Rainbows open
season with UCSBHawaii hosts the shorthanded
Gauchos tomorrow
This time it counts.
After surviving an exhibition test from Brigham Young-Hawaii on Monday, the Hawaii basketball team begins tallying wins and losses tomorrow when the Rainbow Warriors host UC Santa Barbara at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Tomorrow's season opener begins a stretch of four games in six days for the Rainbows in which the personality of this year's team could start to take shape.
UCSB at Hawaii
When: Tomorrow, 7 p.m., Stan Sheriff Center
TV: Live, KFVE
Radio: Live, KKEA 1420-AM
Internet: uhathletics.haw-aii.edu
Tickets: Lower Level, $16 (single seats only); Upper Level (adult) $12; Upper Level (student) $5; Super Rooter $8
"You couldn't tell much the other night because I ran people in and out of there, but we'll find it pretty quick," UH coach Riley Wallace said. "I couldn't tell you the personality of this team right now. They work hard, but people have to step up and some go-to guys have to be established."
After playing UCSB, the Rainbows fly to Maui on Saturday and open play in the three-day EA Sports Maui Invitational on Monday.
UH's home opener was set up as a payback for going on the road to play in last year's inaugural Bracket Buster event, and the Rainbows will face a UCSB team that enters the season as the favorite to win the Big West conference
However, the Gauchos will be without two senior leaders in the back court.
Branduinn Fullove, the Big West Player of the Year last season, injured his left ankle in the first half of an exhibition game last week and did not make the trip to Honolulu. Fullove led UCSB with 14.6 points per game a year ago.
Nick Jones, who averaged 12.4 points last year, will miss the first eight games of the season after being suspended by the NCAA last week for playing in an uncertified summer league in Mexico.
"It is a big blow," UCSB assistant coach Mark Amaral said of the loss of Jones. "Just from the statistical standpoint it's a big loss, but he also gives us a lot of emotion on the court."
Williams is looking to three sophomores to help ease the absence of the seniors. Cecil Brown and Josh Davis are slated to start tomorrow and Joe See, a transfer from Oregon State, will be asked to contribute.
Although young, Brown and Davis are seasoned performers. They played in all 32 games last season and averaged more than 15 minutes per outing. See, who played with De La Salle (Calif.) in the 2000 Iolani Classic, redshirted last season after transferring from OSU.
"We have good depth and we have some young players who are going to have an opportunity to step up, play more minutes and have more responsibilities when they are playing," Williams said.
"Both Cecil Brown and Josh Davis played last year and were good players for us as freshmen, and now it's their opportunity to play a little bit. ... We have great confidence in them."
Jacoby Atako, a four-year starter at point guard, brings stability to the back court and is the reigning Big West Defensive Player of the Year. Sophomore Cameron Goettsche and senior Bryan Whitehead are the probable starters at the forward positions.
Goettsche, who played with UH forward Jeff Blackett at Salt Lake Community College last year, averaged 14.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in UCSB's two exhibition games.
The UH players and coaches expect the Gauchos to vary their defenses to try to disrupt the Rainbows' offensive flow.
"I think they're going to give us a lot of looks," Hawaii guard Michael Kuebler said. "Coach said they'll do some zone, some man-to-man, some full-court pressure. We're definitely going to have to run a lot of stuff against them."
On the other end of the floor, the Rainbows will have to contend with a USCB offense that relies on constant motion to set up open shots.
"A lot of movement, a lot of aggressive play, they really run their offense well," Wallace said. "They come off a lot of picks and they pass the ball well."
While the Rainbows entered the game against BYUH not knowing what to expect from their opponent, or themselves, Wallace said they'll be better prepared for UCSB.
"The intensity will be there from the start," Wallace said. "They looked at film on them and they saw how aggressive they are and they know they're going to have to be ready."
