Hawaii men's basketball coach Gib Arnold sat down with the Star-Bulletin's Brian McInnis for a question-and-answer session yesterday, after his first 50 days in the job:

QUESTION: What's it been like in a nutshell since your March 20 hire date?

ANSWER: A lot of fun, to be honest with you. I had a great time trying to put this thing together. It's been a lot of work, and will continue to be so. But I have no complaints. It's been exciting. I feel good about the progress. I like which way we're going. Hopefully we'll continue moving and trying to build this thing.

Q: Do you feel in a pretty good space as far as what you've been able to accomplish so far (six recruits signed during the late signing period, and the naming of associate head coach Walter Roese):

A: Time will tell on that. But I do think for the 40, 50 days—whatever it's been—I feel positive about the progression we've made. I think we feel good about the guys we got coming in. You know, I think when you're dealing with the late signing period, which is a very small pool of quality players, so you're trying to find a couple that are hidden, you're trying to steal a couple you shouldn't get. It's an interesting dynamic, recruiting your entire recruiting class late. And so, for the time we had to deal with, I feel pretty good about it. I think things went well.

Q: You said at your initial press conference you didn't necessarily want to hand out every scholarship available in this late-period class. With one scholarship you could potentially hand out right now, is that still your mind-set?

A: Yeah, yeah. We're, again, trying to get players who can play in this conference, and play at a high level in this conference. If we don't feel confident about that, we'll keep the one we've got and just hold it for next year.

Q: What are your thoughts on the two vacant assistant coaching positions?

A: I just kind of thought the first month and a half, which it's been, I thought I could spend more time on doing the assistant coaching, hiring of the staff. But it was just so important to be out there, as the head coach, to be recruiting that I put that on the back-burner a little bit. I'm focusing on that right now. We're not allowed to recruit on the road anymore (during the current period) but that's kind of moved itself up the priority list. First it was recruit, then eat, then sleep. And now it's a fourth right there. Those were the only three things for a while. I'm hoping to have something—I said this halfway through last time—and I ended up changing the paths and directions. But hopefully here in the next little bit. Obviously by the end of the month I'd like to have somebody in place.

Q: Have you narrowed down the group of potential assistants you're looking at?

A: I'm actually looking at two guys. Two or three guys, actually, in particular right now, who I think all would be pretty darn good if we could get them. You're just dealing with the dynamics of finding the right fit. I've pretty much said all along in my interview process, that I've gotta know you, I have to trust you, I have to know and trust that you can get the job done. There's a few guys that I didn't know as well as others, so you've got to spend some time with them a little bit more. But I feel most comfortable with guys that I've known for a long time, or guys that I've worked with. Or guys that I've had a relationship throughout the years. Rather than just dealing with a resume, I want to deal with a relationship.

Q: What are your thoughts on coach Eran Ganot, who's continued to put in work for the team?

A: I think Eran's great. I think he's done a heck of a job, and I'd like to have him stay with us in one capacity or another, and I told him that from Day 1. Actually, not from Day 1. Honestly, I've gotten to know him, and I think he does a very good job. I really wasn't planning on keeping anyone. I didn't really have a relationship with Eran at all. But I've gotten to know him, I think he does a really good job and I told him he has a job here no matter what. It may not be in the same (assistant) capacity, but there will be a job, and there is a job available for him. We're talking about different things for him to stay, and that's his decision. He's going to have to make that decision himself, but he does have a job offer here.

Q: Would it be fair to say that offer is for director of operations?

A: Yeah, something along those lines. With the possibility of also being on the road a bit. I have a different, interesting dynamic with Walter, in that, the NCAA, when he does his international coaching, he's not allowed to recruit or anything like that. I'm going to have a rotating road situation, which is where your director of basketball operations is actually also a recruiting coach. Because you have to take (Roese) off the road when he does his international coaching (with the Brazilian national and junior national teams). Your director of basketball operations is then, by NCAA rules, is able to rotate back onto the road, and I would probably formulate some kind of rotating road with Walter, and my third assistant, and my director of basketball operations. It's kind of new, it's kind of thinking outside the box a little bit, I guess. But it's something when you have a coach that has obligations as an international coach, you have to look at that or it becomes a disadvantage, where if he's gone you don't have anybody out during the summer or whatnot. It could hurt you, whereas if you want to make sure you do it right, it can turn into a positive. ... I think it's great that he can bring notoriety to the University of Hawaii globally.

Q: Are you still recruiting for next year, or are you recruiting beyond that?

A: Well, we're doing both. We're actively recruiting for (2011-12). Definitely already getting into that. And we're actively recruiting eight or nine guys that I think are very good players who could still join us here this year. We're very actively still recruiting, although I can't physically go and see them. It's now phone contact and e-mail. We can still do official visits here right now.

Q: Any particular position among those eight or nine guys?

A: You know, I think we're kind of in a position right now of “;best player available.”; I think we've done a pretty good job of fulfilling our needs in each category. I like to be three deep in every position, more so defensively. I think you can get a combo guard to play the 1 and the 2. I think we've got some small forwards who can play some power forward. You like your team makeup to guard multiple positions and be deep. If you lost a point guard, you'd have another guy, and then another guy, or if you lost a small forward, you should be three deep to plan it out. It's not always easy to do that. I think if you look at our team, we've got some pretty good depth. So we're looking at “;best player available.”;

Q: Do you have a number in mind for how many deep in your active rotation?

A: It's a good question, but I don't think that can be determined until you actually get in the gym. You would sure like to go 10 deep. Coach Wooden went seven, and won 10 national championships. So there's something to say about that. But his seven were really good. It worked for him. But I think if your bench is deep, and deeper than their bench, you probably want to play a little faster pace of basketball, try to get more offensive reps—that usually draws more fouls. Usually tires out the other team, then you get to their bench. And if your bench is strong, then you probably have an advantage that way. We're not there yet. I don't think we're there yet. Just 'cause you've got 12 (out of 13) guys on scholarship, and 15 guys on your roster, doesn't mean you've got depth. You've gotta be able to play at that level. ... Once we get everybody in and playing against each other, rather than just reading off a paper, I'll have a much better idea of where we are.

Q: You said you would be leaving it open on making final determinations on returning players. Is that still the case?

A: That still remains the same. There's a lot of variables that go into that, obviously. Grades, and how you are as a student, how you are off the floor, how you are on the floor. I mean, you look at the true word, it's “;student-athlete.”; Obviously they have to be a very good student to come to the University of Hawaii. And a very good athlete to compete at the highest level in the WAC. Do the right things off the floor, be respectful to others, teachers and teammates. I don't think my theory on that has changed at all.

Q: Final exams are this week. Once grades go in, you'll have a better idea?

A: Yeah, definitely. I'd like our players to be every bit as competitive in the classroom as they are on the floor. If it's one or the other, it's probably not the best place for you to be.

Q: Your thoughts on the proposal at the recent WAC meetings in Las Vegas to change the format of the WAC tournament so that the top two teams in the regular season get byes to the semifinals?

A: The coaches don't really make that decision. We talked about it, but the athletic directors and commissioner will make the final decision. ...

It does protect your 1 and 2. I can see value in that. I can see how Stew (Utah State coach Morrill) was all for that, and (New Mexico State coach) Marvin Menzies is all for that. They've got pretty good teams coming back.

It's a good talking point, though. Either way, I enjoyed the talk on it.