USF to face BYU in opening round of Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu
TAMPA (July 15, 2021) – The schedule and matchups for the 2021 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic have been announced, and feature a first round tilt between Brian Gregory's USF Bulls and the BYU Cougars on Wednesday, December 22 in Honolulu, Hawai'i. BYU made the NCAA Tournament last season.
Each team will play three games in the 13th edition of the event scheduled for Dec. 22, 23 and 25 at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu.
Joining South Florida (American) in the complete tournament field are: BYU (West Coast), Liberty (ASUN), Northern Iowa (MVC), Stanford (Pac-12), Vanderbilt (SEC), Wyoming (Mountain West) and tournament host Hawai'i (Big West). BYU and Liberty were both part of NCAA Tournament field last season.
Each team will compete in one game per day, advancing through the bracket over three days for a total of 12 games in the tournament.
Complete Schedule
|
Date
|
Time (HT)
|
Matchup
|
Network
|
|
Wed, Dec. 22
|
10 a.m.
|
Liberty vs. Northern Iowa
|
ESPNU
|
|
|
Noon
|
Wyoming vs. Stanford
|
ESPNU
|
|
|
4:30 p.m.
|
BYU vs. South Florida
|
ESPN2 or ESPNU
|
|
|
7 p.m.
|
Hawai'i vs. Vanderbilt
|
ESPN2 or ESPNU
|
|
Thu, Dec. 23
|
11 a.m.
|
Semifinal #1
|
ESPN2
|
|
|
1:30 p.m.
|
Consolation #1
|
ESPNU
|
|
|
5 p.m. or 7 p.m.
|
Semifinal #2
|
ESPN2
|
|
|
5 p.m. or 7 p.m.
|
Consolation #2
|
ESPN2
|
|
Sat, Dec. 25
|
8:30 a.m. or 10:30 a.m.
|
7th Place Game
|
ESPNU
|
|
|
8:30 a.m. or 10:30 a.m.
|
5th Place Game
|
ESPNU
|
|
|
1:30 p.m.
|
3rd Place Game
|
ESPN2
|
|
|
3:30 p.m.
|
Championship
|
ESPN2
|
Tickets are expected to go on sale to the general public in October. Additional information for the family-friendly tournament and resort destination of Honolulu, Hawai'i, can be found on the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic web site at hawaiianairlinesdiamondheadclassic.com.
Gregory has welcomed nine new Bulls to the program – including seven Division I transfers, one junior college transfer and a two-time Florida Class 7A All-State selection – to join five returners.
USF returns All-AAC Freshman Team guard Caleb Murphy (G, 6-4, 185), Jamir Chaplin (G, 6-5, 196), Russel Tchewa (C, 7-0, 260) and Mark Calleja (G, 6-2, 185) from last year's squad. Murphy is the Bulls' top returning scorer posting 8.3 points and 2.8 assists per game last season.
They are joined by new additions Corey Walker Jr. (F, 6-8, 219), Jalyn McCreary (F, 6-8, 215), Trey Moss (G, 6-3, 175), Sam Hines Jr. (F, 6-6, 200), Javon Greene (G, 6-4, 190), Jake Boggs (F, 6-8, 190), Serrel Smith Jr. (G, 6-4, 175) and Bayron Matos (F, 6-9, 245) and DJ Patrick (F, 6-6, 200).
Gregory also recently announced the additions of Louis Rowe (assistant coach), Jason Slay (assistant coach) and David Land (strength and conditioning coach) to the men's basketball staff.
To stay up-to-date on the latest USF men's basketball news, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram).
About USF Men's Basketball
The USF men's basketball team is led by head coach Brian Gregory, who enters his fifth season in 2021-22. Gregory was introduced as the 10th head coach in program history in March of 2017 after previously leading programs at Georgia Tech (2011-16) and Dayton (2003-11). Gregory spent nearly a decade as an assistant coach under Michigan State's Hall of Fame head coach Tom Izzo and helped the Spartans win the 2000 NCAA National Championship. Gregory owns over 300 career head coaching wins and six postseason appearances, including the 2010 NIT Championship with Dayton. In his second season at the helm of the Bulls, Gregory led the team to the best win turnaround in the NCAA, the most single-season wins in school history and the 2019 College Basketball Invitational championship.
USF has retired three numbers in its 48-year history: Chucky Atkins (12), Charlie Bradley (30) and Radenko Dobras (31). The Bulls have earned three NCAA tournament bids, appeared in the NIT eight times and won the 2019 College Basketball Invitational.
For tickets, contact the USF Ticket Office at 1-800-Go-Bulls or by going online to USFBullsTix.com.
– #GoBulls –
