The Michigan State men's basketball team will be taking on Colorado when it returns to Hawaii for the 2024 Maui Jim Maui Invitational. The 40th annual tournament will be held from Nov. 25 through Nov. 27 at the historic Lahaina Civic Center in Maui, Hawaii, marking a return to the venue following devastating wildfires to the island in 2023 that saw it move temporarily to Oahu last year.
The Spartans join a crowded field of men's basketball heavyweights that will include Auburn, Dayton, Iowa State, Memphis, North Carolina, and Connecticut.
The Spartans' will face off against the Buffaloes at 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Nov. 25 and then play either Memphis or UConn in the second game of the tournament for MSU. That matchup will be at either 3:30 p.m. or 6 p.m. on Nov. 26.
The final game of the invitational will occur on Nov. 27 and come against any of Auburn, Iowa State, Dayton, or North Carolina. All 12 games of the Maui Invitational will be televised on ESPN, ESPN2, or ESPNU, and also be available on the ESPN app. Exact channel information will be released at a later date.
MSU and CU will return to the court for the first time in over 20 years, having last played one another March 21, 2003. The Spartans hold a 3-1 advantage in the series all-time, having lost the first-ever meeting between the teams 90-87 in 1956 in Kansas City. MSU has won the last three straight, including a win in East Lansing in 1957 and a neutral court meeting in 1988 in Portland.
The most recent meeting came in the second round of the 2003 NCAA Tournament. The No. 7-seeded Spartans downed the No. 10-seeded Buffaloes 79-64 in Tampa March 21. The Spartans would go on to advance to the Elite Eight before falling to No. 5 seeded Texas in San Antonio.
Michigan State will be participating for the sixth time in the annual Maui tournament (1991, 1995, 2005, 2010, and 2019). MSU won the championship in its inaugural trip in 1991, and head coach Tom Izzo made his coaching debut as head of the Green and White at the tournament in 1995. The 2005 tournament also included a thrilling triple overtime 109-106 loss to Gonzaga in the second game that year.
"This year's Maui Invitational is one of the strongest fields in tournament history," said Dave Odom, Tournament Chairman and legendary collegiate coach. "The field is packed with teams looking to make a run in the NCAA Tournament along with UConn who is making their fifth appearance in the Maui Invitational and looking to defend their back-to-back national championships."
Seven of the eight teams in this year's field appeared in last year's NCAA Tournament, including reigning national champion UConn. ISU and UNC also advanced to the Sweet 16, the Tar Heels knocking off MSU in the second round to do so. The Buffaloes also earned a bid, advancing from the play-in round to the second where CU fell to Marquette.
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