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Rainbows come together

THEY hugged at midcourt. The whole team did. All the Rainbows did. They'd won the 41st Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic. They'd beaten Southern California, a Pac-10 team. They were undefeated heading into conference play.

Matt Gibson -- the wild man with the wild hair -- was wildest, loving it, going nuts. He celebrated hardest.

It looked, to the naked eye, like at one point Gibson might have been inches from throwing a punch. Instead, last night, he didn't. Instead, he was the tournament's MVP.

It's coming together.

And Gibson, who, if he can keep his emotions in check, could be like one of those plans hatched by Scooby-Doo and the gang -- so crazy, it just might work.

It's coming together.

It was tougher than it needed to be, at times. These guys are still feeling each other out. All this is still new for so many of them.

There was the extra pass that turned into one pass too many, a handful of times. There were the turnovers, the head-scratching USC steals. There were too many second chances given away.

But it's coming together.

These guys have something. Talent, yes. But it's deeper than that. So much was even. But it was Hawaii that won.

The Rainbows more than just puzzle pieces. Wednesday night it was Bobby Nash's miracle shot. Last night there was Milos, the tall, good-natured Serbian who can charm you with a grin. He's the kind of guy who can sit at the end of the bench and make you smile.

He hasn't exactly been Mr. Minutes in his Rainbow career.

Yet last night his minutes ignited a spark.

They roared to life in the first half. Jake Sottos hit from 22 feet. Milos (he's a one-name guy now) made a defensive stop. Gibson made back-to-back baskets.

Then Milos drew a charge and the place went nuts and USC interim coach Jim Saia was assessed a tech.

And the place was alive, then. They were on their way.

And last night Nash needed no miracles. He was hot from the start, never missed in the first half, and played with furrowed-brow fire.

Yes, this team has pieces. There's Matthew Gipson, skills on a 6-9 frame -- last night he was huge in the second half. Huge. You can see why he went to Oklahoma out of high school.

There's Julian Sensley. You know all about him.

Playing at home helped. USC's bricks at the free-throw line helped.

But that's not why Hawaii won.

So many pieces. But it turns out, they are more than that.