Warriors prepared to hit the road again
Four nights at home at the end of the regular season is always a good thing. Four nights at home without a home game, not so much.
The University of Hawai’i basketball team will close its regular-season schedule this week with a not-so-friendly itinerary.
The Warriors are scheduled to depart Honolulu on Tuesday afternoon for a single-game road trip at UC Santa Barbara on Thursday. They will then have to make a quick return home to prepare for the season-finale against Cal State Fullerton.
It’s not exactly the best set-up for “Senior Night”- not to mention that the Warriors will have to depart again for Los Angeles a few days later for the Big West Conference Tournament – but head coach Gib Arnold is sticking with his mantra of no excuses.
“Yeah, it’s a lot of travel, but this group is used to that,” he said. “It shouldn’t be an issue. We travel more than any team in the country. That’s a given. I don’t see any reason why we won’t be playing our best basketball.”
Hawai’i’s last game was also on the road – a heartbreaking 63-61 loss at Long Beach State last Thursday. The Warriors had a bye on Saturday, so they opted to return home to regroup, rather than stay in Southern California for a week.
The Warriors do have motivation for their final two games. They are 19-9 overall – one victory away from the program’s first 20-win season since the 2003-04 team went 21-12. Hawai’i also has the possibility of finishing in a tie for second place in the final standings if it wins both remaining games.
“Every game means something, and anytime you can move up and take second or third, it means a lot,” Arnold said. “We’re playing for seeding, we’re playing to win, and we’re playing to get better so we can peak during the conference tournament, obviously.”
The Warriors are currently in fourth place in the Big West at 8-6. There is also a revenge factor. UC Santa Barbara is 19-8 overall and in second place at 10-4, which includes a 75-64 win at Hawai’i last month.
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One player who will not be able to available down the stretch for Hawai’i is sophomore guard Brandon Jawato.
An ankle injury has bothered him since before the season started, and it was finally decided to shut his season down and prepare for surgery on the ankle.
“It just hasn’t recovered the way we thought it would, so we decided to end his season early so he can get surgery on it and start the recovery process as soon as possible,” Arnold said.
Jawato has appeared in just 14 games this season, scoring a total of eight points. The last time he saw significant action in a game was on December 30, but he has not been able to play more than 11 minutes in any game this season due to the ankle injury.
Go Rainbow Warriors! Get the important momentum generating win at UCSB then get W against Fullerton to show Appreciation for the hard work of first class, high character hard working Seniors, Rozitis, Standhardinger and Spearman, A benchmark or athletes for future UH MBB teams. Never quit!
Go Rainbows! Warriors!
Uhfanzonly1.
Should be a nice crowd up in Santa Barbara, a lot of former Hawaii residents, former UH alumnus and Hawaii BB fans, and families of the Cali players!
Best wishes to Brandon Jawato , a Warrior who gave it his best to be part of UH MBB success this year! Main thing, stay in school, keep your grades up, and get those ankles repaired so we can see you as a Junior, lighting up the BWC arenas, with 7-7 three point shooting again. Too, bad surgery wasn’t done earlier, however, do what is best for your health Brandon, you need your feet, knees, and legs for the rest of your life besides Basketball!
Mahalo and take care, Brandon “B” Jawato!
Uhfanzonly1.
Best of luck to Jawato and a speedy recovery.
HAWAII PLAY GOOD ON THE ROAD…KEEP ATTACKING ON OFFENSE, PLAY YOUR GOOD DEFENSE SPEARMAN 20 WINS LOOKS GOOD.
What’s the status of Coach Akana? That’s a long recruiting stint to be on and hopefully he lands a ready-to-play bonafide 7’er or near that for next years team. UH needs that inside presence to compete with Goliath.
Well no thanks to the Big West Commissioner for giving UH a lousy travel schedule , despite it ,the
Road Warriors will rip it up tomorrow night ,come out a winner,and come saturday at the SSC ,senior night, last game, at home, send the Titans back home with sunburns and a loss. Warriors ,come on ,rise up ,this is tournament time, rest your legs,short practice . We got to pack the Stanley Saturday night! This team deserves a packed house!!
Always as Gib says: the next game is the most important, actually 9 of them, the losses…Guys really play hard and can score on any team. Now Have to up their game, D, Rebound, on O, and shoot well , close out close game, Have to, must win for a great finish, better than 1-1, think like Negus Webster-Chan, for UH MBB to go 5-0 to close out regular season and BWC tourney and go NCAA’s, why not, set goal, and work hard to attain this year, why wait!
get win Rainbow Warriors, Warriors of the Manoa Rainbow!
I doubt Akana is out recruiting if his matter had to due with a recruit. I think that was Gib’s excuse to deflect the issue and give an explanation why he wasn’t around.
Good Luck to Brandon Jawato for Successful Surgery and Speedy Recovery to FULL Strength….
THAT Could be a Better BJ Than Weʻve Ever Seen…
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Finish Rippinʻ The Road Regular Season
A BIG Win Against a Top BWC Team Sets the Table for Next Weekʻs Historic Run
TWO Good Shots Away from 6-1 Road Record…
Get One More Road Win This Week to Begin the UH Now-Annual Tradition of Winning Road Teams
SO Both Games This week Have the Potential to Start/Continue Road/Home WIN Traditions
Start The Big Streak
Start it Now, This Week
Start the Historic Run!
GO ʻBows!
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?SO What Would that look like?
You Have to See It To Achieve It…
Thereʻs Enough Size, Numbers, Skills, Talent, Execution and Teamwork
SO LETʻS Be Playinʻ OUR UH Best Here on Out!
SET-Up A Senior Night to Remember
Because it will just be The Beginning
of a Benchmark Post-Season Run…
THEN ʻTheyʻll Allʻ Feel Like Having a Memorable Senior Night @ The Banquet
(OR Via Governor/Mayor Proclamations…)