xavier Musketeers.

Edey was instrumental in bringing down the Gonzaga in the first Maui Invitational match when he smoked 25 points with 14 rebounds. The 7-foot-4-inch player has used his height to his advantage. 

Overall, Edey averages 21.8 points this season with 11 eleven rebounds and 1.5 assists. If Edey can continue his on-court brilliance against the Tennessee, then there is no stopping his team.

Head to Head

The Volunteers have been 1-2 in their last three games against the Purdue. All three of them have been close contests as the Purdue beat the UT by a narrow margin of 99-94 and 73-72 in 2018-19 season and 2009-10 season respectively. While the UT edged past Purdue in 2017-18 by 78-75.

Taking into account their previous matchups even this semi-final can be a nail-biting contest extending into Overtime. And fans can be sure of getting a thriller during the semi-final.

Match Preview

Jonas Aidoo and Zach Edey will look to compete against each other and give their best shot. Whereas the UT would be standing at a disadvantage if Tobe Awaka doesn’t play since he injured his ankle against the Syracuse.

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While the Volunteers seem to be better at the guard position, the Purdue will have an advantage inside because of Awaka’s injury.

The Kansas Jayhawks vs The Marquette Golden Eagles

Players to watch out for

Hunter Dickinson – The Kansas Jayhawks centre Hunter Dickinson has been spectacular throughout the season. He has scored two double-doubles against the Kentucky Wildcats and the Chaminade. He is being trusted with more responsibilities as the season progresses, smoking 31 points in his last game.

Against the Wildcats, Dickinson potted 27 points along with grabbing 21 rebounds. Overall, the 22-year-old has a field goal percentage of 71.7% and three pointer percentage of 75%. He averages a whopping 24.3 points with 12 rebounds per match.

David Joplin – The Golden Eagles forward David Joplin has been a surprise package this Maui Invitational as he stepped up besotting 19 points against the UCLA. He has also proved his mettle as a rebounder who can take charge when needed. Overall, the Milwaukee-born averages 10.5 points with 3 rebounds per contest.

Tyler Kolek – Another important player for the Golden Eagles will be their leader Tyler Kolek. Kolek hasn’t been into his own this season and needs to amp up his efforts. Overall, he averages a decent 13.3 points with 5.3 rebounds per contest and 5.8 assists. If Kolek and Joplin give their best then the Marquette will be a tough team to beat.

Head to Head

The Kansas will square off with the Marquette for the ninth time in the semi-final. They have a clear 7-1 record over the Golden Eagles. The Jayhawks upended the Eagles by a respectable margin of 77-69 in their last meet-up in 2018.

While the Eagles will be looking to advance to the Finals, the Kansas will try their best to extend their lead. This will be an interesting match if things get charged up in the heat of the moment.

Match Preview

Dickinson will be a major player for the Kansas taking into account his 7-foot-2-inch tall frame. The Marquettes will have to use a lot of tact to cover the big man. The Jayhawks have been victorious in all their matches, smashing 99 twice. The Marquettes have their strongest point in the offense, a match-up for Kansas’s defense. Critics had declared the Marquette as a special team previously.

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The Marquettes will have a difficult time piercing through the Kansas defense and hence this will be an exciting game to watch.