Huskies Book Hawaii Trip for 2026 -- Accept Maui Invite

No bracket has been established yet for the three-day event held at the Lahaina Convention Center.

The Huskies previously have played in the Maui event just one other time, when an Isaiah Thomas-led team took part in November 2010.

That UW group, which finished 24-10 that season and was coached by Lorenzo Romar, opened by beating Virginia 106-63 before losing to eighth-ranked Kentucky 74-67 and to second-ranked Michigan State 76-71

Virginia is the reason this holiday event exists today.

In 1982, the Cavaliers were led by 7-foot-4 center Ralph Sampson, unbeaten and ranked No. 1 in the country when they agreed to face NAIA Chaminade in the islands and lost in one of the college game's most shocking upsets, 77-72.

From that game, the Maui Invitational was created, beginning in 1984, and it has become a preseason destination for the nation's top teams, with ESPN giving the event plenty of coverage, and everyone seemingly enjoying themselves for a week in Hawaii in November.

A year from now, Sprinkle's team should be fairly formidable with players such as guards JJ Mandaquit, Zoom Diallo and Wesley Yates III, German big man Hannes Steinbach and fellow front-liners Mady Traore, Christian Nitu and Lathan Sommerville on the roster. Mandaquit is from Hawaii.

This November, Sprinkle's second UW basketball team will play in the Acrisure Holiday Classic in Palm Desert, California.

The Huskies will open with Nevada on November 27 and play either Colorado or San Francisco on the following day.

Last year, the UW captured the Acrisure Invitational held in Palm Springs by beating Colorado State 76-67 and Santa Clara 76-69.