The Maui Invitational is the premier, Thanksgiving week tournament in college basketball – and it always brings out the stars.
Seven of the eight teams in this year’s Maui Invitational made the NCAA Tournament last year, including your North Carolina Tar Heels, who have a brief history since first appearing in 1989. UNC will face Atlantic 10 power Dayton on Monday, Nov. 25 at 11:30 p.m. ET in the Maui opener for both teams.
UNC spent the weekend in Hawai’i, playing the Rainbow Warriors early Saturday morning and beating them, 87-69. North Carolina led by just seven at halftime, then pulled away in the second half. Four Tar Heels scored in double figures, led by 18 points from RJ Davis and including 11 from star freshman Ian Jackson, who made his welcomed return from a 1-game absence.
Not only does UNC have a brief history in the Maui Invitational, but a successful one, too. North Carolina has four titles in the highly-anticipated tournament, just behind five from archrival Duke. The Tar Heels have eight appearances in the Maui, tied with Arizona and Kansas for most all-time.
If UNC wants a fifth title, it’ll first have to go through Dayton. North Carolina can then face either Auburn or Iowa State, followed by – with a potential win – Memphis, Colorado, Michigan State or back-to-back National Champion UConn.
While we could spend all day talking about UNC-Dayton or the opponents UNC will face in the succeeding rounds, we’re here today to hype up the Tar Heels‘ history in the Maui Invitational, starting with their first appearance in 1989.
1989: 80-73 loss to Missouri in Championship Game
Talk about being party crashers, which the Tar Heels were during their debut Maui Invitational appearance in 1989.
UNC started its run with a close, 80-79 victory over James Madison in the first round. North Carolina then followed up with a 78-68 victory over Villanova, then lost to Missouri in the Championship.
Current UNC head coach Hubert Davis was a member of UNC’s 1989 Maui Invitational roster.
1995: 97-75 loss to Villanova in Championship
Winning a championship and enacting revenge are two of the greatest feelings in sports. Villanova did exactly that in the 1995 Maui Invitational, dominating UNC, 97-75, in the Championship.
North Carolina started its 1995 Maui run with a 71-63 win over Vanderbilt. The Tar Heels then beat Michigan State in the semifinal, 92-70, before losing to the Wildcats.
Vince Carter was a member of the 1995 UNC squad that played in the Maui Invitational.
1999: 90-75 victory vs. Purdue in the Championship
Third time’s a charm, right? That was exactly the case for UNC in the 1999 Maui Invitational, winning the Championship in its third appearance, with a 90-75 victory over Purdue in the final.
North Carolina beat USC to start, 82-65, then beat Georgetown 75-69 in the semifinals. The Tar Heels then finished the job against the Boilermakers.
Assist magician Ed Cota and 2-time, current NFL Hall of Famer Julius Peppers were on UNC’s 1999-2000 roster.
2004: 106-92 win vs. Iowa in the Championship
Remember UNC’s 2004-2005 National Championship team, which included the likes of Raymond Felton and current assistant coach Sean May?
That Tar Heel squad also won the 2004 Maui Invitational en route, beating Iowa, 106-92, in the Championship game.
North Carolina started its Maui run with an 86-50 shellacking of BYU, then beat Tennessee 94-81, before downing the Hawkeyes.
2008: 102-87 win over Notre Dame in Championship
The 2008-2009 UNC men’s basketball team was the greatest in program history – and perhaps one of the greatest of all-time.
North Carolina won the 2009 National Championship with a loaded roster, including the likes of Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington.
The Tar Heels also won an in-season tournament that year, beating Notre Dame 102-87 in the Maui Invitational final. UNC obliterated host Chaminade, 115-70, to start its run through the 2008 Maui. North Carolina then dominated Oregon, 98-69, before winning the title game against Notre Dame.
2012: 82-71 loss to Butler in semifinal
The 2012 Maui Invitational wasn’t as kind to the Tar Heels, who failed to make the Championship Game for the first time in five appearances.
UNC overwhelmed Mississippi State in its first round matchup, 95-49, then lost to eventual champion Butler in the semifinals.
2016: 71-56 win over Wisconsin in Championship game
En route to winning the 2017 National Championship, UNC also won the 2016 Maui Invitational, beating Wisconsin by a 71-56 mark in the Maui title game.
North Carolina started that Maui run with a 104-61 victory over host Chaminade, then a 107-75 stomping of Oklahoma State. The Tar Heels ended that Maui run by stomping the Badgers.
2020: 69-67 loss to Texas in Championship game
The 2020 Maui Invitational didn’t have the same excitement, with COVID-19 still well in the picture of our lives.
UNC played in the Maui that year, making it to the Championship game again, but losing 69-67 to Texas.
North Carolina started its 2020 Maui run with a 78-51 victory over UNLV, then continued it with a 67-63 win against Stanford, before ultimately falling to the Longhorns.
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire : What is the North Carolina Tar Heels’ history in the Maui Invitational?
