KU opens against host Chaminade in Maui Invitational

The Kansas basketball team will open the Maui Invitational against the home team, facing host Chaminade in a first-round matchup on Nov. 23, The Star confirmed on Monday.

In an eight-team field that also features Indiana, UCLA and Wake Forest, the Jayhawks will share the same side of the bracket with UCLA and UNLV. With a victory against Chaminade, a Division II program, Kansas would face the winner of the Bruins and Rebels on Tuesday, Nov. 24.

The championship game — which is set for Nov. 25, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving — could feature a juicy matchup in Kansas against Indiana — two teams that will face off in Hawaii in an Armed Forces Classic nonconference matchup during the 2016-17 season.

The details of the Maui bracket, which will be officially released on Tuesday, were first reported by ESPN’s Andy Katz. On the other side of the bracket, Indiana will open with Wake Forest and second-year coach Danny Manning. Vanderbilt will face St. John’s — and first-year coach Chris Mullin — in the fourth quarterfinal matchup.

The Jayhawks are returning to the Maui Invitational for the first time since 2011-12, when they lost to Duke in the championship game. That year, Kansas advanced to the NCAA championship game before falling to Kentucky.

This story was originally published July 27, 2015 at 7:45 PM with the headline "KU opens against host Chaminade in Maui Invitational."