When Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann was trying to decide whether to lobby for the Buckeyes to get into the Maui Invitational, he solicited advice from coaches who had been there.
They told him about the top-notch hotels on the beach, the tropical weather, the memorable student-athlete experience, the team bonding, the high level of competition, the crazy atmosphere inside 2,400-seat Lahaina Civic Center.
“My only downside,” Holtmann said, “is I had heard the toll it takes when you get back. That was my only hesitation in doing it — the jet lag and the effect it has on your team when you get back.”
