Diamond Head Classic (Dec 22-23, 25 @ Hawaii) 
Link to Tournament Homepage

First Round Matchups 
Mississippi State vs. Washington State -9 
San Diego vs. Baylor -23.5 
Utah vs. Butler -8.5 
Florida State -11 vs. Hawaii

The breakdown: Mississippi State is a mess right now with a crazy schedule and a recent suspension to Renaldo Sidney. No doubt the oddsmakers have adjusted accordingly, especially after the Bulldogs were hammered 88-57 against Virginia Tech is the Bahamas last Saturday. MSU already has losses to Florida Atlantic and East Tennessee State. They also needed OT to beat Troy and struggled to get past Appalachian State and Detroit in Starkville. Keep note that their first round game against Washington State starts at 10 am local time. Few programs have taken a nose dive as quick as San Diego. In 2008, the Toreros won 22 games and beat UConn in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Last year, they were 3-11 in WCC play and have yet to record a victory over a DI opponent this season. Butler has had its ups and downs and seems to playing at a quicker pace against non-conference opponents. Their first round opponent Utah was 219th in tempo a year ago but that number is up to 48th this season. The Utes played to 139 points against Michigan which is a ton considering the Wolverines’ deliberate style. Florida State once again sports one of the top defensive efficiency ratings in the country. The Seminoles are allowing only 0.83 points per possession. The other interesting thing about FSU is that when facing lesser competition, they’ve shown the ability to push the pace. Hawaii has stepped up in class just once and was blasted 78-57 against BYU. The game will start at 1 am Eastern Standard for FSU.