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BYU is set to face some recognizable names in its Diamond Head Classic semifinal matchup.
The Cougars (10-2), who beat South Florida 54-39 Wednesday night in the first round, will take on Vanderbilt Thursday (8 p.m., MST, ESPN2) at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu.
The Commodores (7-4) defeated Hawaii 68-54 late Wednesday in another first-round contest to advance in the winner’s bracket.
Vanderbilt is coached by former NBA star Jerry Stackhouse and their leading scorer is Scotty Pippen Jr., son of Hall-of-Famer Scottie Pippen, who helped lead the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships along with Michael Jordan.
Pippen Jr., who is the Commodores’ top scorer and the preseason Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, is averaging 17.6 points per game and scored a team-high 21 points in the win over Hawaii. Pippen is shooting 42% from the field and 31.3% from 3-point range this season.
Stackhouse, who played in the NBA for 18 seasons and scored more than 15,000 points during his career, has amassed a record of 27-41 in three seasons in Nashville.
Against South Florida, BYU’s Gideon George and Fousseyni Traore each scored 11 points off the bench. Caleb Lohner collected a career-high 14 rebounds.
The winner of Thursday’s BYU-Vanderbilt game will meet in the championship game Saturday, Christmas night, against either Liberty or Stanford. The Flames and the Cardinal square off Thursday at 2 p.m., MST on ESPN2.