UNC Basketball: Would Maui Invite move to North Carolina?
By Zack Pearson
The UNC Basketball program was set to visit Hawaii this year but with COVID-19 those plans could change for one tournament.
With college football getting ready to kickoff their 2020 season this week, there are still many questions surrounding what the college basketball season will look like.
The UNC Basketball program is hoping to build on their disappointing 2019-20 season as they welcome in a Top 2 recruiting class as well as some key players. But what will the season look like in terms of UNC’s schedule?
Well, one event they were set to participate in might be shifting their focus to a different state.
The Tar Heels were set to be one of the teams in the field for the 2020 Maui Invitational in November as the annual event takes place in Hawaii each year right before Thanksgiving and is one of the top early-season tournaments. However, with COVID-19 concerns the tournament is considering other options.
And among them is close to the Tar Heels…
According to Jon Rothstein, the Maui Invitational is considering moving to Harrah’s Cherokee Center in Asheville, North Carolina:
Now, Asheville is no Maui and if this happened then UNC’s game at Hawaii a few days prior would also be cancelled. But it’s an option and if it means UNC would be on the court playing, they would take it.
The other interesting thing is that Rothstein quote tweeted this on his previous tweet about Asheville being considered as a potential bubble location. This tells us that not only does tell us the NCAA plans on playing but they are also exploring bubble sites. That’s certainly good news.
For more on the UNC Basketball program and the upcoming season, please check back with Keeping It Heel.