Next Christmas will be a warm one for the men’s basketball team, as they will travel to Hawaii for the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic, the Department of Athletics and Recreation announced Sunday.

The tournament will take place from Dec. 22-25, although specific times and pairings have yet to be announced. Additionally, the final two teams that will make up the eight-team bracket are still unknown. This will be the sixth annual Diamond Head Classic and the fifth time that GW will make the cross-country trip to Honolulu.

“After a great trip to The Wooden Legacy last month, it’s welcome news that our program will be headed west again next season for the Diamond Head Classic,” head coach Mike Lonergan said. “We had great support from alumni, family and friends in Southern California, which really helped us in victories over Miami and Creighton. We hope our great fan support and solid play carries over throughout the rest of this season and to Hawai’i next year.”

After a third-place showing at this year’s Wooden Legacy Tournament, the Diamond Head Classic will serve as another opportunity for tough non-conference matchups. Lined up to play in next year’s tournament are host Hawaii, Colorado, Nebraska, Ohio and Wichita State – all of whom have winning records this season.

The two toughest opponents for GW will likely be Wichita State and Colorado. This season, the Shockers have continued their Cinderella success from last year’s NCAA tournament, going 11-0 thus far to secure the No. 11 ranking in the country. After a one-and-done stint in the NCAA Tournament last season, the Buffs have won ten games already this season, including a buzzer-beating upset of then-No. 6 Kansas.

Colonial fans will be able to follow the tournament, like the Wooden Legacy, as all games will be broadcast on ESPN networks. For further information and continued updates, check out the tournament’s website here: www.DiamondHeadClassic.com