Opening night is here
Ready or not, the University of Hawai’i basketball team will open its 2013-14 season on Friday night, when it hosts Tennessee State in the opening game of the Outrigger Hotels and Resorts Rainbow Classic.
The game is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center (a game between Western Michigan and New Mexico State will follow at 8:30 p.m.). It will be the first of two games in two nights to open the season for Hawai’i.
“I love the attitude – obviously everybody is excited to play, as are the coaches excited to coach,” head coach Gib Arnold said. “That’s perfect. It’s just where you want to be. Guys are chomping at the bit. It’s been a long preseason – longest ever because of the change in the rules – but the guys are ready to go.”
The Warriors finished 17-15 last season, while Tennessee State went 18-15. Both teams participated in the CollegeInsider Postseason Tournament at the end of last season.
Both teams also return an all-conference player – Hawai’i with senior forward Christian Standhardinger, and Tennessee State with senior point guard Patrick Miller.
Still, both teams are quite different from a year ago. Hawai’i will likely go with a starting lineup of junior Keith Shamburger at point guard, junior Garrett Nevels and freshman Aaron Valdes on the wings, and Standhardinger and sophomore Isaac Fotu at forwards.
Of those five, only Standhardinger (15.8 points, 7.9 rebounds per game) and Fotu (10.1 points, 6.2 rebounds) were on the active roster last season.
“A lot of different guys, a lot of different strong characters,” Standhardinger said. “We have different guys who have a different style of game, and that’s perfect because if we come together as a group and we stay together as a group there are too many weapons to stop.”
In addition to the projected starters, senior center Davis Rozitis, sophomore guard Brandon Jawato and freshman forward Mike Thomas are expected to play key reserve roles.
The Warriors will be without senior guard and projected started Brandon Spearman, who has a right high-ankle sprain. Also, sophomore guard Quincy Smith is doubtful due to a back injury. He was expected to be the primary back-up to Shamburger at the point.
“Brandon is out and Quincy isn’t cleared yet either,” Arnold said. “He didn’t practice all week. That’s more of a game time, we’ll see before the game if he’s able to go, and if he is able to go, how much he’ll be able to go.”
In any case, Arnold said his biggest concerns entering the game are rebounding and turnovers. “We have to rebound as a team,” he said. “And we have to make sure we keep (Tennessee State) off the boards because they are so athletic … I think it always comes down to a turnover game as well.”
The Tigers are led by their 6-1 point guard Miller, who averaged 14.8 points and 5.9 assists per game last season, and was a first-team All-Ohio Valley Conference selection. The other projected starters are 5-10 junior Jay Harris, 6-6 junior Kennedy Eubanks, 6-8 junior M.J. Rhett and 6-9 senior Michael Green.
Rhett averaged 5.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game last season, and is the only other returning starter besides Miller.
“They’re really athletic and got a great point guard,” Arnold said of the Tigers.
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Outrigger Hotels and Resorts Rainbow Classic Schedule
Friday, Nov. 8
Hawai’i vs. Tennessee State, 6:30 p.m.
Western Michigan vs. New Mexico State, 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 9
New Mexico State vs. Tennessee State, 5:00 p.m.
Hawai’i vs. Western Michigan, 7:30 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 11
Tennessee State vs. Western Michigan, 2:00 p.m.
Hawai’i vs. New Mexico State, Midnight (ESPN2)
Game 1 Tipoff Notes
Who: Hawai’i (0-0, 0-0 Big West) vs. Tennessee State (0-0, 0-0 OVC)
When: Friday, Nov. 8, 6:30 p.m. HT
Where: Stan Sheriff Center (10,300) – Honolulu, HI
Television: Live on OCSports – Channels 16 (SD) and 1016 (HD).
Streaming Video: Live video streaming is available on Big West.tv.
Radio: Live on ESPN 1420 AM. Neighbor islands can listen live on KNUI on Maui, KHLO in Hilo, KKON in Kona, KTOH on Kaua’i, and KNWJ in Pago Pago, American Samoa.
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); General Admission for the UH-NMSU midnight game. – $10 (adult); $5 (senior citizen and youth). UH Manoa students free with validated ID. Parking $6.
Promotions: Outrigger Hotels and Resorts is the tournament sponsor and will distribute 1,000 tote bags each night, beginning one hour prior to each U.H. game. Outrigger will distribute 2,000 posters during a post-game autograph session to follow Saturday’s game against Western Michigan. Also, Outrigger will award up to $2,000 a night during its popular “Shoot for Loot” promotional activity at halftime. It’s a “Blackout” during UH’s nationally televised game vs. New Mexico State as fans are encouraged to wear black shirts for the midnight contest. All seats are general admission that night.
GOOD MORNING EAGLE: We been waiting near 8 months for tonite! With all that hoopla, in March and April. with the arrival of the upgrades, MT, NWC, QS, JH, GN,SJ, NF, and RS’s DE,CD,AV and KS, I would say, except for unfortunate injury to Caleb, Every position that was graduated or transferred out, or in Vander case walked out!..we can see potential , great speed, hops, shooting ability, and winning attitude. Now, it is time to talk the talk, and walk the walk, shoot the 3, be the 3. Block the shot, swat the weak stuff. AV and MT, flying, skying, and jamming. Fotu, Frotu, spin, MT spin left, go right, finger roll, G Nevels, floaters all over the skies, Sham the conductor, Christian the eternal locomotive, Harper, the Thunder, Jawato, the Muscle, and streak 10 for 10 potential lethatl 3 ball machine, Enos the pride of 808, Niko, if necessary needed depth this year! Stefan, playing bigger than 6’9 3/4″ 235 playing at 6’1″ and 255, plus Davis playing like he is 6’5″ running amok, I like this team, the Dream, NCAA, the, nap, NIT…
Let’s Go Bows..get your tickets or printout from PC, vouchers, people that can go, game is early 630pm HST time at SSC ,take the kids, hope you all took advantage of the two for one deal. and 50% off single ticket deals. really great promotion, plus the 30 dollar extra for 14 WBB home games.
Hope Jamie Smith is in the House!
Eagle, enjoy! you and hopefully 5000+ , the wait and see fans, will be there first nite, hopefully a victory, that is all we want, WIN, WIN and WIN.
Been to games, from the mid sixties in Klum, now two old, home and wheel assist bound, however, myself and keiki hoopsa love them Bows!
Go Bows. Rainbow Warriors, Fighting Deans, Rainbows. or Warriors, Imua, Fotu fight, Standhardinger lead, Sham, direct, Nevels, score and D, AV fly . and stick your elbow into rim with a huge tomahawk, 360 slam. EAGLE…it all begins..Go Bows….Go Bows.!
Say hello to the TribeV ohana, Aaron Valdes dad, his best friend and private coach, as well as the rest of family. Airon, is so sky high, jacked up and loving seeing his folks here, Aaron, might jump 60″ off the ground to block a shot, and never come down.
Hope hoopsa will make Friday or Sat, game, work permitting, best deal in town!!
GO Bows!
Aloha TribeV Ohana from the Big Island of the Mainland USA! Mahalo for sharing flight Cuba, Air Cuba, Airon Valdes with us for 4 years, he is going to be dynamite, his athleticism is scary good.
Have great trip, and we all hope to witness 3 wins to win the Rainbow Classic to start a possible awesome season!!
Aloha, and Mahalo to the Valdes Ohana, welcome to Hawaii!
Uhfanzonly1.
😀
Tonganator, I don’t know if you and Aussie Mum or those in Serbia , Latvia, Germany, Indonesia, can get online or cable feed, TV OC sports Time Warner Cable TV, Online BigWest TV online stream.
Game starts at 630pm HST at SSC Hon. Hawaii.
Aloha to you all too!
😀
EAGLE: IT BEGINS……!!!! BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!
Sorry Eagle and fans, correction to above post:!! 😀
“Stefan, playing bigger than 6’9 3/4″ 235 playing at 6’11″ and 255, plus Davis playing like he is 7’5″ 265 very agile and quick like a euro SF…running amok, ”
😀
Uhfanzonly1. Good Morning all UH WI MBB fans!
TIME: 6:38 am, LESS THAN 12 hrs till tipoff!
Go Bows!
:
Can’ wait! A shame we are not at 100% on the player side but this will test our depth which will be needed to get to the top this year.
Sooooo excited! B-ball is finally here…the crazy part is how the UH b-ball team is going to get their first win of the season BEFORE the football team…WOW. I’ll be watching, cheering, and hopefully celebrating victory by the end of the night. Let’s GO BOWS!!
It would be just great if the basketball team has an exciting big game tonight. The UH Athletic program needs it. Have fun tonight guys.
Go Warriors!!!
FYI: Ferd Lewis, Dayton’s former colleague, reporting that Gib Arnold will receive a multi-year extension of his contract. It’s still being finalized, but could be completed by the end of the month.
Play Well, ʻBows !
ALL In The Game, Give it Your ALL
Yeah, WIN!
Make It a Regular Habit!
…and Usually Win Pretty, Lookinʻ Good!
Hopefully, Rare, BUT Yes, WIN Ugly IF You Must, To Just Win,
BUT At The Talent Level i think This Team is At,
i strongly prefer to Be Amazed….
[Weʻll See IF weʻre Asking Too Much…]
BTW
clyde: Thanks clyde for the Info. I guess, we diehards, some up at 500am this morning, checking all blogs, SA online, WI, for anything on UH MBB. for the core, say about 1800 who go to every game win or lose, they saw article.
So, critical, that Gib have that signed dot the i’s and cross the t’s…so vital for LOI early Nov signing date which is in a week or so! Think that morning show , Bobby’s one, with guest moderators, had Brian M. on, he says that contract probably makes sense, 2 or 3 yr extenstion with a modest bump,later the written in expectations, and incentives.
This should have been completed hopefully before, Sept school started, so very , very critical for sigining recruits, some might have thought, well is Gib here or not, for another 2 or 3 years, or only one more season extended?: EF? we don’t know. Ben, touchstone Contract with extension, and he is using Gib’s as basis for all other UH athletics coaches, because of wonder blunder. Ben, remember, Masters, in economics, business, or accounting. Has to be fiscally responsible,however, now Ben learning, things such as timely and properly executed contracts, done well, really well, not only protects UH and AD, helps coaches, as well as MOST IMPORTANTLY….get the Contract, official one, that he is here 2 or 3 years extended, then Gib signs, BEFORE the early period:
Basketball (Early Period) early NCAA D1 signing period for Basketball Recruits.
Early LOI signing period for NCAA D1 athletes:
November 13, 2013 to November 20, 2013
Basketball (Regular Period)Spring signing for NCAA D1 Athletes.
April 16, 2014 to May 21, 2014
Man, get that thing signed Ben with Gib, so possible 3 star SF and 3 star PF/C athletic can sign by this November or April. Hopefully, Isaac Flemings sign early November, maybe one more SF/PF 3 star, and April 2014, maybe another PF can play 4/5 shot blocker, rebounder, agile , hops and can run forever!
Go Rainbow Warriors!
Just have to have this win guys, the whole team available, from Sham to maybe Dyrbe, all 12 or 13 guys , do anything , work hard, play together, and win by at least 1 point at the buzzer. Then we feel Good , UH sports,kind of a bummer, for now in fall, WVB, struggle a bit…too. UH FB?…sheesh, maybe they beat Navy? …Back to Basketball,.Go Bows!
😀
will be there tonite checking out the team first hand. hope SPEARman and Q are getting better. will miss seeing them tonite… GO rainbow WARRIORS…
why is Hawaii playing the first game tonight? Is it on national TV?
any word on ticket sales for the game?…hopefully a decent turnout I would think not much more than 5000 because of the early start and if we win expect 6500 Saturday night
NICE EIGHT-PAGE UHMBB ʻPREVIEWʻ in HSA by BM…
GOOD TV Coverage on All Channelsʻ Sports
i Would Think Hawaiʻiʻs Fickle Fans Need to Hear & See A Few Times that the Team is Actually Playing Well …
Took Awhile even for the AC / SAVO Teams to get 8,000+ Support… Usually IF they were beating Good Teams in The Christmas Tournament — NOT As Likely Leading Off with MWC Champion Boise State….[Grrrrrr….]
hawaiifan09: ….I think has those season ticket holders, for 20 year type. And some newbies. Probably, that first game for UH, maybe 4800 or so, unless, another 1000 took advantage of that Go Green, Save Green Promotion. Ben Jay should do a lot more of that, to get in house attendance. hawaiifan09, usually we go checkout first nite, see how they do, then, get more family to go second nite, if they do well.
The thing that might hurt a 5000+ initial crowd, maybe the time: 630 pm which is Pau Hana time and traffic for a lot of people. We shall see…I hope 5000-5500 come out and make a lot of noise along with the Maniacs, I tell you, the BB team did a good job of supporting the other sports, Now time for those student athletes, since it is part of their tuition, just come down from dorms and have good time, lot of things going on, promo,contests, giveaways!
And to connor, I think UH wanted to avoid that 830 game, take early one, then rest, be ready for a good Western Michigan team…rest Sunday, Monday, then take on that very Good and Big NMSU for ESPN, hoops marathon Mon at midnite start, hopefully will have 2000+ UH students at that game, coming off of Veteran’s day weekend!
Well hawaiifan09, this is what we have all been waiting for: BASKETBALL UH MEN’S HOOPS, my favorite, and a couple of thousand others, UH athletic sport, hope for the WiN!
Go Rainbow Warriors!
Yes…just called Ticket office, Lower Bowl all sold out, which holds about 3800 or so, with guess of another 1200 upper level and maybe walkup sales, so yes….could be opening nite crowd of around 5000 or more, or 4970, …if team keeps on winnng, fans will come out.
We die hard fans, if only 1800 in the house, when F.Arnold was coaching, and Riley’s first year, we still went to every game! Fanatics!
Go Rainbow Warriors!
Should be exciting season!!
I think I counted from ticket site SSC map, I might be wrong, 48 sections, the lower bowl, 36 sections,…none…or low…ticket office said all sold out, … primarily all sold out. The upper level, 32 sections, only 7 of them are High Availability. The rest are , none, low and medium..Well fellow fans, should have, if every gets there on time, a good opening game crowd, a loud one. Should be a good test, you look at Tenn. State’s roster, Athletes, all. With that great PG, hope UH can shut them down, and score a lot. Could be hopefully at least 5000+, along with Airon Valdes family proudly watching Aaron in his first D1 college start. Best wishes to teams, and fans, I hope we have a great ride, over next 5 months or so!!
Should be
Fun!
Let’s Go Bows!
😀
Checked again, site SSC seating map….Lower Bowl 16 sections, don’t know how true, ticket office person, said ALL SOLD OUT…Upper Level 32 sections, ONLY 7 are High availability, a lot of open seats as of now..until game time…that means that 25 of the upper level seats sections are , None, Low, or Medium available seats. Should be 5000+ or more with walkup or online purchasers. as hawaiifan09 says, maybe Saturday, UH does good tonite, will be bigger crowd. 6000+ would be nice!
Go Bows!
😀
Saturday morning here and the first game is over. Won’t tell you the score.
Heh, heh, just kidding. Old joke I know. But this team is no joke. Deep and talented.
I am excited about the possibility of the live video feed from the UH website.
http://www.hawaiiathletics.com/schedule.aspx?path=mbball&
I’ve had problems with the Radio feed of late with the football games.
Good to hear Gib’s contract has been extended. He brings Aloha to the game. And that is saying something big. No doubt the WI website here has a lot to do with that Aloha.
Standing by for the game to begin…
This is an opportunity for Aaron Valdez to show what he is made of. Opportunity knocks and he needs to make the most of it. You never know some guys are like Christmas lights. Off and they are dull. But on and they sparkle.
Forgot to sign in earlier in the first half. Watching now on the live feed !!
GREAT !!
Second half score so far 50 – 21 UH. 16:24 left to play.
GREAT !!
Hope aussie mom is watching 🙂