Warriors in ESPN Tip-Off Marathon again
The University of Hawai’i basketball team will participate in ESPN’s College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon for the seventh consecutive season.
This year’s game will be against High Point, and it is set for a midnight start on November 18 at the Stan Sheriff Center. It will be televised live on ESPN2. The unique late-night/early-morning start is to accommodate ESPN’s coverage of more than 24 consecutive hours of live basketball games.
The complete 2014-15 schedule for Hawai’i is not yet complete, as a non-conference opponent for a January 2 game has yet to be announced.
Here is the official release from UH:
HONOLULU – For the seventh-straight year, the University of Hawai’i men’s basketball team will participate in ESPN’s College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon. UH’s Outrigger Resorts Rainbow Classic match-up against High Point on Nov. 18 will be broadcast live on ESPN2 at midnight.
This will be the first-ever meeting between the Rainbow Warriors and Panthers. High Point completed one of its most successful seasons ever in 2013-14, winning its first outright Big South regular season title and advancing to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) for the first time since moving up to NCAA Division I in 1999-200.
UH’s contest with High Point will be the final game of the season-opening Outrigger Resorts Rainbow Classic. Arkansas-Pine Bluff and CSU Bakersfield are the other teams in the round-robin tournament, which enters its 50th year.
ESPN’s seventh annual College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon—consecutive live college basketball games to celebrate the start of the season—will feature 19 men’s and women’s college basketball games across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU. The schedule includes 17 men’s games and two top-25 women’s matchups.
The Rainbow Warriors have had the same late-night affair the last six years and have gone 4-2 in those contests, most recently a 95-88 loss to New Mexico State last season in the title game of the Outrigger Resorts Rainbow Classic. UH returns eight letterwinners from last year’s squad that won 20 games, its highest win total in a decade.
They’re televising the game this year. Not the greatest time but better than last year with no television. We’re moving up—slow kine—-but at least in the right direction. Next year prime time. Never heard of High Point though.
I’m always not sure about the word “midnight”. So is this game going to tip off at 12:07 on Nov. 18 or 12:07 Nov. 19th? Make it much easier for fans to know the exact time if they were to use the tip-off time. Either way….there is a woman’s volleyball game scheduled for both the 17th and the 18th so it going to be a double header either way.
High Point is from the Big South and won first place in the regular season in the North division, but lost in the Big South tournament in the Quarter Finals last season.
I would think 12 midnight game on Nov. 18 goes into Nov. 19 ?
Islandman….that was what I thought too…..however I went to the ESPN website and they listed High Point Vs UH at Nov 18th 5am Eastern time which would make it Nov 17th going into the 18th.
See what I mean about midnight being a confusing word.
kahuna, then it should be Nov 17 midnight ? or it could be Nov 18 midnight going into Nov 18 am, like you said.
Servante,
It sure was televised last year…thus the “7th STRAIGHT Year in ESPN’s tip off marathon”. Nmsu game was on espn2 last year at midnight.
BrokenHeartedinAnaheim
On ESPN? Maybe you’re right. But I thought there was one year that the game was not televised nationally?
Gib Era ESPN tip off games-
All were exciting games, though very bleary eyed, sleepy watch till the end.
Gib teams are 2-1 in those ESPN tipoff games.
11/12/2013 12:00am HST
TV: ESPN2
Lost to NMSU
11/12/2012 11:00 pm HST
Win against Houston Baptist
TV: ESPN
11/14/2011 11:00 pm HST
Win against Cal St.-Northridge
TV: ESPN
Servante, maybe you are thinking about the Bracket Buster game? UH was not chosen to be televised several times. ESPN discretion.
You Might be Thinking of Bracket Busters which hasn’t been televised…
maybe we’ll be good enough to draw interest This Season…
Last Season’s Power Ratings for Opening Tourney:
Arkansas Pine Bluff, 13-18, #324
Cal-State Bakersfield, 13-19, #232
High Point, 16-15, #228
HAWAI’I, 20-11 #149
…and Continuing to Climb…
…Three LONG Months…
“Entertainment and Drama” in The Mean Time…
– Not-So-Mean NCAA?
– Recruiting Surprise(s)?
– Coach Signee?
– FIBA FOTU…
– Open Gym HIGH Lights
maybe Football CAN Win Some?
Maybe that would need to be Futbol, Na Wahine Style…
And V-Ball
On BM’s blog, a comment, whenever at whatever network picks up UH games to be televised outside of Hawaii, that is huge recruiting and exposure for program. Even though moved to ESPN2, or ESPN3, it really benefits the MBB Rainbow Warriors. Especially exciting ball and THE WIN!
Love when they show the beach at Waikiki or North Shore, the sunset , beautiful weather, when the Mainland USA is starting to cool down. Good for Hawaii tourism too.
Eagle: Believe ESPN Bracket Buster games came to a close 2013.
link:http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/8736253/bracketbusters-event-discontinued-2012-13-season
The annual BracketBusters, a two-day event featuring NCAA tournament hopefuls from non-power conferences, will be held for the final time in February 2013
ESPN announced late Monday that it will not continue the BracketBusters beyond this season.
“BracketBusters has been a unique event for 11 years, producing memorable games and moments while generating national exposure for the participating schools and conferences,” the ESPN statement said. “Given the evolving college landscape, we felt the event in its present form has run its course. We’ll continue to work with our conference partners to develop new, creative events to further grow the sport. Our goal is to maintain the BracketBusters brand in some fashion in the future.”
Maybe, UH can just concentrate on winning the BWC regular season. Then take it from there. I think it was hard , since in conference season, purpose to highlight those mid majors that might have exposure, and build up BPI, RPI, or whatever ratings for selection time NIT/NCAA.
Eagle
That’s right. Getting old. UH can use all the exposure they can get. With 20 wins last year I’m sure ESPN got us on their radars. If we have early season success it’s possible they could pick up some of our games.
Kahuna, I agree that the using the word midnight can be confusing. Luckily the ticket issuers in Hawaii list the game starting at 11:55PM. So yeah, the game starts at 11:55PM on November 17.
Last year’s game was entertaining but very frustrating. The Stan Sheriff Center was 1/4 full (mostly students and 30-somethings – very loud and vocal, good energy), UH seemed more tired than NMSU, and the officials were giving favors left and right to NMSU. Plus it was frustrating for our guys to up against 7’5″ Sim Bhular, who just as a side note signed with the Sacramento Kings and is friends with Webster-Chan. Sure, it’s very hard to go up against a 7’5″ opponent but he had obvious weaknesses: slow reactions and even slower runner. Whenever we got possession of the ball and headed to their basket, it’s like we waited for Bhular to get back into position to protect the rim.
Our guys looked tired at tip-off and the fatigue was especially apparent in the second half. Gib really needs to manage the team better in preparation for such a late and high-profile game. You know, schedule team practice better, tell the guys to sleep earlier, get school assignments out of the way, etc. I mean, it’s on ESPN so give it your best!