LAHAINA, Hawaii 鈥 After working in one of his 鈥渃onference of champions鈥 references when talking about the Arizona Wildcats and coach Sean Miller during a Maui Invitational dinner event Sunday, Bill Walton jokingly played dumb about Xavier and coach Travis Steele.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 in Cincinnati?鈥 Walton asked Steele, and then went on with more playful questions.
鈥淏ill,鈥 Miller said at one point, interrupting Walton. 鈥淵ou know they were a No. 1 seed last year, right? I just wanted to make sure you know that.鈥
As the emcee of the $178 dinner, Walton did brief interviews with each of the coaches on a Kaanapali resort lawn fronting the ocean. When Walton asked Miller about his team being the hunter instead of hunted this season, Miller said it was 鈥渄ifferent for sure鈥 but talked positively about his players.
Walton also asked Miller what keeps him excited about this season鈥檚 team.
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鈥淲ell, you know in college basketball, that鈥檚 what happens,鈥 Miller said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a very young game. We鈥檙e not the only program in the the country who鈥檚 playing young players. There鈥檚 quite a few others up here who have quite a few young faces.鈥
His full responses to those questions is in the video below:
Bill Walton asks Sean Miller about the
鈥 Bruce Pascoe (@BrucePascoe)
Later, Miller said he was fortunate to be at UA, and 鈥渢here鈥檚 no place in the world that loves college basketball more than Tucson and McKale Center."
He added: "And Bill, people think you鈥檙e a Bruin but you鈥檙e part-Wildcat,鈥 referencing how Luke Walton played for the Wildcats.
Walton responded in typical form.
鈥淲e are most proud and honored and fortunate for him to have done that,鈥 Walton said, 鈥渁nd for you to be in the conference of champions.鈥
Emmanuel Akot represented the Wildcats in a hula dancing competition featuring one player from each team, but didn鈥檛 make the 鈥渇inals鈥 as judged by crowd applause. The ultimate winner was Iowa State鈥檚 Terrence Lewis.
Akot is shown dancing on the left in this video:
Feelin鈥 some kind of way... 馃槀馃槀馃槀
鈥 Maui Invitational (@MauiInv)
Walton asked Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski if he has a 鈥渁 great team or the greatest team ever?鈥
Krzyzewski said 鈥渋t鈥檚 the greatest team ... I鈥檓 coaching right now.鈥
It鈥檚 not really a surprise to Miller that he鈥檚 coming across another former prot茅g茅 in Travis Steele in Maui, according to what he .
