Warrior Insider

A two-week break between games for the University of Hawai’i basketball team is coming at an appropriate time.

The Warriors will be looking to recover, regroup and reassess – and study for final exams – after forging a 4-5 record through the first nine games of the season.

“There’s so many things you take for granted with a new group … some of them are new to Division I and college,” head coach Eran Ganot said. “So the emphasis right now is recharge and get ready for finals because some of them are going through finals for the first time in college. They need to handle that and finish strong, and then go back to work.”

Following back-to-back losses against Seton Hall and Princeton in the FS1 Pearl Harbor Invitational on December 6 and 7, the Warriors will not play again until December 22. They will play three games in four days in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic, starting with Illinois State on December 22.

“We might be getting a little mini-camp coming up,” Ganot said. “A lot of (watching) film, but right now it’s heal, freshen up, and finals.”

It has indeed been a learning experience for the young Warriors. The recent struggles have been spread throughout the lineup, which has prompted Ganot to look at various combinations.

In the two games at the Pearl Harbor Invitational, there was a different starting lineup for the start of both games, and then a different lineup for the start of both second halves.

The backcourt remains a work in progress, with the trio of sophomores Sheriff Drammeh and Brocke Stepteau, and freshman Leland Green rotating in and out. Freshman Matt Owies and junior Larry Lewis could also increase their roles with strong practice showings over the next two weeks.

Here are some statistics of note through the first nine games:

• Senior forward Noah Allen leads the team in both scoring (14.8) and rebounding (6.3). He had a two-game stretch with a total of 46 points, but also had a two-game stretch with a total of seven points on 1-for-14 shooting.

• Junior forward/center Gibson Johnson is averaging 11.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. He is coming off a season-high 19 points against Princeton, but also posted a zero in the rebounding column in that game.

• Drammeh is averaging 10.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. He is shooting just 33.3 percent from the field, and is also averaging 3.1 turnovers per game.

• Sophomore forward Jack Purchase is averaging 9.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, and leads the team with 18 3-pointers. He went scoreless in the loss to Princeton.

• The Warriors have a field goal shooting percentage of .417; opponents are at .434.

• Hawai’i is averaging 6.8 3-pointers made per game, but have a 3-point percentage of .311.

• The Warriors are averaging 13.9 assists per game and 14.8 turnovers per game.

• Hawai’i is averaging 33.2 rebounds per game, but allowing 33.7 rebounds per game.