Maui Invitational Bracket Set - Purdue vs. Gonzaga Rematch

According to Jon Rothstein, Purdue now knows its path at the Maui Invitational. The first match-up - a rematch of the Phil Knight Invitational's Semi-Final Game with Purdue taking on Gonzaga.

Last year's game went to Purdue, 84-66, and acted as a spring board for Matt Painter's program that jumped out to a school record 13-0 start and eventually 22-1 record halfway through the Big Ten Schedule that kept Purdue at the #1 ranking for 7 weeks.

In the first game, Drew Timme versus Zach Edey was the headline with Edey getting the better of the matchup with 23 points and 7 rebounds on his way to National Player of the Year honors.

Timme has now left Gonzaga in pursuits of his NBA career while Edey made the decision to return for his senior season which should leave Purdue as the favorites in this match-up having returned over 80% of its scoring production from its #1 seeded team last year.

Of course. Purdue's season ended with just the second ever #1 seed upset in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, but the Maui Invitational will give Purdue an early chance to chase those ghosts away and prove to the college basketball world that they are even more a threat this year.

It appears that the Purdue/Gonzaga winner will play the winner of the Tennessee/Syracuse game.

In the other side of the bracket, Kansas will play Chaminade and Marquette will play UCLA.

If Marquette and Purdue were to play each other it would be another rematch from last season. Of course, Kansas looms as a top-five team and UCLA will join the Big Ten in 2024. This will be the first season without Jim Boeheim at the helm for Syracuse since 1976.

There's plenty of talent and story lines at the Maui Invitational this year in what is the premier early season tournament in college basketball.

The Tournament will take place from November 20th to the 22nd.