BYU Basketball Will Face South Florida Bulls In Diamond Head Classic
Jul 15, 2021, 1:56 PM
Brigham Young Cougars forward Caleb Lohner (33) celebrates a 3-pointer against the San Francisco Dons in Provo on Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021. (Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News)
(Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News)
PROVO, Utah – When BYU basketball travels to Hawaii this Christmas, they’ll be greeted with a matchup against the USF Bulls.
BYU is one of the top teams in the eight-team field in paradise from December 22-23 and 25th.
We're Back! See you in December. 🌴🏀
Click the link for matchups and game times: https://t.co/08Cc4TWCx1
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.#CBB #CollegeBasketball #Basketball #LeiUp #HawaiiHoops #HawaiiBasketball #ESPNEvents pic.twitter.com/SexAhLhdTD— #LeiUp (@DiamondHeadClsc) July 15, 2021
The first-round matchups at the Diamond Head Classic were released on Thursday. BYU takes on South Florida, and the winner will advance to face either Vanderbilt or Hawaii. The losing teams of both games will also face one another in the consolation bracket.
Other first-round matchups include Liberty/Northern Iowa and Wyoming/Stanford on the opposite side of the bracket.
#BYU will play USF in the first round of the @DiamondHeadClsc on December 22nd. Winner plays Vanderbilt/Hawaii. #BYUhoops @kslsports pic.twitter.com/eZKgXR9f79
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) July 15, 2021
BYU has only played South Florida once all-time in basketball. However, that lone meeting was a memorable one during Jimmer Fredette’s senior season back in December of 2010. BYU defeated USF, then a member of the Big East Conference, 77-75 in double-overtime on a buzzer-beater from Noah Hartsock.
South Florida was 9-13 last season finishing at No. 200 in the final NET rankings.
This is BYU’s second appearance in the Diamond Head Classic. The previous trip came in 2015. BYU had a fifth-place finish in that field after dropping their opening round game to Harvard. This is the second multi-team event in Hawaii under head coach Mark Pope. Two years ago, BYU finished in third place at the Maui Invitational.
BYU basketball’s non-conference schedule for the 2021-22 season has not been announced yet. However, BYU’s non-conference schedule is expected to include games against Utah, San Diego State, Utah Valley, along with this trip to Hawaii for the Diamond Head Classic.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12-3 pm) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
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