Initial Reactions to Rhody MBB Being in the 2018 Diamond Head Classic
The venue in Hawaii for the Diamond Head Classic is as nice as it gets and the state is a gem of America so there is nothing to sneeze at when it comes to both.
The field consists of Rhode Island (most importantly), TCU, Charlotte, Colorado, Indiana State, St. Mary's, UNLV, and Hawaii (the home team).
By and large, this tournament is very winnable for the Rams. While Rhode Island will technically be "rebuilding" after their five seniors graduate this Spring, they will still have a loaded team that is built to win. I am not too worried about Charlotte or Indiana State. Hawaii has a home advantage that cannot be disregarded but they do not have the type of personnel that should beat URI. Colorado has already picked up massive upset victories over Arizona and Arizona State in the 2017-2018 season but there is no home cooking for them in the 2018 Diamond Head Classic. UNLV is building a solid program after they were able to bring in Brandon McCoy and Shakur Juiston but they are not the masters of the MWC yet. St. Mary's is the cream of the crop when it comes to mid-major teams and they are always expected to be a contender under Randy Bennett. Finally, TCU has finally turned the corner under the lead of Jamie Dixon and the Big 12 powerhouse should be considered the number one threat to URI in the 2018 Diamond Head Classic.
Hopefully, Rhody MBB picks up more huge non-conference victories in this holiday tournament and ultimately, brings home the trophy.
