Warrior Insider

The University of Hawai’i basketball team won the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic for the first time in 2022. The Rainbow Warriors will defend that title against a quality field in 2023.

The eight-team field for this year’s Diamond Head Classic was announced on Thursday, and it includes three teams that were in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

Here are the teams, in alphabetical order:

• Georgia Tech (15-18 overall, 6-14 in ACC). The Yellow Jackets are looking to rebuild in 2023-24 under new coach Damon Stoudamire, a former NBA star player.

• Hawai’i (22-11, 13-7 in Big West). The Rainbow Warriors beat SMU on an unforgettable buzzer-beater in last year’s DHC championship game.

• UMass (15-16, 6-12 in Atlantic-10). Veteran coach Frank Martin (previously at Kansas State and South Carolina) is in his second season with the Minutemen. UMass’ last appearance on O’ahu was in the 1995 Rainbow Classic.

• Nevada (22-11, 12-6 in Mountain West). The Wolf Pack was a NCAA Tournament team in 2023, and leading scorer Jarod Lucas is returning for a second senior season.

• Old Dominion (19-12, 11-7 in Sun Belt). The Monarchs will be the first team from the Sun Belt to participate in the DHC.

• Saint Mary’s (27-8, 14-2 in West Coast). The Gaels advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before being eliminated by eventual national champion UConn. Four of the top six players are expected to return for Saint Mary’s.

• Temple (16-16, 10-8 in American Athletic). The Owls will be making their first appearance in the DHC with a new head coach in Adam Fisher. Temple’s last appearance on O’ahu was in the 1976 Rainbow Classic.

• TCU (22-13, 9-9 in Big 12). The Horned Frogs, led by former Hawai’i assistant coach Jamie Dixon, advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, and have already secured four D-1 transfers for 2023-24. TCU won the DHC in 2018, and is the only other previous champion besides Hawai’i in the 2023 field.

The 2023 Diamond Head Classic is scheduled for December 21, 22 and 24 at the SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. The dates are changed from previous years, as the championship game will now be played on Christmas Eve.

Visit https://espnevents.com/hawaiian-airlines-diamond-head-classic/ for more information.