Christmas: A time for presents under the tree, Rudolph on TV, and families coming together to celebrate. Oh, and college basketball! For those who did not partake in Thanksgiving tournaments such as the Advocare Invitational and Puerto-Rico Tip-Off, today starts an important stretch of basketball and, in most cases, the last chance to add a resumé non-conference win for Selection Sunday. Additionally, today is the last chance for VAVEL USA's Tyler Bennett and Peyton Wesner to score big points with correctly filled out brackets prior to conference tournament time this March. So without further ado, check out the dynamic duo's predictions for the 2015 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic.

Quarterfinals

2:30 PM EST
5-3 Auburn - 7-3 New Mexico (ESPNU)

5-3 Auburn
Coming In:
---85-61 Loss @ #10 Xavier
Good Mid-Major Wins:
---75-74 - UAB
---78-71 - Mercer
"Never Shoulda Happened" Losses:
---88-81 @ Middle Tennessee
Players to Watch:
#1 Kareem Canty (JR)
---20.0 PPG, 2.9 RPG, & 5.8 APG.
#12 Tyler Harris (SR)
---15.4 PPG & 8.5 RPG.

7-3 New Mexico
Coming In:
---90-89 Loss - Rice
Great Mid-Major Wins:
---83-74 Win @ New Mexico State
---75-51 Win - Loyola (IL)
---91-75 Win - Oral Roberts
---76-57 Win - Northern Iowa
---79-61 Win - New Mexico State
"Never Shoulda Happened" Losses:
---90-89 Loss - Rice
Players to Watch:
#4 Elijah Brown (SO)
---19.1 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 3.5 APG, & 1.1 SPG.
#32 Tim Williams (JR)
---16.8 PPG, 8.4 RPG, & 1.3 BPG.
#1 Cullen Neal (SO)
---14.9 PPG, 2.8 RPG, & 5.2 APG.

5:00 PM EST
7-3 BYU - 3-6 Harvard (ESPNU)

7-3 BYU
Coming In:
---98-85 Win - Central Michigan
Good Mid-Major Wins:
---95-81 - Belmont
---73-68 - Weber State
Single-Digit Defeats:
---66-65 @ Long Beach State
---83-75 @ Utah
---92-83 @ Colorado
Players to Watch:
#4 Nick Emery (FR)
---15.6 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, & 1.3 SPG.
#1 Chase Fischer (SR)
---15.5 PPG, 2.2 RPG, & 1.4 SPG.
#5 Kyle Collinsworth (SR)
---14.5 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 7.3 APG, & 1.7 SPG.

3-6 Harvard
Coming In:
---75-69 Win - Boston University
Division-I Wins:
---80-45 - Bryant
---75-69 - Boston University
Single-Digit Losses:
---69-63 - Massachusetts
---50-49 @ Holy Cross
---80-71 @ Northeastern
---75-69 @ #4 Kansas
Player to Watch:
#4 Zena Edosomwan (JR)
---12.7 PPG, 10.1 RPG, & 1.7 APG.

11:00 PM EST
8-0 #3 Oklahoma - 7-2 Washington State (ESPNU)

8-0 #3 Oklahoma
Coming In:
---87-74 Win - Creighton
Resumé Wins:
---65-48 - Wisconsin
---78-55 - #9 Villanova
---87-74 - Creighton
Players to Watch:
#24 Buddy Hield (SR)
---23.5 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1.8 APG, & 1.8 SPG.
#11 Isaiah Cousins (SR)
---13.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, & 4.9 APG.
#10 Jordan Woodard (JR)
---13.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.5 APG, & 1.8 SPG.

7-2 Washington State
Coming In:
---78-73 Win - Texas State
Good Mid-Major Wins:
---84-68 - UTEP
Single-Digit Losses:
---69-60 - #13 Gonzaga
---78-74 @ Idaho
Players to Watch:
#24 Josh Hawkinson (JR)
---16.5 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 1.0 SPG, & 1.4 BPG.
#2 Ike Iroegbu (JR)
---13.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG, & 3.6 APG.

1:30 AM EST
7-3 Northern Iowa - 7-1 Hawaii (ESPNU)

7-3 Northern Iowa
Coming In:
---81-79 Win - #5 Iowa State
Resumé Wins:
---71-67 - #1 North Carolina
---81-79 - #5 Iowa State
"Never Shoulda Happened" Losses:
---84-78 - Colorado State
---82-67 @ Richmond
Players to Watch:
#11 Wes Washpun (SR)
---16.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 6.5 APG, & 1.4 SPG.
#4 Paul Jesperson (SR)
---13.1 PPG & 5.8 RPG.

7-1 Hawaii
Coming In:
---83-71 Win - Hawaii Pacific
Good Mid-Major Wins:
---74-63 - Coastal Carolina
---76-75 - Nevada
Only Loss:
---82-74 @ Texas Tech
Players to Watch:
#32 Aaron Valdes (JR)
---18.1 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 2.9 APG, & 1.1 SPG.
#33 Stefan Jankovic (JR)
---15.4 PPG & 7.6 RPG.

Bennett's Bracket

Quarterfinals:
The first game of the 2015 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic features two teams who are banking on turnaround seasons in 2015-16. The addition of Kareem Canty has injected new life into the Auburn backcourt, and the former-Conference USA Freshman of the Year has played some impressive basketball this season. On the flip side, a healthy Cullen Neal has rejuvenated the Lobos, and has propelled the team to 7 wins on the season so far. The Lobos will keep their strong play going with a hard-fought win over Bruce Pearl and the Auburn Tigers.
---New Mexico 76, Auburn 70

It is a rare sight to see the Harvard Crimson struggling on the hardwood, especially after their play of recent years, but that js the situation they find themselves this season. Without Siyani Chambers, who is out for the year, the Crimson haven’t been the dominant team fans have become accustomed to. On Tuesday, Kyle Collinsworth will lead the BYU Cougars to an easy victory over Harvard.
---BYU 83, Harvard 69

The marquee match-up of the quarter-finals in Hawaii will be between the Oklahoma Sooners and Washington State Cougars. Josh Hawkinson and Washington State will look to contain the high-octane offense that the Sooners roll out on a nightly basis. However, that is easier said than done. Buddy Hield and company have too many weapons on both ends of the court, and will cruise to victory over Washington State.
---Oklahoma 87, Washington State 77

The night-cap in Hawaii is another contest to watch, and will feature some of the country’s top underrated guards. Northern Iowa will feature Jeremy Morgan and Wes Washpun, while Hawaii will counter with Aaron Valdes and Roderick Bobbitt. Both back courts will be the key to their respective teams coming away victorious, but the edge goes to Northern Iowa. Hawaii will keep the game close, playing on their home court, but the Panthers squeak out a victory.
---Northern Iowa 78, Hawaii 76

Semi-Finals:
---New Mexico 78, BYU 77
---Oklahoma 80, Northern Iowa 75

Championship:
The dream championship matchup would have been between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Northern Iowa Panthers, but fans will have to settle for that in the semi-finals. The Sooners edge past Northern Iowa, and New Mexico slips past BYU to set up a best-case scenario showdown to decide the title. Oklahoma has too much talent across the floor, and their experienced group led by Buddy Hield and Isaiah Cousins will simply overmatch the Lobos.
---Oklahoma 86, New Mexico 70

Wesner's Bracket

Quarterfinals:
Can it really get any better than Auburn and New Mexico to kick-off the great Diamond Head Classic? Although both teams are coming off discouraging defeats, Auburn ran into a buzz saw known as Xavier and New Mexico was upset in "The Pit" by an inferior Rice squad, these two groups have the potential to be fighting for an at-large bid come March. However and obviously, whoever comes out on top today will add a great victory to their resumé, aka Auburn. As talented and great as the Lobos are with the frontcourt of Tim Williams and seven-footer Obji Aget as well as their backcourt of "stud sophomores" Elijah Brown and Cullen Neal, Bruce Pearl will have his Tigers prepared and mentally ready for the challenge. Let's face it, the winner of this game is facing BYU, and while the Cougars are good, they are susceptible to losses. Basically, if the winner of this showdown can stop Kyle Collinsworth and Chase Fischer, then they are championship bound! But sorry for getting ahead of ourselves, Auburn's Kareem Canty and Tyler Harris have turned their team into more than a middle of the pack SEC team. Moreover, add Harris with double-double machine Cinmeon Bowers, and New Mexico doesn't look as mighty. Expect for Canty to contain--if not shutdown--Neal, while Bowers and Harris get Aget in foul trouble, ultimately making him a no-factor. 
---Auburn 75, New Mexico 71

If only Siyani Chambers was not out for the season, then this game would have been must watch! But without the All-Ivy League guard, this game will get ugly quick. Averaging the most points per game from the West Coast Conference (82.6), the BYU Cougars will be up double-figures by halftime in route to a 20-30 point victory. So Harvard has a post presence in Zena Edosomwan? So what! Is a 6'9" big man really suppose to deter one of the elite stat sheet stuffers in the nation in Kyle Collinsworth or an assassin from beyond the arc in Chase Fischer? This journalist doesn't think so! But let's make this prediction more interesting! Collinsworth has two triple-doubles thus far in his senior year (Belmont and Central Michigan). This journalist says he will have at least two in the next four days (including today)!
---BYU 80, Harvard 59

In year one of the post-DaVonte Lacy era, the Washington State Cougars have personally impressed this journalist. Granted they lost a "never shoulda happened" matchup to Idaho, but they won against UTEP. In other words, 7-2 is exactly where they should be. Or 7-3 after today. While Josh Hawkinson is an elite big man, who very well could end up in the NBA, Buddy Hield, Isaiah Cousins, and James Woodard are about to over shadow his performance with 50+ points combined. And how could we forget Ryan Spangler! Although he is only 6'8", the senior is averaging a double-double and will be a huge obstacle standing in the way of Hawkinson. All in all, even with Hawkinson producing his averages tonight, they will be heading to the loser's bracket as Oklahoma moves to 9-0.
---Oklahoma 82, Washington State 69

Now here is a reason to stay up on Tuesday night! Or maybe I should say Wednesday morning! Coming off their second victory over a top five opponent, Ben Jacobson's Northern Iowa Panthers are on the prowl to knock off another in the semi-finals (Oklahoma). However, standing in their way with swords pointed up is the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. Taking down Nebraska in the early morning last year, Hawaii came just a few minutes away from upsetting mid-major power Wichita State to advance to the Diamond Head Classic Championship. This year with many of the same playmakers back from last season, Aaron Valdes and Stefan Jankovic's crew is hungry to cause havoc on their home-court. But will they? No sir! Against a very confident UNI Panthers squad that is beginning to realize an at-large bid is within their grasps, Wes Washpun will play shut-down defense on Valdes, ultimately taking him out of the game. Furthermore, Jespy (Paul Jesperson), Bo (Matt Bohannon), and J-Mo (Jeremy Morgan) are all prime to be big factors tomorrow morning (as they have been all season)! Really, the only advantage the Rainbow Warriors have is with Jankovic on the block, who should have a field day against under-sized (6'9") Bennett Koch. Nevertheless, Jankovic will not be able to score all the points, meaning "UNI Fight" will be moving on to the semi-finals!
---Northern Iowa 74, Hawaii 68

Semi-Finals:
---Auburn 76, BYU 74
---Oklahoma 80, Northern Iowa 70

Championship:
Despite Oklahoma and Northern Iowa being a championship-caliber matchup, Auburn/Oklahoma will serve as an appetizer for the Big 12/SEC Challenge that begins and ends on January 30. But instead of this journalist, who would you pick? A peaking Sooners squad led by the best backcourt in the nation? Or Auburn, who does have a lot of potential thanks to transfers Kareem Canty and Tyler Harris but still have a long way to go before upsetting a national powerhouse? I am assuming you would pick Buddy Hield's Oklahoma team, right? While a matchup of great guards will come from Hield taking on Canty, the prior has the better supporting cast and will take home the hardware. Yet, on a positive note, the experience gained from a showdown with the Sooners will benefit Auburn in the long-term, for they will be more prepared to "upset" SEC front-runners Kentucky, LSU, Florida, and Vanderbilt.
---Oklahoma 83, Auburn 70

Point System for Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic
1 pt for each quarterfinal win
2 pts for each semi-final win
4 pts for correctly choosing the champion

Standings:
1. Wesner 151 pts (121-62)
2. Bennett 144 pts (115-68)