Warriors make quick return home
ANAHEIM, Calif. – The Hawai’i basketball team did the best thing you can do after a disappointing road trip. The Warriors got home as soon as possible.
Less than 24 hours after a 71-60 loss to UC Irvine in the quarterfinals of the Big West Conference Tournament, the Warriors were on a flight back to Honolulu. They boarded the plane still unsure if their 17-14 overall record would be enough to receive an invitation to the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) or the College Basketball Invitational (CBI).
“We haven’t pursued that and haven’t heard anything about that,” Arnold said on Friday afternoon. “So I have no additional comment on it.”
The Warriors seemed to understand that their chances of receiving an invitation to one of those tournaments are very slim.
“Whatever happens, happens,” senior point guard Jace Tavita said. “If that was our last game, I’m OK with that. If we play some more, then I’m OK with that, too. Whatever the coaches feel is best for the team.”
Freshman forward Isaac Fotu added: “I think it would be just a bonus. Our main goal was to make the NCAA Tournament. But if we do get an invite, that’s more basketball for us and more preparation for next year.”
All of the players returned to Honolulu so that they could prepare to attend classes again next week. The coaches, however, remained on the Mainland to recruit future prospects.
“While we’re still on the Mainland, we’re going to spread out and get going and it start (on Friday),” Arnold said. “There’s no real breaks.”
Something in the works with CIT? Shoots, BM tweet, Ben Jay say still hold on. I think because of LBSU losing and another BWC team getting NCAA auto bid. UH might be a third team to be invited to CIT, if CIT selection committee thinks UH is the right fit.
Come Monday will know for sure with WBB, WNIT bid and UH MBB possible CIT bid. Or some further tweets, texts or cell calls from Riley himself probably to UH.
Would be nice, I hate to see UH MBB , they are so hard workers in class and on the court to just leave one and done, if they get one or two more games in CIT , why not.
Go for it Ben. Keep CIT posted, UH is willing to hosts a couple of games if offered and they win first round!
Wait for futher updates. UH MBB team do well in class, rehab rest and still shoot the basketball in open gym!
Na Wahine “Deserve” it More for their Good, End-of-Year Play
However BJ noted Need to be Fiscally Responsible…
WARRIORS much more likely to Come Closer to Breaking Even or Making Money
while being An Investment in Improved Play for Next Year
Maybe Earned It with This Year’s Improved Attendance
BUT Not with their recent On-Court Play
Tough Call…
Forget the CIT Hoopsa,user 343, enough, the season is over, team is not going ,the team is demoralized and doing poorly, Gib is busy looking for recruits along with rest of staff.
Don’t even bother with the CIT. what’s the reward? To say we are the 97th best team in the country? That’s like getting a track participation ribbon for placing 10th out of 10 runners. Big whoop. UH should not welcome mediocrity.
jjay: Remember this Truism, Life Lesson, it is ONLY a Game. Life after UH is the real thing, Why not let Ben Jay accept the invite from CIT if they offer. Wouldn’t the kids appreciate that.
Only 64 or 65 teams make the NCAA, another 32 make the NIT, CBI 16 and CIT 32, so out of more than 300 NCAA DI schools, less than half make it to post season tournaments, if UH has slight chance, Ben Jay is helping UH get in position.
Life , in this world , a lot of it is negative, if UH MBB and WBB got bid it is a POSITIVE. JUST BE POSITIVE, you would say, or jjay would say, no excuses, just win CIT first round game right. ?
I am just thinking of the team and Manoa Maniacs, and you.
Any team WBB, bowling, rowing team, has chance for post season and a championship trophy, go for it!
Go Warriors, P.S. love your loyal support for the team. You must be a long, long time supporter, so is my family,
Go Warriors, we shall see Monday, if no more invite, so be it! Wait till next season.
Hey Mr jjay, sorry about hoops, he is family member, our youngest, he loves UH sports as much as you do. He is just trying to keep interest going in any UH sports.
Our family been supporting UH sports for nearing 50 years, we love the teams and coaches!
Apologize for the enthusiasm, very catch, that Manoa Maniac vibe and the Gib promoted, Jamie Smith coordinated fanbase created for MBB. Awesome.
If no CIT bid or Ben Jay and Gib say No. fine, next year Warriors go get 25 wins and NCAA bid.
Uhfanzonly1. Aloha and Mahalo jjay(you sure you not related to Ben jay? just kidding! Go Warriors)
Really cit Jay will not go for it ! I hope he does not extend Arnold contract he has do a lot better We could not even beat irvine As Barkley says Terrible Frankly They will be lucky to go 500 next year .I am sure players will not come back Who we will see Very dissapointing season
It’s really nice to watch these last conference games today.
Good ball movement, Unselfish players and great coaching.
Young Players should IMPROVE MORE By Playing additional Game(s) against >.500+ D-1 Teams…
Miami has FIVE Players 22 and Older…
Our TWO Diamond Head Classic Defeats are Today Power Conference Champions
– MIAMI over UNC for ACC Championship; and
– OLE MISS over #13 Florida (Rick Pitinoʻs Billy Donopvan) for SEC Championship
Maybe Hawaiʻi is about 15 points Improvement from being Championship Material
Diamond Head Classic teams, Arizona, SD State, Ole Miss, and Miami are tournament bound. Also, UNLV are in. Cupcakes like Maryland Eastern Shore, Houston Baptist, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, North Dakota, and Chaminade won’t help the quality of the opposition. The Mountain West teams are tough, man. If UH was in the MWC they would be in last place. Even Boise St. is tough. They just might make it to the big dance, last check they are one of the last 4 in. No comparison in the level of play and the intensity of all good teams. UH just appears to be slow and tentative. They need some turbo boosting! Tape a cheetah to their backs! The best player on the flloor in the Miami-NC game today was the smallest guy, Shane Larkin. The point guard. He scored over 20 points. Yes, good point guards do score a lot of points and they make good passes too. They lead their teams! Unfortunately, our UH was exposed in that area this season. The last time we had a good one at point guard, he was WAC MVP of the conference and played 13 years in the NBA, Anthony Carter. Hope Keith Shamburger will be very productive next season. You would think the younger players will grow and mature a lot and next season will be better. That’s what I am hoping for. Aaron Valdes is very, very athletic and I hope he’s explosive. I hear he’s a good defender too. Michael Thomas looks to be very athletic too. I have not seen film on Jovanovic. If Arnold has one more scholarship to give he should give it to a very quick guard with versatility. Yeah, but everybody looks for those kinds of guys too. Good luck coach in your search! Jay will not extend his contract right now. He will see what happens early next season and by mid season Jay will know how the team is doing and can make a good assessment. I think that’s a good decision to make for the program. Arnold has to do his job which is to recruit and coach. He should also evaluate his assistants and if need be make the hard decisions to make changes. Basically, everything is on him anyway.
plus one Derek, I have supported the team as a longtime season ticket holder and Koa A member,we all want success in the program, Gib understands the job of putting out a product that will draw fans to the game, that means wins for the coaches this is more than a game it;s real life,that is why they are pounding the pavement at this minute. I too am looking forward to next season where are team will be dramatically better than this year’s, it’s Warrior Time.
Congrads to pacific you get Miama Fla C ya Big West 15 seed pathetic
One player can make all the difference. IF, IF, IF! Two letters, but it’s a big word. IF, Gib Arnold was able to land Pierre Jackson out of Southern Idaho (he decided to sign with Baylor), we would be going to the big dance I’m pretty certain. Jackson is not very big. He’s only 5’10” or 5″11″ at best, but he’s a point guard. All he did for Baylor this year is average 19.8 points per game and 6.5 assists per game. Put his stats on our team and you would like our chances to win the Big West and make it to the NCAA tournament. Granted the dynamics of the team would be different, but even if he averaged 12 points a game and 5 assists a game that would be pretty big for our team. Too bad because Jackson was on the radar. I’m not sure he made a visit here, but this web site talked about him being interested in Hawaii. Another of his teammate at S. Idaho, Kenny Buckner signed with Boise State and the Broncos are in the tournament. Arnold coached at S. Idaho so I thought we had a chance to land Jackson. Damn! Damn, damn, damn!!!!!
Since Shamburger will be solid, I think the one person we need for next year is a swingman, somebody who is 6-4 to 6-7, lean, who can run, shoot, and handle the ball somebody who can score 15-17 points per game. This person has to be somebody from the JCs, or from a foreign country. I can’t see an incoming freshman getting that kind of production right away.