KenPom Predicts BYU Basketball vs Vanderbilt in Diamond Head Classic
On Thursday night, BYU takes on Vanderbilt in the second round of the Diamond Head Classic. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 PM MST and the contest will be broadcast on ESPN2. Ken Pomeroy, the industry leader in predictive college basketball analytics, cemented his BYU-Vanderbilt prediction on Wednesday night.
KenPom Predicts Diamond Head Classic Semifinals
KenPom gives BYU a 73% chance to win with an expected final score of 70-64. KenPom's prediction mirrors the line that oddsmakers have set for this game. BYU is a 5.5-point favorite and the over/under is set at 133.5. Meaning the oddsmakers expect a final score in the ballpark of 70-64 or 69-64 in favor of BYU.
On the other side of the bracket, KenPom expects a close game between Liberty and Stanford. Pomeroy gives Stanford a 60% chance to win with an expected final score of 66-64. The winner of Stanford-Liberty will take on the winner of BYU-Vanderbilt in the Diamond Head Classic championship game.
As of the time of this article, BYU is ranked 22nd in the KenPom college basketball rankings. Vanderbilt is ranked 77th, Stanford is 89th, and Liberty is 122nd. Should the Cougars defeat Vanderbilt and advance to the championship, they would be favored over either Stanford or Liberty.
BYU vs USF Highlights
BYU defeated USF 54-39 in the first round of the Diamond Head Classic.
How to Watch BYU vs Vanderbilt
- TV: ESPN2
- TV Talent: Roxy Bernstein, Corey Williams
- Radio: BYU Sports Network, BYU Radio Sirius XM 143/89.1 FM HD2, KSL 102.7 FM/1160 AM
- Streamed Audio: BYURadio.org, BYUCougars.com/LiveRadio and the BYU Radio, BYU Cougars and BYU Gameday apps
- Radio Talent: Greg Wrubell, Mark Durrant
- Live stats: BYUCougars.com
Vanderbilt comes into this game with a 7-4 overall record and coming off a win over Hawai'i in the first round. BYU is 10-2 and coming off a scrappy win over USF in which the Cougars held the Bulls to only 39 points.
The two basketball programs have faced off only once before - a 1958 contest that Vanderbilt won 56-89.
Diamond Head Classic
BYU, South Florida, Vanderbilt, Hawai'i, Stanford, Wyoming, Liberty, and Northern Iowa are competing in the Diamond Head Classic. Stanford, Liberty, BYU, and Vanderbilt advanced to the semifinals with wins in the first round. The winner of BYU-Vanderbilt will take on the winner of Liberty-Stanford in the championship on Saturday night. Below is the bracket for the tournament.
Players to Watch
Scottie Pippen Jr. leads Vanderbilt in scoring at 17.6 points per game. He shoots 42.0% from the floor and 31.3% from three. The Cougars are led by fifth-year senior Alex Barcello. Barcello averages 18.9 points per game on 51.1% shooting from the field. He also averages 2.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.1 steals per game.
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