Texas Basketball: 3 bold predictions in Maui Invitational final vs. UNC

The Championship Round of the Maui Invitational for Texas basketball is here, and they draw yet another tough test in No. 14 North Carolina.

A very solid run for head coach Shaka Smart and this Texas basketball program throughout the Maui Invitational is set to come to a head in the Championship Round on the afternoon of Dec. 2. No. 17 ranked Texas is set to face the No. 14 ranked North Carolina Tar Heels and head coach Roy Williams in the Maui Invitational final, with tip off set for 3 p.m. CT.

To reach the Championship Round of the Maui Invitational, the Longhorns had to work past the Davidson Wildcats and Indiana Hoosiers. It was anticipated that Texas would have a more difficult time getting past the Hoosiers than the Wildcats. But the win over Davidson back on Nov. 30 in the first round of the Maui Invitational came to Texas by the narrow final score of 78-76.

And in the second round of the Maui Invitational, played back on the afternoon of Dec. 1, Texas was able to pull off the upset of Indiana as a 1.5-point underdog before tip off. The Longhorns really impressed by topping the Hoosiers by the final score of 66-44. Texas’ defense truly dominated the Hoosiers, holding them to shooting less than 25 percent from the field.

With the wins over Indiana and Davidson in store for the Longhorns, they carry a record of 3-0 (0-0 Big 12) into this Championship Round matchup in the Maui Invitational. To get to where they are now, UNC had to top the UNLV Rebels and Stanford Cardinal. UNC beat Stanford on Dec. 1 in their second round Maui Invitational matchup by a closer than anticipated final score of 67-63.

Here’s a look into three bold predictions as the Longhorns battle the Tar Heels in the Championship Round of the Maui Invitational on Dec. 2.