Sights and sounds from Maui: Part II
The Daily Illini’s Jason Grodsky continues his tiring work of walking around in perfect weather, hitting the beach and watching great college basketball. Keep it up, Jason. There’s only a few days left.
MAUI, Hawaii — It’s the third and final day of the Maui Invitational and Illinois is in the third- and fourth-place game of the tournament after losing to No. 10-ranked Duke on Tuesday night.
But despite the loss the Illini learned a lot about themselves in their first big test of the season, while I learned that Maui has a lot more to offer away from the court.
Fouls plaguing the Illini
Illinois opponents are spending more time at the free throw line than David Hasselhoff spends in the sand. The Illini have committed a combined 43 fouls in the first two games of the tournament.
While the fouls are mostly a result of the tough, physical defense the Illini play, they recognize that it’s getting them in trouble and keeping some of their key players off the floor in big situations.
Senior forward Brian Randle said the team is just going to have to adjust and realize it can’t be sending its opponents to the charity stripe as often as they have.
Healthy Randle is trouble for opponents
For the first time in his college career Randle looks to be 100 percent healthy and he is taking full advantage of it.
After being limited by injuries throughout his time at Illinois, Randle is starting to reach his potential that everyone has been talking about, earning the praise of ESPN television college basketball analysis Jay Bilas.
In his blog, Bilas took notice of Randle’s ability to defend and get to the basket, and calls him an “All-Big Ten caliber leader.”
Through two games Randle has scored a career high 17 and 16 points, leading the Illini in both games. If he keeps up his play in Illinois’ final game, he could find himself on the All-Tournament team.
Smallest big time gym
The Lahaina Civic Center isn’t much to look at. It sits in between the local post office and police station and has a unique set up, with a lot of concourse section outside in the open.
The gym only seats 2,400, which isn’t bigger than most high school gyms. But despite its size the little gym on the Maui coast can definitely get loud and the laid back atmosphere of the tournament is reflective of the island’s culture.
Another reason to hate Duke
I admit I haven’t seen a lot of opposing fans, but right now Duke’s fans are some of the nations most obnoxious and annoying fans.
Heaven forbid a call doesn’t go the Blue Devils way because if it doesn’t the fans won’t let it go. And what’s with the little arm and hand shaking behind opposing players backs while they are in bounding the ball. Do they really think the players have eyes in the back of their heads?
Either way, Illini fans can take remorse in watching a great video on You Tube made by a few Maryland and North Carolina fans. Just click here and enjoy.
There is night life in Maui, but it’s hard to find
It took me awhile but I finally found out where people go at night.
For the first few evenings it seemed like everyone pretty much went home and the night life in Lahaina was dull.
But I finally made my way to Old Lahaina and discovered people up past 10 p.m.
It’s tucked away off the main highway in Maui, and while it’s no Green Street, Old Lahaina has a great mixture of shops, restaurants and bars that bring a classic feel of the Hawaiian Islands to life. Many of the restaurants and places overlook the ocean and the streets are flooded with locals.
Driving can be dangerous
Maui has plenty of scenery to look at — you just can’t look at it while you are driving.
I’m staying about 15 miles away from the Lahaina Civic Center and the only way to get there is by taking one of the island’s many two-lane highways that zigzag along the coast.
There is literally about 50 feet or less between the road and the ocean, and for the most part all that stands between you and the beach is a few bushes and maybe an orange cone along the side of the road.
Let’s just say if you take you eyes of the road to watch a sunset — splash!
I still haven’t been leid …
This is my first trip to the Hawaiian Islands and I was under the impression that I would be welcomed by a Hawaiian native who would place a traditional Hawaiian Lei around my neck.
Unfortunately I was wrong.
It’s been four days and my neck is still bare. The closest I’ve been to getting leid was the coach’s press conference, but there weren’t enough to go around, and apparently they didn’t get the memo about the Daily Illini being the nation’s premier college newspaper for sports.
Oh well, I’m going to a Luau for Thanksgiving, that’ll probably be my best and last shot. (Editor’s note: We hope you get lucky, Jason.)
Jason Grodsky is a senior writer for The Daily Illini.