Lahaina, Hawaii ? The crystal clear waves of the Pacific Ocean beckon Kansas University’s basketball players, who have a beach in their Maui Hyatt Hotel backyard this week.
“I’m going to try to stay out of the water. I’m one of those guys worried about sharks and stuff the tropical fish that bite or something,” quipped KU junior guard Kirk Hinrich, who may resist the temptation to dip more than his toes in the saltwater.
“This is really exciting,” Hinrich added in a more serious tone. “I said in the media guide Hawaii would be my favorite vacation spot. It’s a great vacation spot, but we have got to understand this is not a vacation.”
It’s business for the Jayhawks, who today will meet Ball State in a 3:30 p.m. Maui Invitational opener. The winner advances to Tuesday’s 8:30 p.m. semifinal against either UCLA or Houston, while the loser will dip into the consolation bracket.
“I am concerned about staying out in the sun too long,” Hinrich said. “The sun can take a lot out of you. I’ll try to enjoy it but more after the games.”
Today’s game starts at 11:30 a.m., Hawaii time, so the Jayhawks will have plenty of time for afternoon tanning. The hotel pool seems to be the sunbathing area of choice more than the sandy beach after today’s tilt.
“This is my favorite scenario for a trip,” KU coach Roy Williams said Sunday. “After I stop coaching, I’ll be in Maui every Thanksgiving because I think it’s a great tournament.
“At 6:30 this morning I spoke to our alumni. I told ’em I’d come to the alumni meetings all the time if they have ’em on the beach outside Maui. Good scenario, good scenery, all that.”
Williams also likes the setting of the tournament, 2,500-seat Lahaina Civic Center.
“People come in with T-shirts and gym shorts on top of their swimming suits,” the coach explained. “It’s 95 degrees in there. If you watch the 9 a.m. game (Chaminade v. South Carolina) and don’t like it, you walk 15 feet out of the building and down on the bank they’re cooking hot dogs and hamburgers.
“Pretty girls are lying all over the bank, too. It gives you the feel of a big-time high school game, a great setting. Maui, by far, is my favorite place in the world, anyway.”
Williams is combining business with pleasure on the trip. The team will do the bulk of its tourist activities on Thanksgiving, the day after the tourney is completed. The Jayhawks are scheduled to return to Lawrence on Friday.
“It’s hard because of the schedule of games,” Williams said. “We play at 11:30 (Hawaii time today). We’ll try to give them a lot of free time when we’re not in the gym. I do try to get them to use their heads.
“I don’t necessarily care too much about my players riding mopeds. I tell them that up front. I do want them to get on the beach, take them snorkeling, do things I like to do. This may be the first trip or the first time they’ve seen a place like this. They might not be as easy about it as I am about jumping in.”
KU junior Nick Collison is the only Jayhawk who has been to Maui before. He was here two summers ago playing an exhibition game for USA basketball against the U.S. Olympic Dream team.
“It’s beautiful,” Collison said, noting he likes to snorkel. “There are so many neat looking things, fish. The water is so clear.
“Maui is probably the best place in the world you can be at Thanksgiving, not only because it’s Maui but because this tournament is the best. This makes you better.
“March is a long way away,” he added, referring to NCAA Tournament time. “You have a lot of time between now and March to take some lumps early. I’m not saying we’ll drop a lot of games early, but getting through this difficult time early only sets you up for the tough games in the conference and the NCAA Tournament.
“Losing early … everybody at KU goes crazy, but it really means nothing. All these tough games can prepare you for what you will see down the line.”
That said, Collison isn’t predicting losses in Maui. The Jayhawks have won 36 straight games in the month of November and would like to stretch the streak here.
“Ball State is tough,” KU’s Hinrich said. “This tournament is full of good teams. We will be playing three really good teams. This tournament will be tough and a challenge, a test to see how good a condition we’re in and how tough we are.”
