MAUI, Hawaii – The Auburn men's basketball team will begin the 2018 Maui Jim Maui Invitational against Xavier Monday, Nov. 19, at 1:30 p.m. CT (9:30 a.m. HT).
The game, set to lift the lid on America's premier early season basketball tournament, is slated to be broadcast on ESPN2 and the Auburn Sports Network.
Auburn and Xavier are joined in the top half of the bracket with Duke and San Diego State. The bottom half features matchups between Arizona and Iowa State, as well as Gonzaga and Illinois.
What has been dubbed as the strongest field in tournament history, the eight teams in the 2018 Maui Invitational have combined for six national titles, 27 Final Four appearances, 197 conference regular season and tournament championships, 309 All-Americans and 382 NBA Draft selections.
Limited tickets remain for the Maui Invitational. To reserve your seat, please call the Auburn ticket office at 855-282-2010. Travel packages are also available through Total Sports Travel at http://auburntigertravel.com/18mauiinv.
Fresh off a Southeastern Conference championship, the Tigers are making their first appearance at the Maui Invitational in program history.
Auburn is 5-6 all-time in games played in the Aloha State with the most recent contests played in 2015 during the Diamond Head Classic.
The Tigers trail the overall series with the Musketeers 5-4, despite winning the opening three meetings. Auburn most recently defeated Xavier in double overtime, 89-88, in 2014.
Xavier is coming off a 28-win season in which it earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament before falling in the second round to Florida State. Despite losing their top three scorers from a season ago, the Musketeers return four players who started at least 18 games, including Quentin Goodin (8.7 points per game) and Naji Marshall (7.7).
Auburn brings back 63 percent of its scoring output from the 2017-18 squad, paced by All-SEC guards Bryce Brown (15.9) and Jared Harper (13.2). Forward Chuma Okeke is the Tigers' top returning rebounder (5.8), while fellow big man Anfernee McLemore comes back as the team's leading shot blocker (2.7).
All games at the 2018 Maui Invitational will be carried by the ESPN family of networks with all three of Auburn's tilts also on the Auburn Sports Network.
2018 Maui Invitational
Monday-Wednesday, Nov. 19-21
Lahaina Civic Center - Maui, Hawaii
Monday, Nov. 19
G1: Auburn vs. Xavier, 1:30 p.m. CT (9:30 a.m. HT), ESPN2
G2: Duke vs. San Diego State, 4 p.m. CT (12 p.m. HT), ESPN2
G3: Arizona vs. Iowa State, 8 p.m. CT (4 p.m. HT), ESPNU
G4: Gonzaga vs. Illinois, 10:30 p.m. CT (6:30 p.m. HT), ESPN2
Tuesday, Nov. 20
G5: Loser G1 vs. Loser G2, 1:30 p.m. CT (9:30 a.m. HT), ESPN2
G6: Loser G3 vs. Loser G4, 4 p.m. CT (12 p.m. HT), ESPN
G7: Winner G1 vs. Winner G2, 8 p.m. CT (4 p.m. HT), ESPN2
G8: Winner G3 vs. Winner G4, 10:30 p.m. CT (6:30 p.m. HT), ESPN
Wednesday, Nov. 21
G9: 5th Place Game, 1:30 p.m. CT (9:30 a.m. HT), ESPN2
G10: Championship, 4 p.m. CT (12 p.m. HT), ESPN
G11: 7th Place Game, 8 p.m. CT (4 p.m. HT), ESPNU
G12: 3rd Place Game, 10:30 p.m. CT (6:30 p.m. HT), ESPN2
Auburn to face Xavier in first round of 2018 Maui Invitational
