Thursday, August 7, 2014

GW Men's Hoops to Open 2014 Diamond Head Classic with Ohio


From our friends at GW Athletics...

George Washington men's basketball will face Ohio to begin its play in the 2014 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, Hawaii on Monday, Dec. 22.

The eight-team bracket was announced on Tuesday and the Colonials will face the 2014 CIT quarterfinalist Bobcats at 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU. Ten of the event's 12 games will air on ESPN2 and ESPNU, while ESPN3 will carry the two additional games.


The winner of GW/Ohio will advance to Semifinal #1 to play either DePaul or 2014 NCAA Tournament participant Colorado at the Sheriff Center on Tuesday, Dec. 23 at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU. That game will be preceded by the Consolation #1 contest at 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

The lower half of the bracket is comprised of first round match-ups between Loyola Marymount and defending Missouri Valley Conference champion Wichita State (11:00 p.m. ET/ESPNU), and host Hawaii and 2014 NCAA Tournament contestant Nebraska (1:00 a.m. ET/ESPNU).

Final round games will be played on Thursday, Dec. 25 beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET with the Championship Game set to air on ESPN2 at 8:30 p.m. ET.

It will mark the second straight season GW will compete in an ESPN Events tournament after the Colonials topped Miami (Fla.) and upset nationally ranked Creighton to finish third in the 2013 Wooden Legacy in Orange County, California. It also marks the GW program's fifth visit to Hawaii all-time (1989, 1997, 2000, 2008), but first time in the Diamond Head Classic field.

GW has battled Ohio five times previously, including four times in the 1990s, and will look to even the all-time series at three victories apiece in the quarterfinal showdown on the island of Oahu on Dec. 22. The Colonials have previously played DePaul (2-2), Hawaii (0-2) and Nebraska (1-0), but have never faced Colorado, Loyola Marymount or Wichita State.

Any fans - including the more than 600 GW Alumni in Hawaii - interested in tickets can view pricing options and contact info via the Diamond Head Classic tickets page here. For fans seeking complete travel accommodations, please visit Pleasant Holidays, the official travel partner of the Diamond Head Classic, and view options for the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach here.