Nov 15, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard RJ Davis (4) shooting a free throw in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images A loaded Maui Invitational featuring seven teams that played in last season’s NCAA Tournament concludes its first day of action on Monday with No. 10 North Carolina facing Dayton in Lahaina, Hawaii.
The Tar Heels (3-1) and the Flyers (5-0) both qualified for the NCAA Tournament, and North Carolina is one of four teams in the field ranked in the top 10 of the Associated Press poll.
Three of those four are on the same side of the bracket, with the winner of Monday’s nightcap between North Carolina and Dayton advancing to face the winner of No. 4 Auburn vs. No. 5 Iowa State. Two-time reigning national champion and second-ranked UConn is on the other side of the bracket.
North Carolina got a jump playing on the islands, as it visited the University of Hawaii on Saturday. The Tar Heels walked away with an 87-69 victory.
RJ Davis scored 18 points, Elliot Cadeau had 17 and Seth Trimble added 13 for North Carolina.
“One of the things we talked about was attacking the rim through the post and penetration,” Tar Heels coach Hubert Davis said. “Our guards could get to the rim any time that wanted to and put a lot of pressure (on the defense).”
The victory was a reflection of North Carolina’s offensive identity overall thus far into the 2024-25 season.
The Tar Heels’ perimeter trio of 2023-24 All-American Davis, Cadeau and Trimble have combined to average 48.8 points per game.
Dayton looks to disrupt the efficient North Carolina offense, bringing a defense that has been the consistent hallmark of Flyers teams under coach Anthony Grant.
Last season, a Dayton team that reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament ranked 30th nationally in scoring defense at 66.5 points per game. Through the early going of 2024-25 and entering play on Sunday, the Flyers are No. 20, limiting opponents to 60.0 points per game.
Dayton has yet to allow more than 69 points through its undefeated start. The Flyers have scored 71 points or more in all five contests.
Enoch Cheeks’ 15.0 points per game pace what has been a balanced Flyers offense, with five players averaging more than nine points per contest. Nate Santos scored 23 points to pace Dayton to a 74-53 rout of New Mexico State on Wednesday.
Grant said the performance sent Dayton into Maui on the right foot, which the Flyers will need against a field that is “loaded.”
“You look at our side, and you’ve got three of the top 10 teams in the country,” Grant said. “Great for basketball fans. I know we’ve got a great group that will be traveling out there to Maui. It’s a great opportunity.”
This year’s appearance at the Maui Invitational is Dayton’s first since 2019 when the Flyers advanced to the championship game. They lost a 90-84 overtime thriller to Kansas, one of only two losses for the 2019-20 Flyers before COVID-19 forced the season’s cancellation.
North Carolina is 20-3 all-time at the Maui Invitational with four tournament championships (1999, 2004, 2008, 2016). In their run to their three most recent Maui Invitational titles, the Tar Heels won the national championship the same season.
–Field Level Media
