Green & White Scrimmage is this Saturday at SSC
There will be a mix of familiar and unfamiliar at the University of Hawai’i’s Green & White Scrimmage on Saturday.
The intrasquad scrimmage is scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center, and admission is free. Prior to the scrimmage, the Rainbow Warriors will start practicing at noon, and fans are invited to watch the one hour of practice as well as the scrimmage.
It will be the first chance for the public to view the 2019-20 version of the Warriors, but not all of them will be on display. Various injuries have forced numerous players to the sidelines at different times during the preseason, and a handful of Warriors may not be completely healthy for the scrimmage.
“Injuries are a part of what we deal with, we’re just dealing with it early,” head coach Eran Ganot said. “The show goes on. We’re learning that right now.”
The good news is that the key familiar faces from last season are expected to be ready. Namely, junior point guard Drew Buggs, senior guard Eddie Stansberry, and junior forwards Zigmars Raimo and Samuta Avea. All four of those players got some starting game experience last season, when the Warriors finished with an 18-13 record.
“A lot of competitive spirit, for sure,” Avea said. “We’ve been getting after it in practice and I think we’re excited to kind of be in a game-like atmosphere for the first time (this preseason).”
Other returnees expected to play include forwards Justin Hemsley and Zoar Nedd, and centers Mate Colina and Dawson Carper. Returning forward/center Owen Hulland may have to sit out due to injury.
Among the newcomers, freshmen guards Justin Webster and Jessiya Villa should see action. Freshman forward Bernardo da Silva has been working his way back into practice drills this week. Walk-ons Kameron Ng and Garrett Cason were sidelined recently, and senior transfer Ahmed Ali is not yet cleared to participate.
“Competition has been good, even though we’ve been down a couple of guys,” Ganot said. “We might be down some guys, obviously, on Saturday, but it’s an opportunity for us to learn and grow.”
The Warriors have a new assistant coach this season in Chris Gerlufsen, and he has been implementing some new offensive schemes.
“It’s a little bit different,” Stansberry said. “With this offense that we have now, there’s a lot more involvement with the wings, especially helping out the point guard … the wings are getting more involved with ball screens and what not. The transition into it is a little bit different but we’re getting reps every day in practice.”
Because of the preseason injuries, many of the healthy players have been used at various positions. It could be a similar situation during the scrimmage.
Due to the unpredictable state of the current roster, the format for the scrimmage is still to be determined. Ganot said it will likely consist of several 10-minute periods, with the players interchanging after each period to test various combinations.
GREEN & WHITE SCRIMMAGE
What: Intrasquad scrimmage featuring current UH players
When: Saturday, October 12, doors open at noon, scrimmage starts around 1:00 p.m.
Where: Stan Sheriff Center
Admission: Free; parking on UH campus is $7
TV/Radio: None
