Schedule quirks and more on Valdes and Bobbitt
Big West Conference action gets underway this week. Each of the nine teams in the conference, including Hawai’i, will play 16 games over the next nine weeks.
Perhaps every team in the conference can make an argument that the conference schedule does not work in their favor. Hawai’i, of course, is no exception.
In particular, six of the eight teams visiting Hawai’i will get extra time off either before or after playing the Warriors in Honolulu.
This week is an example. Hawai’i will open the conference season by hosting Cal Poly on a Wednesday (instead of the usual Thursday). Normally, that would seem to work in favor of the home team, but there’s this – Hawai’i played a game on Saturday (January 2), while Cal Poly’s last game was on December 29.
In short, Hawai’i has three days to prepare for the Mustangs, while the Mustangs have seven days to prepare for the Warriors (including the advantage of viewing UH’s last game against Howard via the internet).
On top of that, playing on a Wednesday is not providing any advantage on Saturday for the Warriors. UC Santa Barbara plays at Hawai’i on Saturday, January 9, and it will be the Big West opener for the Gauchos. UCSB is not playing this Wednesday or Thursday before making the trip to Honolulu.
If they wanted to, the Gauchos could arrive in Honolulu on Wednesday afternoon, have a free viewing/scouting get together that night to watch the Warriors play Cal Poly on OCSports, then still have two days to prepare for Saturday’s game.
In all, four teams (Cal Poly, UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine, UC Riverside) will not have to play a game in the days immediately before playing at Hawai’i. The four other teams will come to Hawai’i after playing a game earlier that week, but two of those teams (Long Beach State and CSUN) will have a week to recover after playing at Hawai’i.
Cal State Fullerton will come to Hawai’i on a Saturday (Feb. 13) after playing at CSUN on a Wednesday (Feb. 10). That at least gives the Titans one extra day than the usual Thursday-Saturday set of games.
UC Davis is the only visitor that appears to have not been accommodated for its Hawai’i trip. The Aggies will play at Hawai’i on a Saturday (January 23), and is playing the Thursday before (January 21) and the Wednesday after (January 27). The only saving grace for the Aggies is that they are playing at home both before and after their Hawai’i trip.
Speaking of Wednesday games, several of them are sprinkled throughout the Big West schedule this season. However, Hawai’i has just one – this Wednesday at home against Cal Poly. Playing on a Wednesday gives teams an extra day to rest and prepare for the Saturday game, but Hawai’i will have no such luxury for its road trips.
Eight Big West teams come to Hawai’i in 2016, and here is the scenario for each:
Cal Poly
Previous game before Hawai’i: December 29 at Texas A&M
Game at Hawai’i: January 6
Next game after Hawai’i: January 14 vs. UC Santa Barbara
UC Santa Barbara
Previous game before Hawai’i: January 2 vs. Point Loma
Game at Hawai’i: January 9
Next game after Hawai’i: January 14 at Cal Poly
UC Davis
Previous game before Hawai’i: January 21 vs. UC Riverside
Game at Hawai’i: January 23
Next game after Hawai’i: January 27 vs. Cal State Fullerton
Long Beach State
Previous game before Hawai’i: January 28 vs. UC Santa Barbara
Game at Hawai’i: January 30
Next game after Hawai’i: February 6 vs. CSUN
UC Irvine
Previous game before Hawai’i: February 3 at Cal Poly
Game at Hawai’i: February 11
Next game after Hawai’i: February 13 vs. CSUN
Cal State Fullerton
Previous game before Hawai’i: February 10 at CSUN
Game at Hawai’i: February 13
Next game after Hawai’i: February 17 vs. UC Irvine
UC Riverside
Previous game before Hawai’i: February 18 vs. UC Santa Barbara
Game at Hawai’i: February 25
Next game after Hawai’i: February 27 at Long Beach State
CSUN
Previous game before Hawai’i: February 25 vs. UC Santa Barbara
Game at Hawai’i: February 27
Next game after Hawai’i: March 5 vs. UC Davis
— — — — — — —
TRIPLE-DOUBLE NOT ENOUGH FOR WEEKLY AWARD
When is a triple-double not enough? When it comes to this week’s Big West Conference Player of the Week Award.
Despite his historic triple-double performance last week, Aaron Valdes was not selected as the Big West Player of the Week. Valdes, a 6-foot-5 junior forward, became just the third player in University of Hawai’i basketball history to record a triple-double when he finished with 16 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists in the Warriors’ 94-59 rout of Howard on Saturday.
What’s more, there have been 13 triple-double performances by NCAA Division I players so far this season, and Valdes is the only one from the Big West Conference on the list.
To be fair, UC Santa Barbara guard Michael Bryson had an impressive statistical week in winning the Big West Player of the Week Award. He averaged 22.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game as the Gauchos went 3-0, including a road victory at Washington (which was UCSB’s first road win over a Pac-12 opponent since 2003).
By comparison, Valdes averaged 16.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists as Hawai’i went 2-0 last week.
The only other Hawai’i players to record a triple-double are teammate Roderick Bobbitt (12 points, 10 assists, 10 steals against Hawai’i-Hilo in 2014) and Reggie Carter (12 points, 12 assists, 11 rebounds against Yale in 1975).
If anything, Valdes’ triple-double was somewhat unexpected. In the five games leading up to the Howard game, he was averaging 10.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. His previous career-high for assists in a game was seven.
— — — — — — —
BOBBITT JOINS ANOTHER ELITE LIST
If you asked UH basketball fans one month ago which player is most likely to record a triple-double, most would answer Roderick Bobbitt. If you asked those same fans which player is most likely to score 30 points three times in four games, most would answer Aaron Valdes.
The roles have been reversed, for now, and both Bobbitt and Valdes are in the UH record book as a result. As mentioned above, Valdes joined Bobbitt on the elite short list of triple-double performers.
Bobbitt got his triple-double last season, and he has more recently been on a scoring binge. In particular, he has scored 30 points in more in three of the last four games.
Bobbitt, who averaged 8.9 points per game as a junior last season, is now on another elite short list with some of the top scorers in UH basketball history.
Only five previous UH players have recorded at least three 30-point games in the same season. Here is the list:
5 – Gavin Smith (1976-77)
4 – Anthony Harris (1995-96)
4 – Tom Henderson (1973-74)
3 – Roderick Bobbitt (2015-16)
3 – Carl English (2002-03)
3 – Ray Reed (1990-91)
— — — — — — —
WARRIORS GETTING NOTICED NATIONALLY
Hawai’i’s 11-2 start to this season is drawing the attention of some national websites. Among them:
The Warriors are projected to represent the Big West in the NCAA Tournament by espn.com’s “Bracketology with Joe Lunardi.” He currently has Hawai’i as a No. 13 seed, projected to face Louisville. UC Irvine was projected to represent the Big West in previous versions of Bracketology.
Click here to view the espn.com Bracketology
The Warriors moved up five spots to No. 19 in this week’s CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25. Fellow Big West member UC Irvine is No. 18.
Click here to view the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25
The Warriors are in the “Also Receiving Votes” category for the Mid-Major Madness Power 15. UC Irvine is not in the top 15, and is also not receiving any votes.
BWC opponents are gonna need all the help they can get in defeating UH, especially at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Regarding CollegeInsider’s Mid-Major Top 25, UH’s shift from #24 to #19 is this week’s largest gain. That’s interesting considering we blew out two terrible teams.
Polls nice…fun to talk about..
We can do all the hoopla and hooray when team wins first BWC regular season title and second, when they win BWC tournament..
Good coaches downplay these pre conference polls..
Rankings..
Ganot , Taylor , Gib, Nash, Wallace always told guys how and where they finish in conference most important.
Selection sunday we want boys be BWC champs by 2..
Then we go cheehoo!
🙂
Unphysical beast 6-9 Lattin had 6 blocks,10 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 assists and 10 pts. in Oklahoma’s 3 OT loss to Kansas. Spangler had 18 rebounds,2 blocks, 2 steals and 14 pts. Ellis of Kansas had 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 27 pts. and he shoots threes, 2 for 3.
Spangler was 2 for 3 on 3 pointers. Shows “big man” rebounders can shoot them like Janks.
s/b 2 for 4.
In BWC play is where we’ll see the coaching ability of Eran and the ability of his team to execute and make adjustments as teams will have us scouted out very well. Looking forward to a monster league performance by the BOWS.
Oh, Lattin missed a FT that could have won the game. FT’s can be so important.
Looks like Big West trying to take care of the California schools and mess with UH home advantage. This is the sentence that really bother me: “Playing on a Wednesday gives teams an extra day to rest and prepare for the Saturday game, but Hawai’i will have no such luxury for its road trips.”
How can that be? How can the other teams get to do Wed-Sat road trips and UH have to be only Thurs-Sat?
I hope and pray Matlin doing something about that because UH getting screwed.
UH can have more class time ? with Thurs-Sat games. Also cuts down some on hotel costs.
Bobby C. said Brian Bennett slowed by an injury ? Doesn’t show in their last box score.
islandman, we had this discussion before about “more class time” so I will say again, does one more day really make that big a difference? In this modern age of email and online classes what does it say about all the UH academic advisors if one extra day on the road being looked at as excuse for academic failures?
I can see the hotel cost thing coming in play but sheesh we only talking one more day. I travel for my work so I know can find cheaper hotels in California, way cheaper than Waikiki. I think its way worth it to try and get any advantage you can on the road especially for a team like this year that has a for real chance to win the league!
My take is this, “stop whining, just play the games, and take care of business.” Ganot would say that if we’re good enough we’ll win the games, and if we’re not, we’ll get beat. We make no excuses.
Ganot and I also believes that this year’s team is improving as the season goes on. The staff makes good adjustments during the game and at halftime. All assistant coaches are involved in helping on the sideline. This team is good. It is very, very good when they shoot a good percentage. When we don’t it gets close and we have to depend on our defense and steals. When it comes down to the nitty gritty, it’s all about execution, like making the key free throws, the key rebound, the key steal, the key three, the key turnover, etc. Coaches coach, the players have to play and execute, the talent is there. Just take care of business. This team is no fluke, you beat a very good Northern Iowa team, a good Auburn team out of the SEC, play well against the #2 team in the country, Oklahoma, and lose to an 11-1 Texas Tech team by 8 on the road coached by Tubby Smith because of primarily free throws, a team we were leading at the half.
You don’t have to believe me what I say. But, I watch and games and I trust my eyes. One game at a time.
Prediction for Wednesday: UH 75, Cal-Poly 60. Happy New Year!
One day per road trip x 4 road trips would be almost a week of class time. That could be significant especially if they are taking classes where there are labs or assignments that must be done in groups.
Derek:
I agree with you..True to the max.. Every coach,, good ones every level same thing, listen, learn, get better, execute in games, get wins..
or learn from losses.
Bottom line: Team has to just Take One game at a time.. too much this BPI/ RPI, CIP.. rank,// poll stuff, and pre conference this, post conference that..
JUST PLAY THE GAME>. execute, team can be successful
Your post.. probably best Post of past 5 years !
Good job Derek.. I like your comments. keeping it REAL !
🙂
TAVS:
Just hope Ganot and staff, advisors, assitants, have that all worked out. the academics side and to keep on pace. remember, Quincy, possibly Bobbitt?, Janks and Valdes, and Sai.. all scheduled to graduate this May.. cost so much money, and means future, career past basketball.
They have to do well in school..
How All UH students do it, the school/ and high level of athletics. .is really something, I could not do it..
props to the 4 year and 3 year guys with MBB, they been doing it, without dropping out of UH.. great job guys.
“The University of Hawaii expects to announce Wednesday whether it will appeal NCAA sanctions against its men’s basketball team, a spokesman said. …
The five-member IAC is regarded by the NCAA as, “the final step in the infractions process” and may overturn or modify a COI ruling.
In order to reverse a penalty meted out by the COI, NCAA rules say, UH would have to, through an in-person appearance or in writing, demonstrate, ” the ruling by the committee on infractions was clearly contrary to the evidence; the individual or school did not actually break NCAA rules; there was a procedural error that caused the Committee on Infractions to find a violation of NCAA rules; or the penalty was excessive.”
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sports-breaking/uh-to-announce-tomorrow-if-it-will-appeal-ncaa-sanctions/
What some call “whining” others call preventive action. This is what good business managers do to put their people in the best position to be successful. UH often does not fall into this category.
This is not directed at Ganot and the team because it is their job to play the games and win and I agree they have been doing a unreal job. I say it is on Matlin and others at his level to put Ganot and the team in the best position to win and if that means fighting for an extra day of advantage on the road then why not? If Matlin were to offer Ganot and the team one extra day to scout and prepare for an opponent do you expect him to say no, we make no excuses or do you expect him to say heck yeah I’ll take that!
The dates on the schedule show that UH is not getting treated the same as the California teams. If other teams in the conference are getting this extra days and only UH is not getting it, it should not be considered “whining” to request what the rest of the conference is getting.
I shake my head all the time because it is this passive and submissive attitude that puts UH at the back of the line for so many things.
As Derek says, coaches coach and the players have to play. I agree. You forgot to say (athletic) directors have to direct.
These ratings and predictions about the Bows finishing the conference at the top and going to the NCAA’s is a jinx.
The fact is that the NCAA’s don’t respect Hawaii even if they say they do.
Take your predictions and shove it. Leave the team alone and they will be just fine.
Go Bows!!!
islandman, thanks for the link because that just adds to my thoughts about UH management being so passive and submissive. Let me see if I got this straight … UH had 15 days to appeal and they are waiting for the 15th day to make the decision. OMG!!!
This should of been appealed from the start because nobody was expecting post-season ban. This was a chance for UH management to make a stand and say all rule breakers have been eliminated and no need to punish the current coach and players. They should have did that the day the sanction was announced to gain public trust, but nooooo, UH have to do their usual hemming and hawing and now here we are same as usual.
Everybody including the ESPN announcers complained about NCAA annoucing the sanctions on the first day of Diamond Head Classic so what does UH do for the appeal? Announce it on the opening day of Big West Conference of course!
I am shaking my head so much at UH I get whiplash already.
The best to the team and coaches. Go and get that NCAA bid and win one game at a time.
ChuckCheese:
WHY UH admin. does such things? Not very Akamai?
Because they are UH admin..not a good track record on filing appeals, going to battle for their student athletes, although that is what BOR, admin, AD, chancellor etc, say they are doing. FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE STUDENT ATHLETES?
makes you wonder, why all the pilikia..
Poor MBB team, they and their families suffer..
Happy Birthday, HUNTER SCHMIDT !
To CLEAR Davis’ Name
He Checked with Compliance Office BEFORE ALL
WHAT More Can We Expect?
Would Be A Great Gift…
But TOO MUCH To Ask?
eagle would be miracle if part of appeal dael
Complete forgiveness, all alleged infractions dropped and next season awesome combo of Gib, Brandyn, Benjy and Senque, Montgomery, Jacobsen and Acker coaching staff,,
And complianece dept make peace wth former staff..
Imagine UH being able to recruit and reload…definitely UH MBB would dominate BWC.. and go to 3 or ncaa tournament deep runs in a row
That would make everthing back to great pono, norm..
A lot more fans , the missing 4300 in SSC in house attendees would come back,,
That would make be awesome..UH MBB and compliance Aloha for one another not acrimony
🙂
And of corse Eran Ganot added to staff..staff could recruit big time talent for sure..
Assign To Young (HE IS) “THE Next Dan Inouye”…
FIGHT RELENTLESSLY FOR…
Restore “Victories”…AND Provide Post-Season Advanced Allowance Priority
e.g., 50% or Better Season Must Be Seeded Eighth or Higher for Up to Three Seasons (As Retribution for Past Wrongs)
Grant Fifth and/or Sixth Season of Eligibility to Davis As Restitution for Their “Wrongful”, Arbitrary, Capricious, Hurtful and Malicious Past Determinations…
Restore Eligibility and “Amateur” Status to FOTU And Sammis with Treble Back-Pay (Damages) for Cost of Attendance And “Harm”
Have a Good “Laugh” with Gib And Apologize And Train for (Lack of) DIVERSITY in Thinking And Actions —
WHY Should Anyone Be “Expected” to Help YOU Make Your Case When They WHOLE-HEARTEDLY DIS-AGREE with Every Fibre In Their Body?
ALLOW Volunteer Coaches AND DOBOs to Demostrate that THEY Also Deserve A RAISE And Promotion (To Full-Time Coach) By Allowing Them to DEMONSTRATE On The Court That THEY CAN Coach…
CHASTIZE (Even Prosecute And Imprison) Those Who COERCED (Or “Convinced”) Former DOBOs to Change Their Stories to NON-Collaborated New Incriminating Versions, Thereby Bearing FALSE WITNESS — A TEN Commandment Violation…FAR Above “Level One or Two”
Congressional Review and FULLY AUDIT And RE-Write The CHARTER And Management OF THE NCAA to SERVE & Protect Student-Athletes, Coaches and Staffs, Then Programs, IN THAT ORDER of Priority…
Fire Lassner And Bley-Vroman for POOR Decisions AND MILLION-Dollar Mistakes (They Harassed Donovan for A $200K SCAMMER Who Illegally Duped Dozens of Programs, Actually Recoverable?) Including Negligence And FAILURE TO FULLY FUND Benchmark Athletic Programs…(That ARE Actually Closest to Generating Their Own Income and Can Argue a Return-On-Investment…)