The top-ranked Duke Blue Devils tip off their bid to win the Maui Invitational on Monday with a matchup against the San Diego State Aztecs.
To put it mildly, the Duke Blue Devils look unbeatable. After opening the season with a resounding win over Kentucky, head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s group has come out in a big way with wins over Army and Eastern Michigan, even if neither game was as impressive as their opener. Now the Blue Devils head way out west to play in the Maui Invitational, starting with a Monday matchup against the San Diego State Aztecs.
There was a great deal of excitement about Duke entering the year with the three freshmen set to star for them, Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett and Cam Reddish. However, the young trio has been better than even advertised to start this season. They are all capable of taking over a game at any moment, and all have done so already at points in this season.
Moreover, Williamson may be even more of a stud than many thought. It was clear he was an athletic marvel, but the way that the’s played in terms of his skill and basketball IQ to go with his physical gifts has been truly remarkable to start his college basketball career.
As for San Diego State, they’ve started the season with a 2-0 record, though they’ve not played anyone of note. Even still, the Aztecs have hopes of being a tournament-bound team this season. With that in mind, an early-season win over Duke in the Maui would be a great way to build their résumé at the start of the year.
Game Info
Date: Monday, Nov. 19, 2018
Start Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
Location: Maui, HI
Arena: Lahaina Civic Center
TV Info: ESPN2
Live Stream: WatchESPN
It’s highly unlikely that Duke is going to see their first loss of the season come on Monday afternoon in Maui. Having said that, the long trip into the Pacific Ocean and taking on a solid team in San Diego State could expose perhaps the first flaw in the Blue Devils’ armor that we’ve seen this season.