Warriors look to rebound against North Dakota
The Hawai’i basketball team has already displayed an ability to rebound during games. How it rebounds from a difficult loss is the big question for this week.
The Warriors host North Dakota on Tuesday night in a non-conference game that comes four days after a heartbreaking 78-77 overtime loss to Illinois.
“I want to know which guys that losing bothers them,” head coach Gib Arnold said. “There’s a certain player that when you lose, it really bothers them and they come and play with a different aggressiveness, a focused approach, and those guys are winners.”
The Warriors will have to be focused against a North Dakota team that brings an experienced roster to the Sheriff Center. Of the 12 players who have seen action for UND this season, 10 are returnees from last season’s 17-15 squad that participated in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.
North Dakota likes to use a three-guard lineup, and 5-foot-10 junior Aaron Anderson leads the team with 12.0 points per game. Lenny Antwi, a 6-1 sophomore, is averaging 9.0 points per game and is 8 for 17 from 3-point range this season.
“They’re a guard oriented team that runs a really good offense with a lot of ball screens to get their guards open for shots,” Arnold said. “I think they’re extremely well-coached and they’re going to give us a lot of problems with their quickness.”
The Warriors will try to counter with size. Hawai’i’s starting frontline of 6-10 Vander Joaquim, 6-8 Christian Standhardinger and 6-6 Hauns Brereton is combining for 48.0 points and 21.5 rebounds per game.
The Warriors have out-rebounded their opponents in all four games this season, and are averaging nearly 12 rebounds more than their opponents per game.
The two expected starters in the post for North Dakota are 6-8 Jordan Allard and 6-8 Brandon Brekke. In effect, the Warriors will have a size advantage at all five positions.
“It doesn’t make a difference to me,” Joaquim said. “We just have to show effort and keep playing hard, keep getting better as a team.”
The Warriors are looking for a win, not just to help erase the memory of the buzzer-beating loss to Illinois, but also to carry them into next month. Tuesday’s game will be the last game of November for the Warriors, and the next home game is not until December 8 (they play a road game at UNLV on December 1).
The Warriors are also looking for their fans – including their fellow students – to keep showing up for home games. The student section was filled for “Wig Night” against Illinois, and Tuesday’s theme is “Beach Night,” with fans encouraged to wear beach attire to the arena.
“I love the student section and I hope it keeps growing,” Brereton said.
GAME INFO
When: Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2012, 7 p.m. start
Where: Stan Sheriff Center (10,300) – Honolulu, HI
Television: Live statewide on OCSports – Channels 16 (SD) and 1016 (HD).
Streaming Video: Live video streaming is available on ocsports.tv.
Radio: ESPN 1420 AM will carry the game live. Neighbor islands can listen live on KNUI on Maui, KHLO in Hilo, KKON in Kona, and KTOH on Kaua’i.
Audio Webcast: Live audio streaming on espn1420am.com
Live Stats: Live in-game stats are available at HawaiiAthletics.com
Ticket Information: $26 (lower); $18 (upper-adult); $16 (upper-sr. citizen); $5 (upper-youth, ages 4-HS); UH Manoa students free with validated ID. Parking $6.
Promotions: The student theme is “Beach Night” and students are encouraged to dress in beach attire.
Come on UH MBB Rainbow Warriors! Go get em! Don’t take North Dakota for granted! Get the win, and improve in all areas…don’t let this be a TRAP game!
Wow, this one hurt like one deep pico. But no worries. This team is fo real.
Learning curve continues up. BYU to Diamond Head Classic to Illinois huge improvement. That’s how it is when a team has potential.They might look bad at the start but learn fast and go out with better team chemistry. Awesome front court; potential to be top 10 in the country. Back court is catching up. Defense can at times be superb. And the freshmen need time to get their act together. When they do this team will be flying right up to tournament time.
Anyone who thinks this is a mediocre team, all I can say is I will put my chips down that they hit 20 wins plus this year. Guard play will improve although will not be the bread and butter as the front line. They just need to hold their own and not give the game away.
But watch out for North Dakota! They are no Illinois but still can put you away if you don’t bring your A game.
Looking forward to the game. North Dakota is preseason picked 4th in the Big Sky. They do have some nice potential. UND’s six leading scorers are guards. I hope team comes out ready to play and bounces back from that tough loss against Illinois.
Note: We are a 12 point favorite according to the Saragin predictor.
illinois smashed USC by 30…lets go Warriors!..
Love this years potential..we can make some noise in the Big West…Go Warriors!
…and 7-1/2 by Vegas/Glantz-Culver…
Assuredly Texas (IF Vegas had a line for D-2 Teams) would’ve also been favored by 7+ over Chaminade…
Bring It ‘Bows!
Let’s Go Warriors!
It’s a Battle Tonight between a Program with Too Many Nicknames: UH ‘Bows, Rainbow Warriors, Warriors…)
and a Program with NOName (Former ND Fighting Sioux, prohibited by State Vote from adopting a New Name ’til 2015)
Chaminade-Illinois: Tonight…We should offer Illinois a Three-Team Perpetual Trophy:
A Longer Term Commitment would probably be good for UH, Chaminade and Illinois…
At Least for scheduling…
Dayton: There will be an 11 day break between North Dakota game and UNLV on the road…wonder if Gib could schedule an exhibition game with BYU Hawaii, or a controlled scrimmage, know it costs money, ..how about a trip over weekend to UH HIlo ? That time could be used to give Team more time to tweak weak areas and be ready for UNLV game…
Just a thought!
UH MBB team: Gotta win this North Dakota game tonite!! Don’t take them lightly, through the years, have seen, UH MBB team come down emotionally after a big time game against a BCS team, and have a let down..hopefully not..as Gib stated in his video interview..this game, after close loss , will show what type of character the guys have, who will be angry at losing, and want to be agressive, and work as TEAM, and get better, and get the much needed win..
This game , vs North Dakota, I think personally, key at this point of season after the Illinois close loss..shows where the team is at…and we can see how much improved on weaknesses from game 1 to game 4..still a lot of basketball to play…This bunch of guys, they don’t seem to pout..however, now is the time, for the guys that don’t see much game time, to step it up in practice, and when Gib calls their number to produce big time, to help UH get the W. I hope we see the Big Time step up this game, and the guys come out and play well in all phases of game..and get a good win..
Go Rainbow Warriors!!
Jace , challenge yourself everyday , silence the doubters, shoot several hundred free throws everyday including ones with teammates yelling expletives at you, you’ll get better for sure. Seriously you can all coach Agena at Kalakaua anytime and he’ll drill you after hours on your ball handling .
Go get ‘um guys! Show your stuff tonite.
GO WARRIORS!!!
Tuning in again from Down Under tonight, listening to the radio whilst watching the live stats, (internet streaming unreliable!!!). Aussie mum, get the Tim Tams and lets get ready to rumble. Lets get the W.
GO THE WARRIORS
Watching the ND game, … Can Hauns please wake up?!?! It’s like he’s sleepwalking. No intensity. If you’re struggling to score, at least hustle and play aggressive D!! Harper is now in and at least he’s hustling hoping to make something happen. Hauns is supposed to be the man this year. Looks like Spearman is taking that job.