Another shot at a sellout?
How does Super Thursday sound?
Four days after the Super Bowl, the University of Hawai’i basketball team will have a super showdown of its own when the Warriors host UC Irvine in a battle for first place in the Big West Conference.
Hawai’i is 18-3 overall and 7-1 in the conference after sweeping a two-game road trip at UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly last week. UC Irvine is 18-6 overall and 7-1 in the conference.
The last time Hawai’i played a “battle for first place game” this late in the season was on February 21, 2002, when it hosted Tulsa at the Stan Sheriff Center. The Warriors beat Tulsa, 86-85, on that night in a game that lived up to its hype as a showdown of the best two teams in the Western Athletic Conference.
That game was a sellout – all 10,300 tickets issued. That game was also on a Thursday night.
In other words, there was no excuse to miss that game, regardless of it being a weeknight or weekend. There should be no excuse to miss this one, either.
This is, by far, the most significant regular-season Big West Conference game for Hawai’i since it joined the league during the 2012-13 season.
The Anteaters won the Big West last season – knocking out Hawai’i in the championship game of the conference tournament – and then garnered national attention when they nearly upset Louisville in the NCAA Tournament.
UCI also has one of the nation’s most intriguing players in the entire nation in 7-foot-6 center Mamadou N’diaye. He has emerged as a legitimate Big West Player of the Year candidate, averaging 12.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.5 blocked shots per game.
As an added bonus, Thursday is another doubleheader with the UH women’s team. The UH women will host Long Beach State at 5:30 p.m., followed by the UH vs. UCI men’s game around 8:00 p.m. Fans with tickets to the men’s game can arrive early to watch the women’s game.
Thursday’s doubleheader is being promoted as a “Blackout,” and all fans are encouraged to wear black shirts.
Hawai’i’s last home game against Long Beach State on January 30 was also a doubleheader, and a sellout – the first sellout since the 2003-04 season. The last time UH had back-to-back sellouts was during the 1997-98 season, which featured Anthony Carter and Alika Smith.
Let’s pack the house for the boys. Best home court atmosphere in the Big West.
Mamadou also shooting at 66.0 FG % and 62.5 FT % up from 52.6 FT % last season.
55 TO’s and 2 steals in 24 games. Averaging 23.5 minutes per game up from 19.9 last season.
UH will be ready for this game .This got the making of being there best overall performance as a team.
LET’S GO BOWS !!!!!
Let’s Go Bows! Let’s Go Bows! Let’s Go Bows!
As much as I’d want Fleming to play in this Big game with UCI if his ankle is not 100% I’d hope he’d rest it for the more important BW Conference Tourney.
Statement game!!!! Let’s go Bows!!!! Hope espn picks the game up!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Everyone knows now, you win Super Thursday with defense. Team play and team defense. Inside and and out, and get the bench involved early to insure we’re in it at the end of the game no matter what.
Pack the house again! The team will be more used to it this time because last time was a distraction with the first sellout in 12 years and maybe team got caught up in their own hype. As the coach said, lessons learned.
Thursday’s game is gonna be H-U-G-E!! Late tip-off but hopefully we can get a sell-out and get the house rocking! Even if Isaac isn’t back or at 100%, I feel like our chances are still pretty good. Feels so far away from now but hopefully the team will be rested up after their huge, successful road trip and ready to slay the giant known as UCI. Come on ESPN, you know wanna pick this game up!!!
What’s the status of Isaac’s ankle. Will we be back to full strength? I think they key will be keeping our big guys out of foul trouble.
Sell out or not team will be ready!!!!!!!
Right…
The Lesson (to be) Learned and PRACTICED
Even Call Each Other Out On — (‘Maybe’ Not So Visibly)
IS Show Up Every Game Ready-To-PLAY Your Best
Head On A Swivel, But Screwed On Tight
Skilled and Talented, Learning, Mature, Team!
More Like Broncos Than Cams (RE: Application to Basketball)
Go ‘Bows!
BLACK-OUT Irvine
Mama Don’t…
WIN Thursday…
WIN ‘Bows!
The key players for Irvine are Nelson and Young. Slow them down and we’ve got a great shot. If Mamadou is in the middle we have to make perimeter shots. If we can get in transition we should take it to the hole as Mamadou is slow. But, they as UH has shown is rebound, defense, and decent field goal percentage. Better F/T would help too.
3 points in the AP poll this week, but no respect from the Coaches poll. That’s OK, just keep winning the next game then the next game, etc. and things will shake it out themselves.
No chance for ESPN coverage. I think ESPN makes the schedule before the season and Big West have a contract with them to do only set number of games.
Pack the house baby, Warriors, Protect the House , Nobody comes here to Stan Sheriff and come out with a W , Next time hoping if there is a double header, the women’s game can be started an hour earlier to give the younger fans ability to come on a school night . Come on Warriors ! See you Anaheim Pops Bobbit!!
No need ESPN for this game… OC16’s got better coverage anyways.
JJ — Good Goal
7 of 8 (#3 Long Beach) and
11 of 12 (#3 Oklahoma)
Would be Very Good
And still Leave Room for Future Improvement
Go ‘Bows!