No slam-dunk contest, 3-point shootout, costumes or musical intros.

No fun and games—just a whole lot of hard work and sweat.

The Hawaii men's basketball team officially opened the 2008-09 season in the familiar confines of the Stan Sheriff Center yesterday, where Twilight Ohana festivities have been the norm to kick off past seasons.

The venue of choice is where the similarities ended.

Bob Nash had something else in mind this year. The second-year head coach put the Rainbow Warriors through a rigorous 3-hour practice that he hopes set the tone leading into the first games of the season next month. Things were ragged at times, but Nash thought the effort was there.

“;I thought everybody for the most part were into it,”; Nash said. “;We got a lot of work to do, a lot of fundamentals and offense to sharpen up. ... I wasn't displeased overall, just a lot of new stuff coming at them. We're maybe a bit further along (than previous years).”;

From the early going, Nash continuously exhorted the team to work harder. Hustle, fast-break offense, rebounding and defense were early points of emphasis before he gave the team a reintroduction to the flex offense in the half-court near the end of the practice.

He plans to steadily add new elements to the drills over the next three practices in three days, using the players' highs and lows on film from yesterday to display ways to improve.

“;This year's so wide open and everyone sees that, going out and trying to get as much playing time as possible,”; said junior forward Bill Amis, the high scorer among returnees. “;A lot more full-court stuff (than last year).”;

Newcomer Roderick Flemings, who is recovering from a sprained ankle, worked out with the wings and favored his good left foot at times but exploded for a couple of highlight-reel worthy slams during fast-break drills. His taped right ankle was noticeably swollen afterward.

“;Trying to see what I could do, work my way back into it,”; Flemings said. “;It's good to get to work and get right to it instead of doing the celebration stuff. It's going to help us with our team chemistry, get us going more.”;

Petras Balocka, Lasha Parghalava, Adam Jespersen, Brandon Adams and walk-on Leroy Lutu Jr. also got their first official looks with the coaches.

Conrad Fitzgerald, last year's slam-dunk champion at Twilight Ohana, didn't mind missing out on a chance to defend his title.

“;We all have a goal to bring something special to Hawaii this year,”; the second-year freshman said. “;We didn't mind working hard at all.”;

Nash isn't going to lose any sleep about it, either.

“;We have some guys dunking in the warm-up line, so I got my fill of that,”; he said.

Meanwhile, the Hawaii women's basketball team got started in Klum Gym.

Coach Jim Bolla put the Rainbow Wahine through myriad up-tempo drills and offensive sets and gave his players chances to display their ability in full-court five-on-five scenarios.

“;We get up the floor better than we have in the last couple of years,”; Bolla said. “;For the first day they worked hard, we got some of our sets in. I was very pleased.”;

He noted the mobility of Rebecca Dew, one of five new scholarship players along with Briauna Linton, Sarah Ilic, Jennifer Hamilton and Breanna Arbuckle.

“;Getting our offense in, running as a team, I enjoyed it,”; said Dew, a 6-foot-3 freshman center from Auckland, New Zealand. “;It certainly helps to be fast, but it's something I'm still working on.”;

Former Wahine player Saundra Cariaga has helped put the team through conditioning drills as a student assistant.