Where is Chaminade and 5 other things to know

A small DII program in Hawaii is in the spotlight once again after Chaminade’s 96-72 mauling of Pac-12 representative California at the Maui Invitational on Wednesday. The Silverswords are the only non-DI program in the field. This year’s Maui Invitational takes on added significance for Chaminade, as it’s the last year the school will serve as the tournament’s permanent host.

Here’s everything you need to know about Chaminade.

Chaminade University of Honolulu is located in Honolulu on the southern tip of the island of O`ahu. The school has 2,836 students.

From Wikipedia: A Silversword is “a reference to a Hawaiian plant prized for its beauty and ability to withstand harsh conditions.”

The event is held at the Lahaina Civic Center on the island of Maui.

Chaminade has served as the host of the Maui Invitational since its inception in 1984. The idea for the tournament came two years after Chaminade pulled off arguably the greatest upset in the history of the sport, a 77-72 victory over Ralph Sampson and No. 1 Virginia.

Chaminade has played in the event every year. The Silverswords are 7-78 in the tournament all-time and most recently upset Texas in 2012.

This is Chaminade’s last year serving as the permanent host of the event. Chaminade will now play in the event every other year, in years ending in odd numbers.

That means Chaminade will not be in the championship round of the event in 2018, but it will still play in “mainland games” before the tournament starts in earnest.

The 2018 Maui Invitational is loaded. It features Duke, Arizona, Gonzaga, Xavier, San Diego State, Auburn, Illinois, and Iowa State.

You can follow the tournament’s schedule and results with our living post.

Updated Nov. 22.