Monday night was the last night of basketball for most of the teams in the country until after the Christmas holiday. Even with only seven games a lot happened. Tennessee struggled with Middle Tennessee. I saw that happening because the students were gone, and the Blue Raiders were good enough outside to put a lot of pressure on Tennessee. The Volunteers survived, but it was a tough game.
Washington lost at home to Seattle. Seattle had lost 19 straight at Washington. The Huskies are in for a tough year once the Big Ten starts. North Dakota State blew out Cal State Bakersfield. North Dakota State looks like one of the best in the Summit League again. The Washington loss was a huge upset, but if the Huskies can figure it out in the Big Ten, they will still have a path to the tournament.
Let’s get to the main event of the night. The Diamond Head Classic Day 2 was excellent basketball in Hawaii. Charleston beat Loyola Chicago. The Ramblers are an unexpected 0-2 in the tournament heading into the final day. In the first semifinal Oregon State beat Oakland in Overtime. The Golden Grizzlies blew a 12-point lead with 4 minutes left to lose. Oregon State advances to the Final.
Nebraska beat Hawaii in the second semifinal. Hawaii jumped out early, and then the Huskers behind Brice Williams and Juwan Gary took the game over. It was a clunky game, but still a good one. The Huskers pick up the true road win against the Rainbow Warriors. In the final game, which almost no one watched because it tipped off at 1 AM EST, Charlotte beat Murray State in double overtime. That was one of the best games of the year. Each team got out to a lead, and the other kept coming back. The Racers are not as good as many thought and Aaron Fearne is doing a masterful job at Charlotte.
Merry Christmas everyone! As you enjoy time with your families and you get tired of the NFL or the NBA, tune into the college basketball games on ESPN today. They are covering the entire final day of the Diamond Head Classic up to the Championship game at 8:30 EST. The final day will be exactly like the first two; everyone is in for a treat. Picks for day 50, December 25, 2024, are below.
Winner | Loser |
|---|---|
Murray State | Loyola Chicago |
Charleston | Charlotte |
Hawaii | Oakland |
Nebraska | Oregon State |
Nebraska and Oregon State is the game of the day, and it also happens to be the last game of the day. The Huskers have dialed in their defense to new levels after getting blasted at Michigan State earlier this month. Oregon State is one of the better defensive teams in the country, as well.
Nebraska is going to have the two best players on the floor, and they should have a better offensive game as well, with more guys scoring. Oregon State can test Nebraska inside and on the edges. That will be a good one for the Diamond Head Classic title. Enjoy the hoops.