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Early season tournaments continue to emerge and increase from a competition standpoint. Non-conference schedules have gotten tougher and college basketball fans prepare for premier match-ups and upsets even in November.
Let’s take a look at the Diamond Head Classic.
Tournament Date(s): December 22, 23, & 25, 2012.
Tournament Location(s): Stan Sheriff Center, Honolulu, HI.
Tournament Field: Ole Miss, Indiana State, San Diego State, San Francisco, Miami (FL), Arizona, ETSU, and Hawaii.
Tournament Summary: The Diamond Head Classic is an interesting tournament in the fact that it takes place in December, with the championship game happening on Christmas Day. Ole Miss returns four double digit scorers, but they lost their best player in Terrance Henry. Indiana State has a solid all-around contributor in Jake Odum, but that’s about it. San Diego State is in for a wonderful season. Jamaal Franklin will be one of the best players in the country and Chase Tapley won’t be far behind. The San Francisco Dons have a cool name, but unless Perris Blackwell and Michael Williams step up, it may be another rough year out west. Miami is looking to finally end its NCAA tournament drought. Durand Scott and Reggie Johnson need to be big time players, but Kenny Kadji could wind up being the best of the three. Arizona‘s Solomon Hill looks to exorcise demons from the Pac-12 finals a year ago, while a loaded freshmen class should help the Wildcats get back into the NCAA Tournament. ETSU isn’t going to do much damage in this one. Tournament host Hawaii has a pair of nice players in Vander Joaquim and Joston Thomas, but I’m not sure how they’ll do against better competition.
Player to Watch: Jamaal Franklin, San Diego State: This guy is a stud. Beyond clutch. A master of game winning shots, Franklin is an athletic freak. He can shoot well and explodes to the basket. He averaged 17.4 points and 7.9 rebounds last year, and should be right in the running for Mountain West Player of the Year. If you’re one of those people who thinks Franklin is all highlights, you’re in for a surprise, as he should become a very complete player this season.
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