Miami to Face Hawai'i in Diamond Head Classic
The University of Miami will face host Hawai’i in the first round of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic this December, ESPN Events unveiled on Wednesday.
The Hurricanes and Rainbow Warriors will face off at 1 a.m. ET Saturday, Dec. 23 (8 p.m. HST Friday, Dec. 22) at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu. The game will be aired on ESPNU.
The Canes’ second game will be against either Davidson or New Mexico State on Saturday, Dec. 23, and the final round will be played Monday, Dec. 25. Miami could face Akron, Middle Tennessee, Princeton or USC in that game.
Complete 2017 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic bracket
The Hurricanes last competed in the Diamond Head Classic in 2012-13, when Miami went 1-2 in the event, but then went on to play in the NCAA Sweet 16 at the end of the year. In 2012, the Canes downed Hawai’i, 73-58, but then lost to No. 4/5 Arizona, 69-50, and Indiana State, 57-55, in overtime.
Miami is 3-1 all-time against Hawai’i, with a home victory in 1969, and a split outcome in two road games in 1967, to go along with the 2012 tournament win.
The 2017 edition of the classic features five NCAA tournament participants in Miami, Middle Tennessee New Mexico State, Princeton and USC.
The Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic, an eight-team men’s college basketball tournament, will feature 12 games through three days. Each team will compete in one game per day, advancing through the bracket. The two teams that remain undefeated throughout will face off in the championship game on the final day of the tournament. Previous tournament champions of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic include USC (2009), Butler (2010), Kansas State (2011), Arizona (2012), Iowa State (2013), George Washington (2014), Oklahoma (2015) and San Diego State (2016).
The family-friendly tournament includes three days of tournament play, practices, events and travel experiences unique to the islands of Hawai’i. Additional information can be found on the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic’s official Web site at www.HawaiianAirlinesDiamondHeadClassic.com. The Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic is one of 11 owned-and-operated basketball events by ESPN Events, a division of ESPN.
