Warrior Insider

The difference between Fresno, Calif., and Las Vegas is like … well, you get the picture.

The Hawaii basketball team is hoping the transition to the city of bright lights will be enough to keep its last game at Fresno State in the dark.

The Warriors arrived in Las Vegas on Sunday, and will spend Monday and Tuesday preparing for San Jose State on the opening day of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament.

The No. 5-seeded Warriors will play the No. 8-seeded Spartans in an opening round game at 10 a.m. (Hawaii time) at the Orleans Arena.

“It’s the fourth season now,” Hawaii head coach Gib Arnold said. “The first one being conditioning, then the preseason, and then conference, and now the postseason. We’re there and everybody’s even. Everybody’s 0-0.”

For the record, Hawaii finished the regular season 18-11 overall and 8-8 in the WAC, including two victories over San Jose State. The Spartans finished 15-14 overall and 5-11 in the WAC.

The Warriors opened this current road trip with a 77-71 victory at San Jose State.

“Because we played San Jose State so recently, there’s not quite as much game prep, although we will adjust the scout accordingly,” Arnold said. “We might put in one or two wrinkles that they haven’t seen – in fact, I know we will. And they probably will, too.”

Hawaii closed the regular season with an 85-70 loss at Fresno State, but there was no time to dwell on it.

“All our thought process is on San Jose State now,” Arnold said.

—

And speaking of the last victory at San Jose State, here is the latest episode of “Bill and Zane’s Excellent Adventure,” featuring an interview with point guard Miah Ostrowski on the bus ride from San Jose to Fresno.