While the rest of us will be braving the colder temperatures that the holiday season typically brings, the Washington Men's Basketball team will be going to a sunnier climate as they take part in the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu. Houston, Portland, Georgia Tech, Boise State, Ball State, UTEP, and Hawai'i are the teams joining UW in the three-day tournament. The first game is scheduled for 2:30 pm PT on Sunday, Dec. 22 against Ball State. Depending on the result, they'll play either UTEP or Hawai'i the next day. The media spoke to Mike Hopkins at Alaska Airlines Arena before the team headed out to the islands to get a feel for his thought on playing a tournament in Hawai'i a week before Pac-12 play begins, the challenges and unpredictability of tournament play and the styles they may face, an early look into their first opponent - Ball State - and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices