Photo gallery: 2011 Diamond Head Classic
It was a classic week for the Hawaii basketball team last week, as the Warriors upset a nationally-ranked team for the first time in more than six years, and then beat a team from from the Atlantic Coast Conference for the first time in program history.
Hawaii may have finished in fifth place in the 2011 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic, but victories over then-No. 14 Xavier and the ACC’s Clemson made it a memorable tournament for the Warriors.
What’s more, Hawaii’s only loss came on a last-second play by Auburn on the opening night of the tournament.
The Warriors used a rotation of 10 players during the tournament, and all 10 made key contributions at various phases. Most notable, senior guard Zane Johnson scored 59 points in the three games, including a 27-point outburst in Hawaii’s historic victory over Clemson in the fifth-place game. He was named to the all-tournament team and also received the WAC Player of the Week Award.
Kansas State won the Diamond Head Classic, and as a result, entered the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25 Poll this week at No. 25.
Xavier went 1-2 in the Diamond Head Classic and dropped out of the top 25 rankings.
The 2012 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic will feature the following eight teams: Arizona, Hawaii, Indiana State, Miami (Fla.), Mississippi, San Diego State, San Francisco and Texas Tech.
WarriorInsider.com photographer Brandon Flores was at courtside for all three of Hawaii’s games in the 2011 Diamond Head Classic. Here is a collection of some of his photos (click on each photo to view an enlarged version):
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- Hauns Brereton provided a key spark off the bench in the upset of No. 14 Xavier
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- Joston Thomas scored a UH career-high 24 in the win over Xavier
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- Joston Thomas goes up for the game-winning shot against Xavier
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- Shaquille Stokes drives for two against Auburn
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- Zane Johnson scored 18 against Auburn
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- Hauns Brereton celebrates his game-tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation against Xavier
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- Vander Joaquim averaged 14.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game in the Classic
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- Vander Joaquim throws it down
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- Joston Thomas averaged 14.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in the Classic
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- Zane Johnson was named to the Diamond Head Classic All-Tournament team
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- Vander Joaquim had 20 points and 7 rebounds in the upset of Xavier
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- Miah Ostrowski had 18 assists in the tournament
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- Joston Thomas reacts after hitting the game-winning shot against Xavier
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- Trevor Wiseman drives for two of his eight points against Clemson
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- Hauns Brereton’s double-clutch 3-pointer that put the Warriors into overtime against Xavier
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- Hauns Brereton scores two of his 10 points against Clemson
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- Vander Joaquim had a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds against Clemson
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- Garrett Jefferson drives to the hoop against Clemson
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- Trevor Wiseman scores against Auburn
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- Garrett Jefferson completes an alley-oop dunk off a pass from Shaquille Stokes
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- Zane Johnson hit six 3-pointers against Clemson
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- Trevor Wiseman’s dunk in overtime provided a spark in the Warriors’ upset of Xavier
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- Gib Arnold and senior captain Zane Johnson celebrate the upset of Xavier
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- Zane Johnson averaged 19.7 points per game in the tournament
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- Joston Thomas soars in for two against Auburn
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- Trevor Wiseman drives for two against Auburn
Thanks for the Pics. They are Awesome! Go Warriors!
Classic shots!
Psyched that the team appears to be gelling right on the verge of starting conference play. If they can continue to play well against South Carolina State and UNLV and keep the momentum going, their WAC colleagues better hold on to their hats!