The lone college basketball tournament over the holiday break is the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii. Played at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, eight programs from around the country meet for what should be some entertaining action on the hardwood.
Diamond Head Classic 2012 schedule: Arizona, San Diego State highlight bracket
After a couple of down years, the Diamond Head Classic features some quality teams worthy of a Top 25 bid this holiday weekend. Will it be Arizona, San Diego State or another team coming away with the title?
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The field is headlined by the No. 4 Arizona Wildcats. Led by coach Sean Miller and a nice blend of veterans and highly-touted freshmen, the 'Cats look to be a Final Four contender. The San Diego State Aztecs also figure to be a key player in the bracket, especially with guard Jamaal Franklin playing like an All-American. Two teams from the southeast, Miami and Ole Miss, will be underdogs in Hawaii, but both have the talent to take home the title.
The full bracket for the Diamond Head Classic can be found here. On Saturday, there are four on the schedule.
The first game between Ole Miss and Indiana State is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET. It will be televised on ESPNU. The Rebels, who rank 11th in the nation in scoring offense, should be able to have their way against the youthful and undersized Sycamores.
At 6 p.m. ET, San Diego State will take the floor against San Francisco. SDSU has been impressive this year, and its lone loss came against Syracuse on a boat. The Dons are 5-4 now, although they’ve dropped their last three contests. This game will also be televised by ESPNU.
The winner of Ole Miss/Indiana State will play the winner of San Diego St./San Francisco on Sunday night.
After a slight break in the action, Arizona will take on East Tennessee St. at 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU. The Buccaneers are 2-7 this year, and it seems likely that the Wildcats' size and talent advantages will weigh heavily throughout. Look for senior guard Mark Lyons, who hit the game-winning floater against then-No. 5 Florida a week ago, to have a big game.
The final game played Saturday (or Sunday morning, depending on your region) will be at 12:30 a.m. ET on ESPNU. Miami will meet up with the hosting Hawaii Warriors, who are amongst the best teams in the nation at rebounding. The Hurricanes feature five players averaging double-digits in scoring.
The winners of Arizona/East Tennessee St. and Miami/Hawaii will face off late Sunday evening.
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