The Diamond Classic is always a fun event. It takes place in Hawaii the days before Christmas and the championship game is always on Christmas Day. That tournament started yesterday and for the most part it went as expected. Nebraska comes into the tournament as the heavy favorite to win the whole thing, and they did nothing to change that with a dominating win over Murray State. In the same event Oregon State beat Charleston, Oakland beat Loyola Chicago, and Hawaii blew out Charlotte.
The rest of the games saw a lot of ranked teams holding serve in their final games before the Christmas break. Iowa State blew out Morgan State, Alabama blew out Kent State, Michigan blew out Fort Wayne, Kansas blew out Brown, and Cincinnati blew out Grambling. There were some other results that didn’t end in blowouts but will be wins the teams can use as a springboard in March.
Utah State went into Moraga and beat the Saint Mary’s Gaels. Saint Mary’s has not been nearly as good in December as they were in November. That could become a problem, but Saint Mary’s will dominate in conference play like always, so it should cruise to a tournament appearance. Illinois beat Missouri in the annual bragging rights game. Finally, Georgetown moved to 2-0 in the Big East and won their 10th game, meaning they are already guaranteed a better season than last year.
It is two days before Christmas, and the schedule doesn’t have much on it today. It does have the Diamond Head Classic Day 2. The number 1 team in the country is in action today and there is another power 5 game team in the Big Ten playing. There are only 7 games today, and all of them should be fun to watch. Picks for day 49 December 23, 2024, are below.
Winner | Loser |
|---|---|
Loyola Chicago | Charleston |
Tennessee | Middle Tennessee |
Oregon State | Oakland |
North Dakota State | Bakersfield |
Washington | Seattle |
Nebraska | Hawaii |
Murray State | Charlotte |
Tennessee plays basketball today against Middle Tennessee. Middle Tennessee is a trickier game and they could score some points because they can get hot from deep. The Volunteers should have no trouble winning that game. Nebraska and Hawaii is a game that many wouldn’t think much of except that it is a true road game for the Huskers and will be a resume booster if they can win the game. That is your game of the day. Enjoy the hoops.