LAHAINA, Maui — Only one topic was talked about more than the rainy weather on Maui: the health of Tyler Hansbrough.

The reigning national player of the year will play for No. 1 North Carolina in this week's 25th edition of the EA Sports Maui Invitational, no one, however, is sure just how much time he will see.

"The only person who knows how much pain there is is Tyler," Tar Heels coach Roy Williams said yesterday, the day before North Carolina faces Chaminade, the Division II host school in the eight-team tournament that means three games in as many days. "I guess we'll all find out about going three straight days."

Hansbrough missed three weeks of practice and the first two games of the season with a stress reaction in his right shin. The senior forward missed just one practice and played in all 108 games in his first three seasons. He was back Friday night in an 84-67 victory at Cal-Santa Barbara on the way to Hawai'i.

"We had planned on him playing 20 minutes Friday but he kept bugging the dickens out of me to get back in and the only way to get rid of him was to put him back in," Williams said of Hansbrough's 13-point effort in 25 minutes against the Gauchos. "He feels really, really good and we have been cautious with him coming back because I thought that would be best. We have been more concerned about him playing three straight days than we were about him coming back Friday night."

Today's other first-round matchups have No. 7 Texas against Saint Joseph's; No. 8 Notre Dame facing Indiana; and Oregon meeting Alabama.

The Tar Heels (3-0) have the second-most wins in the history of the tournament with a 10-2 record in three appearances, including titles in 1999 and 2004. Duke has won on Maui in all four of its trips.

Chaminade (0-0) has a 5-65 record in the tournament, including a win over Princeton in last year's seventh-place game, but the Silverswords lost all five starters from that team. That pretty much ended any talk about a second win over a top-ranked team for Chaminade to join the 77-72 victory over Virginia and Ralph Sampson on Dec. 23, 1982.

"We get to face the best in college basketball because of hosting this tournament and we will for sure by opening against North Carolina," Silverswords coach Matt Mahar said, referring to a team that returned the top six scorers from the team that set a school record with 36 wins on the way to the Final Four.

Playing three straight days so early in the season is always a concern for coaches but Notre Dame's Mike Brey has a recent reference point for his team.

"We went through this August in Ireland playing the national teams from Ireland, Poland and Iceland in three days and we were tired that last day," Brey said. "I told them then that we were going to face the same situation here. I brought it up yesterday that we were going to face the same thing and that I would get them rest after the tournament."

The Fighting Irish (2-0) and Indiana (2-0) could have met a lot closer to home since the schools are about a four-hour drive apart.

Brey tried to turn the few days of bad weather on Maui into an advantage for his team.

"We got off the plane and it was rainy and cloudy and we felt like we were right at home in South Bend," he said with a laugh.

Indiana coach Tom Crean should feel comfortable in the Lahaina Civic Center since he led Marquette to a championship game loss to Duke to last season.

"It is unique to be here two years in a row," said Crean, who took over the troubled Indiana program in April, "but if this could be anything like last year we would be very pleased."

Texas (2-0) allowed an average of 45 points in its two wins, a stat that scares Saint Joseph's coach Phil Martelli, whose Hawks split their first two games on the way to their first appearance in the tournament.

"I looked it up and no team has ever been shut out here and we have a good chance at being the first," he said. "For anyone who doesn't believe me look at the stat that Texas has allowed a total of 11 assists so far this season. That is phenomenal."

Oregon (1-2) and Alabama (1-1) are both making their first appearance on Maui and one is new to a lot more than this tournament.

"We have six freshmen and they will all play here at some point," Oregon coach Ernie Kent said.

TOP 25 MEN

No. 2 UConn 76, No. 17 Miami: Hasheem Thabeet had 19 points and 14 rebounds, and A.J. Price added 13 points and 11 rebounds as the Huskies (4-0) beat the Hurricanes (2-1) in the Paradise Jam in Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands.

No. 3 Louisville 81, South Alabama 54: Freshman Samardo Samuels scored 24 points to lead the Cardinals (2-0) over the Jaguars (3-1) in the final of the Billy Minardi Classic in Louisville, Ky.

No. 10 Duke 78, Montana 58: Nolan Smith scored 12 of his 14 points during the decisive first-half run that propelled the host Blue Devils (6-0) over the Grizzlies (2-2) for their third win in four days.

Xavier 63, No. 13 Memphis 58: Terrell Holloway made 10 free throws without a miss and finished with 13 points to help the Musketeers (5-0) beat the Tigers (4-1) in the Puerto Rico Tip Off championship game.

No. 15 Arizona State 61, Pepperdine 40: James Harden scored a career-high 33 points and had 12 rebounds to lead the Sun Devils (3-0) over the Waves (1-4).

Missouri 83, No. 19 Southern California 72: DeMarre Carroll had 29 points and 11 rebounds to help the Tigers (4-1) upset the Trojans (3-2) in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip Off in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

No. 25 Wisconsin 64, San Diego 49: Trevon Hughes had 22 points to help the Badgers (4-0) beat the Toreros (2-2) in the Paradise Jam in Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands.

Top 25 women

No. 4 North Carolina 80, No. 2 Oklahoma 79: Jessica Breland scored a career-high 31 points — including two key baskets in the final two minutes — as the visiting Tar Heels (5-0) held off the Sooners (3-1) to win the Women's Preseason NIT.

No. 8 Stanford 81, No. 3 Rutgers 47: Jayne Appel had 19 points and 14 rebounds to help the host Cardinal (3-1) beat the Scarlet Knights (2-2) for the fourth consecutive time.

No. 5 Tennessee 94, Louisiana Tech 59: Vicki Baugh, in only her second game back after knee surgery, scored 13 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to help the Lady Vols (3-1) beat the visiting Lady Techsters (1-2).

No. 10 Baylor 83, Rice 58: Rachel Allison had 16 points and pulled down 14 rebounds, leading the Lady Bears (4-0) over the host Owls (2-1).

No. 11 Maryland 88, UCLA 65: Kristi Toliver scored 26 points to lead the Terrapins (3-1) to an easy win over the visiting Bruins (2-1).

Michigan 50, No. 13 Vanderbilt 42: Jessica Minnfield scored 14 points for the host Wolverines (2-2), who handed the Commodores (3-1) their first loss of the season.

No. 14 Texas 105, Furman 51: Kathleen Nash and Brittainey Raven each scored 22 points to lead the host Longhorns (5-0) over the Paladins (3-1).

No. 15 Notre Dame 102, Boston College 54: Becca Bruszewski scored 18 points to lead six players in double figures and the Irish (3-0) shot 65 percent from the field to cruise to a win over the Eagles (3-1).

No. 20 Auburn 87, No. 17 Ohio State 80: Sherell Hobbs scored six of her 23 points in overtime to lift the Tigers (4-0) over the visiting Buckeyes (3-1).

No. 21 Purdue 68, Oakland, Mich. 40: Danielle Campbell had 13 points as the Boilermakers (3-0) beat the visiting Grizzlies (2-2)

Florida 72, No. 22 Florida State 57: Sha Brooks scored 24 points to lead the Gators (3-1) to an upset over the host Seminoles (3-1).

No. 24 TCU 89, Sam Houston State 75: Helen Sverrisdottir scored 17 points as the Horned Frogs (4-0) held off a late rally to beat the visiting Bearkats (1-3).