AMES − After breezing through their first three opponents to start the season, Iowa State basketball is preparing for a trip to Hawaii − but their week at the Maui Invitational will be anything but a relaxing getaway.
The fifth-ranked Cyclones will be immediately tested with a top-five matchup against the No. 3 Auburn Tigers on Monday night at 8 p.m. CT.
Afterward, they’ll play either No. 12 North Carolina or Dayton on Tuesday.
Two-time reigning national champion UConn (ranked No. 2) is also in the mix, along with Michigan State, Memphis and Colorado.
The Cyclones (3-0) will get an early-season glimpse of how they stack up against some of the other top teams in the country.
“We’re going to be challenged with adversity and how do you handle adversity,” Cyclones coach T.J. Otzelberger said. “How do you handle adversity? Whether that’s in the possession or over a stretch of time. Not to say in these first three games there weren’t things we could do better, but certainly it’s different.
“When you’re down, the crowd is against you, things aren’t going your way − we’re going to have some of those moments. I look at those as positive opportunities as growth, for us to embrace adversity, for us to get better from it and hit it head on. It’s going to come, there’s a lot of really good teams, and we’re playing somebody that’s playing as well as anybody in the country right off the bat (Auburn). I’m excited to see us hit that head on, excited to see us welcome that and be better as a result.”
With the exception of Memphis, which last played in the NCAA Tournament in 2023, every other participating team at the Maui Invitational qualified for the NCAAs last season.
Here’s a rundown of all the other teams playing at the Maui Invitational:
Auburn Tigers
Record: 4-0
Last season: 27-8 record − won SEC tournament title but lost to Yale in NCAA Tournament opening round as 4-seed
Key players: #2 Denver Jones (6-4, 205) Sr., G; #4 Johni Broome (6-10, 240) Jr., F; #10 Chad Baker-Mazara (6-7, 180) Sr., G; #31 Chaney Johnson (6-7, 220) Jr., F
Johni Broome anchors the Tigers on both ends of the court. The 6-foot-10 big man was a first-team All-SEC and SEC All-Defensive team selection. A consensus third-team All-American, Broome is primed for another big year. He’s averaging 20.0 points, 11.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 3.3 blocks per game, and he will be a big test for the Cyclones’ new-look frontcourt.
Auburn is shooting a Division I-best 70.6% inside the arc. It is also the only team in the Maui Invitational that ranks in the top five for both offensive and defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. This is a senior-laden team, filled with tons of experience, but also keep an eye out for freshman Tahaad Pettiford, who came off the bench with 21 points in the Tigers’ marquee 74-69 win over Houston.
Record: 4-0
Last season: 26-11 record − Lost to Marquette in the second round of the NCAA Tournament as a 10-seed
Key players: #6 Trevor Baskin (6-9, 205) Sr., F; #11 Javon Ruffin (6-5, 185) Jr., G; #23 Andrej Jamimovski (6-8, 220) Sr., F; #50 Elijah Malone (6-10, 270) Sr., C
After one of the most successful seasons in Colorado basketball history, head coach Tad Boyle and the Buffaloes were forced to hit the reset button after bidding farewell to their top five scorers and top six rebounders. They’ve been able to rebuild and reload through the transfer portal, so there are plenty of fresh faces. Colorado played like it on Nov. 8, when it survived a double-overtime scare from Northern Colorado.
Since then, the Buffaloes stepped things up with lopsided wins over California State-Fullerton and Harvard. Colorado excels at shooting the three-ball, knocking down the long-range shot at a 40.2% clip. Turnovers have been an issue, though. The Buffaloes have a turnover rate of 23.1%, which ranks 342nd in the country.
UConn Huskies
Record: 4-0
Last season: 37-3 record − Won Big East regular season and tournament titles, before repeating as national champions with a title game win over Purdue.
Key players: #1 Solo Ball (6-3, 190) So., G; #5 Tarris Reed (6-10, 260) Jr., C; #11 Alex Karaban (6-8, 225), Jr., F; #30 Liam McNeeley (6-7, 210) Fr., F
The two-time reigning national champs are back in the hunt for some hardware at the end of the season, and they’ll be one of the favorites to win the Maui Invitational. The Huskies have reloaded behind stretch big man Alex Karaban, who is averaging 16.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.3 blocks per game, while shooting 63.6% overall and a blistering 54.2% from deep.
Solo Ball is thriving in a bigger role with the Huskies, while Michigan transfer Tarris Reed and preseason Big East Freshman of the Year Liam McNeeley are making an immediate impact for UConn in their first year. There aren’t many holes in UConn’s game, and it ranks in the top 10 for offensive and defensive efficiency according to KenPom, but this week will provide a much-needed test for some of the Huskies’ newcomers after dismantling every opponent by 35 or more points.
Dayton Flyers
Record: 5-0
Last season: 25-8 record − Lost to Arizona in the second round of the NCAA Tournament as a 7-seed
Key players: #2 Nate Santos (6-7, 215) Sr., F; #6 Enoch Cheeks (6-3, 195) Sr., G; #11 Malachi Smith (6-0, 175) Jr., G; #23 Zed Key (6-8, 220) Sr., F
After being one of the top three-point shooting teams in the country last season, the Flyers have reestablished themselves with a more interior-focused offense and an improved defense.
Dayton’s patient offense has been efficient inside the arc, where the Flyers are shooting 61.9% so far this season (21st in the country). The threes haven’t fallen yet, as they’re shooting 30.3% from long range. Dayton doesn’t make too many mistakes and has one of the lowest turnover rates in the country at 13.3%.
Nate Santos, a third-team all-conference selection, is enjoying another solid year, but the return of Malachi Smith after being sidelined with injury last season, plus the addition of Ohio State transfer Zed Key has boosted the Flyers. Also keep an eye on Enoch Cheeks, who is on pace for a career year.
Memphis Tigers
Record: 3-0
Last season: 22-10 record − Missed NCAA Tournament after being eliminated in opening round of AAC tournament
Key players: #2 Nick Jourdain (6-9, 220) Sr., F; #3 Colby Rogers (6-4, 190) Sr., G; #4 P.J. Haggerty (6-3, 195) So., G; #11 Tyrese Hunter (6-0, 175) Sr., G
Tulsa transfer P.J. Haggerty is off to a hot start with his new team. Haggerty is averaging 25.7 points per game, while shooting 54.5% overall and 45.5% from deep. The 6-foot-3 guard has scored more than 20 points in every game so far.
Former Iowa State and Texas point guard Tyrese Hunter has made an immediate impact in nearly every facet of the game. Wichita State transfer Colby Rogers has played well, while Nick Jourdain has taken a step forward and is on track for a career year.
The Tigers like to play an up-tempo style, and while they prefer to attack the basket, they are shooting a Division I-best 49.1% from long range.
Michigan State Spartans
Record: 4-1
Last season: 20-15 record − Lost to North Carolina in second round of NCAA Tournament as a 9-seed
Key players: #0 Jaxon Kohler (6-9, 245) Jr., F; #1 Jeremy Fears (6-2, 190) Fr., G; #3 Jaden Akins (6-4, 195) Sr., G; #8 Frankie Fidler (6-7, 217) Sr., F
The Spartans don’t really have a true superstar, but they have depth and numbers. Head coach Tom Izzo hasn’t been afraid to roll out a 10-man rotation in games. And typical of Izzo-led teams, they play hard-nosed defense and rebound the ball well.
Their lone loss of the year came against Kansas, a 77-69 result. Offensively, Jaden Akins is the Spartans’ leading scorer at 14.6 points per game. Omaha transfer Frankie Fidler is right behind, but he’s been inefficient, shooting just 28.9% overall. Jaxon Kohler gives the Spartans a scoring punch off the bench, but inconsistent scoring has held Michigan State back at times.
You can never count out Izzo and the Spartans and their 10-man rotation gives a different look and more players to account for, compared to most teams that will use a shorter rotation.
North Carolina Tar Heels
Record: 2-1
Last season: 29-8 record − Lost to Alabama in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament as a 1-seed
Key players: #3 Elliot Cadeau (6-1, 180) So., G; #4 R.J. Davis (6-0, 180) Sr., G; #7 Seth Trimble (6-3, 195) Jr., G; #13 Jalen Washington (6-10, 235) Jr., F
This is an experienced group that has returned a year older and wiser. They fell short against Kansas in their lone loss of the year, but nearly completed the comeback after trailing by 15 points at half.
Returning consensus All-American and ACC Player of the Year R.J. Davis is one to watch. He’s averaging a team-best 17.7 points, with 3.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game. He is the lone holdover from North Carolina’s NCAA Tournament runner-up finish in 2022.
Seth Trimble, Elliot Cadeau, Jalen Washington and Jae’Lyn Withers have shown great signs of improvement since last season and have made for a seamless transition in keeping North Carolina a top 10-ranked team since taking bigger roles.
A proud program with an up-tempo style of play, it’s always fun to watch the Tar Heels whenever they’re in action.
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com . Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5 .
