The University of Hawaii men’s basketball team will face Auburn in the first round of the 2011 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic Dec. 22nd, the school announced today.

UH is the host for the ESPN-operated three-day (Dec. 22, 23 and 25), eight-team tournament at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Other first-round games match: Texas-El Paso and on Clemson; Kansas State-Southern Illinois and Long Beach State-Xavier. 

The first four games on the opening day of action will be televised live on ESPNU and will be a part of 11 tournament games broadcast on ESPN networks, UH said.

The third-place and championship games will be televised on ESPN2 on Christmas Day, according to UH.

The Rainbow Warriors went 2-1 to finish fifth in the 2010 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic.