DaBeast Froductions: Fear the Beards?
The University of Hawai’i basketball team departed for the Big West Conference Tournament on Tuesday afternoon. The HNL to LAX itinerary is a familiar one for the Warriors, as this will be the third time in as many weeks that they are making the flight across the Pacific Ocean.
The Warriors are 20-10 overall and finished in fourth place in the Big West at 9-7. They will face Cal State Northridge, which is 15-17 overall and finished in fifth at 7-9. The teams split the regular-season series, with each winning at home.
Before delving into the details of the quarterfinal match-up, the above videos feature a behind-the-scenes look at some recent road trips, courtesy of the DaBeast Froductions tandem of Davis Rozitis and Isaac Fotu.
The first video pertains to the Big West Tournament, as Rozitis interviews head coach Gib Arnold, and actually gets him to agree to grow a beard this week. It is not clear if the beard growth will start before Thursday’s quarterfinal game, or if it is contingent upon the Warriors winning.
Either way, Rozitis clearly has a head start, as his beard has been groomed in various shapes and styles throughout this season.
The second video features some pre-game interviews before the team’s game at Long Beach State on Feb. 27. Rozitis reminds associate coach Benjy Taylor that Arnold got ejected late in a game at Long Beach State a year earlier, and Taylor had to perform head coaching duties. “I did the best I could in three seconds,” Taylor said.
Game 31 Tipoff Notes
What: 2014 Big West Tournament
Who: No. 4 seed Hawai`i vs. No. 5 seed Cal State Northridge
When: Thursday, March 13, 5:30 p.m. (Hawai’i time)
Where: Honda Center (18,366) – Anaheim, Calif.
Television: Fox Sports Prime Ticket (Oceanic channel 228)
Streaming Video: None
Radio: ESPN 1420 AM (Bobby Curran & Jeff Portnoy). Neighbor islands can listen live on KNUI on Maui, KHLO in Hilo, KKON in Kona and KTOH on Kaua’i.
Audio Webcast: ESPN1420am.com
Live Stats: HawaiiAthletics.com
I am growing my beard this week too. Will be arriving in Anaheim tomorrow for the Tourney. I believe that we will win!!!
Manoa Baller: have great time supporting the Team on Thursday. Should have good group of Hawaii and Cali supporters. That Honda Center in Anaheim is very nice venue.
Give a great cheer for boys!
I think the first 5 have to play excellent defense and all score in double digits, plus at least 10-12 pts off the bench. Use their size, get ball to Fotu, and Standhardinger, also kick outs to shooters. Perimeter shooters have to knock down 7-9 threes. UH score high 70’s to 80, should win.
Hope to see you on the tube on Friday as well!
Go Bows. Rainbow WARRIORS!
Fear The Bearded Rainbows, or as Cream would sing, 1967, …walks like a Bearded Rainbow!(real old school sixties, super group with Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Jack Bruces. SWLABR.
Go Bows!
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I don’t think I am going to grow a beard, but I won’t shave starting Wednesday.
I think the team (at least the guys that can grow one) should go all beards next season. That would be something memorable and will get some great publicity. Everybody should grow a different style of beard.
Don’t think it would happen but it would be pretty awesome if everybody had finely manicured (or wildly unruly) facial designs.
Fotu with a full beard with his fro would be amazing. Webster-Chan with a thick fu-Manchu…. Jovanovic with a bicycle mustache… Nevels or Shamburger with some serious chops….
St Mary’s and Gonzaga had some teams that were known for unruly hair styles.
Fun team. Since day one with Gib Arnold era. The characters, Amis, Rozitis, Zane, now, Fotu, Jovanovich, Enos, Valdes, the young guys have fun and are winning!
Beard or not, UH take one game at a time. Going to be super tough game against Northridge, they will be jacking 3’s , and Maxwell cleaning up the Offensive glass, drive and penetrate. Just doing the athletic, small BWC team thing. UH has to do what they did in beginning of the year, Fotu, Standhardinger, and support from outside, Spearman, Shamburger, Nevels, Enos, Smith, Valdes etc. If UH can shut down, 2 out of 3 top Matador scorers, good chance to get win!
We were actually scheduled to have a No Shave November to raise money for a local charity at the beginning of this season, however I wasn’t back in time. This would have culminated in a “Fear The Beard Night” at the end of the month… this might be something we could still do next year… maybe throw in a “Pirate Night” half way through the month when the guys are scruffy. I like Former UH Athlete’s idea about the different styles the players could wear.
I have bad vibes for tomorrow. The UH team, nor fans (by osmosis), should not be so confident that we will win against Northridge. UC Northridge is a very dangerous team in a one and one scenario. They have 3 double digit scorers in Josh Greene (PG) who also is the best free throw shooter in the conference and he torched UH last year for 40 points in the season finale. Stephen Hicks (SF) Big West Second Team is a terrific swing man and Steven Maxwell (PF) is the leading scorer on the team and is All-Big West first team. Not to mention, coach Theus has beaten UH many times before while at New Mexico State as well. Northridge will score a lot of points, they play at a good tempo and I look for this game to be very close, maybe go to overtime. In a nutshell it’s a toss up. The team that will make a key play late in the game will win this game. I can’t see a blow out unless one team is shooting lights out and the other team is not. For UH I would be very careful. Better to be feeling like we are the underdogs and have something to prove instead of feeling like we are the better team. WAC or Big West tournament play have not been kind to Hawaii in the last 10 years. This team has the talent to do some damage, but proving it is another matter.
Derek,
I stated earlier that CS Northridge is the one team of the bottom half that could threaten the top 4. Just by chance CS Northridge ended up the #5 seed vs UH.
This is not be an easy game. UH is the more talented team, but Northridge is a very hot and cold team. Northridge has beaten all the top 4 teams this year, but also lost several games to the bottom 5 + they lost at Idaho (WAC).
UH killed Northridge on the glass in the 2nd matchup that UH won, in spite of poor shooting. That’s the formula of beating Northridge again.
UH needs to clean up their rebounding heading into BW tournament as UH has allowed way too many 2nd opportunity in the last 5 or 6 games.
Derek and Former UH Athlete..agree 100% with the both of you. Northridge, firing on all cylinders, with their top 3 guns on fire, Maxwell, Greene and Hicks, plus that athletic 6’7″ big they have can beat UH. Even Theus, knows, for them to beat UH, they have to compete on the boards and play lights out.
UH, this can be the ONE AND DONE game. That is why I alluded to, if UH plays, like how they did finishing the Diamond Head Classic, a team that competed with NMSU, almost came back at SSC on them, Mizzou on the road, terrific effort by Nevels and Christian, the Irvinve game, the wins against Oregon St, and the great win against St Mary’s, That same uptempo, good defense, good shooting team, UH can win.
Primarily, Defense and Rebounding with efficient shooting, UH can win a close one. This game is a nervous one, it would hugely disappointing if UH lost, however, not unexpected. if Northridge were hitting 12 threes, just going off and gettin 10 offensive rebounds for putbacks.
Just hope Gib has instilled, No tomorrow, if UH has to play like the old Riley WAC physcial teams, so be it, fight to the end, go for every loose ball, every rebound, play as though this could be last game of year, which it could(for possible NCAA bid). Scary game, however, if UH plays their 5 starters in double figures, game, UH can win!
Jamie Smith, awesome job, and a great welcome back, hopefully for years to come, with UH MBB program, the young fans, and the UH students, Manoa Maniacs, love what your bring. Awesome College MBB excitement, unique to the mid Pacific, and all of NCAA DI MBB!
Hope UH gets a great win, and can march on to finals!
Mahalo and Aloha, Jimmy the Brit for your hard work on behalf of Rainbow Warrior Nation!
Maybe that Santa Barbara student will be cheering on the Bows, if UCSB gets upset?
I don’t think so. Amazing self control and discipline by coaches, staff and UH MBB players, when kid got into Gib’s face.
Take that type of toughness, and being focused on the big picture, the NCAA’s and BWC championship to get 3 wins. Now, everyone is 0-0, so Go Bows!
Could UH win 3 in a row? Sure, play great team ball 40 minutes. Could UH, be One and Done? Possibly, any BWC team from 1-8 can win thing., That is what makes these tournaments crazy, whoever is hot, at this time, can go to Dance even with a losing record. Crazy, crazy. UH would love to see the Bows in the Dance and a chance to win a couple!
Go Bows. Fight hard, and harder, never give up. Play Physical ball, own the boards, and Sham, G, Q, Dyrbe, Spear, shoot for good percentage from outside, and attack the rim.
Might come down, to the guys that can make FT’s, Spearman, Q, Valdes, All have to be able to hit and ones or one and ones, or just hit about 75-85% or FT’s , might be the difference in the game, come down to, last 5 minutes, who can hit their one and ones, and bonuses. Should be great game, if both teams bring it,. Whatever happens, great , exciting BWC regular season run, and looking for fantastic finish in 2014-15!
Go Bows!!
Uhfanzoly1.
Tonganator, hope your Ohana can catch All 3 games, if UH makes it to Championship game, hope they do. Go Warriors!
For defense, for a time, I like that , Enos, Smith, Rozitis, Thomas and Valdes, they when given 5 minutes or more, really get after it. Would think at this stage Gib, has to play more bench. however, like Rocha, O’Neil, Little, Frank Arnold, Wallace , Nash and now Gib Arnold, if team is in a close dog fight, will probably stick with his starters, and go offense, defense substition, All teams, top 25 to top 150 do it.
Anyway you guys do it. get the win!
Go Bows!
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Will look funny with whole team with beards, or sort of growth of beard, if UH makes it to, and wins the championship game! Probably guys will not shave, until they lose in post season, albeit,NCAA, NIT, CIT or CBI..
We die hard fans, however, even if UH played, 50% of their games against NAIA and DII and DIII schools, a 20+ win season, and uptempo ball, we like, and look forward to more of next year!
This year not over yet, hope UH beats Matadors, in a tough,rugged game, as FUHA, Derek, winbow, UHF, say, UH gotta beat up on Matadors, a slugfest, on the boards, have to win by good margin, then have guards, close out game, if Matadors, are hot from 3 line, look out…however, UH can neutralize some of that, by any misses, clean up the defensive glass, and crash the offensive boards, all 4 guys, even sham sneak in there. Will hopefully be a great first round win. Just give 100% and more, guys, we believe in you!
And thankyou Jimmy the Brit(aka Jamie)for all the excitement you bring to SSC and the fanbase and growing UH students and future youth fans!
Go Bows!!
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Rock that Honda Center, turn it into , a Nifty Thrifty, 75-50, UH win!
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Agree with a lot of the comments here, UCSN is a very hot and cold team, and probably moreso HOT as of late. In the past month, they’ve won at UCSB, beat Irvine at home, nearly won AT Irvine, then took down LBSU. Vegas has them at 5.5pt underdogs, but I’m not buying it. This one’s going to come down to the wire, as they also lost some very VERY close one’s in OT and are pretty much at UH’s level. The talent isn’t there, but the coaching is. Hawaii needs to come out of the gate firing, set the pace of the game and stop them from even thinking they have a shot. Let’s GO BOWS!
BWC Tourney First Signal
UHWBB 52 @! LBSU 49
GO ‘BOWS!
Lets go ‘Bows. Uhfanzonly1, we are ready, Skype Isaac earlier he is ready, looking forward to an exciting game. We will be able to watch Live stream for all 3 games.
GO THE MIGHTY WARRIORS.