Field Set For 2014 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic

The 2014 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic field is complete with the addition of DePaulUniversity and LoyolaMarymountUniversity. The Blue Demons and Lions join previously announced squads Colorado, George Washington, Nebraska, Ohio, WichitaState and host school Hawai’i in the sixth edition of the tournament.

DePaul will be the first BIG EAST squad to appear in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic. The Blue Demons boast a rich basketball history with more than 1,400 all-time victories and 22 NCAA Championship appearances. This year’s team features a pair of the BIG EAST’s top freshman in Billy Garrett Jr. and Tommy Hamilton IV. Garrett leads all BIG EAST rookies in scoring and assists while Hamilton is the top freshman rebounder in the conference.

Loyola Marymount will make its first appearance in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic. It marks the fifth time in six years that a West Coast Conference squad will compete in the tournament. The Lions have advanced to the postseason twice in the last four seasons and are just two years removed from a 21-win campaign, the team’s best season since the storied 1989-90 squad advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight.

The two squads join a field highlighted by WichitaState. The Shockers, who advanced to the 2013 NCAA Final Four, just completed an undefeated regular-season and are ranked No. 2 in the latest Associated Press poll.

The Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic, an eight-team men’s college basketball tournament, will feature 12 games through three days at the StanSheriffCenter in Honolulu, Hawai’i. Each team will compete in one game per day, advancing through the bracket. The two teams that remain undefeated throughout will face off in the championship game on the final day of the tournament.

Previous tournament champions of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic include USC (2009), Butler (2010), KansasState (2011), Arizona (2012) and IowaState (2013). Arizona is currently the top-ranked team in the nation, while IowaState is ranked No. 8.

The family-friendly tournament includes three days of tournament play, practices, events and travel experiences unique to the islands of Hawai’i.

Additional information can be found on the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic’s official Web site at www.DiamondHeadClassic.com.

The Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic is owned and operated by ESPN Regional Television (ERT), a subsidiary of ESPN.