Don’t ask about returning starters, much less who’s going to score and rebound.
Don’t ask about returning starters, much less who’s going to score and rebound.
After taking big hits to his frontcourt, just to pick a spot, Hawaii coach Eran Ganot isn’t worried about an encore at this point, just getting everybody entrenched into a new-look lineup.
“It’s no secret that we have some limitations and depth issues there,” Ganot said in a university release. “We’re not as big as we would like to be, but we still have to find a way to provide a presence, both in someone anchoring the back line of defense and on the glass.”
His debut season probably couldn’t have gone off better. The Rainbow Warriors ruled the Big West, won a game at the NCAA tournament, and the good vibes even extended to October as news came that Hawaii could get its postseason ban lifted.
But is a sophomore slump on the horizon for UH? The ‘Bows’ tip off their season at 9 p.m. Friday in Honolulu against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville at the Outrigger Resorts Rainbow Classic at Stan Sheriff Center. The game will be televised on OCSports.
Point guard Sheriff Drammeh, who averaged 1.7 points per game last season, is the leading returning scorer, and Hawaii was particularly decimated in the post. Both 6-foot-11 Stefans are gone – Jankovic left to turn pro after winning conference Player of the Year and Jovanovic is spending his senior season at Loyola Marymount. Another senior, 6-7 forward Mike Thomas, is poised to redshirt after offseason wrist surgery.
“Any time you have experienced guys, they have more of a feel for what they do best,” post coach Chris Acker said. “They rely a lot on instincts when they play. This current group is learning and they’re trying to combine what they do already with what we’re asking them for.”
Hawaii is breaking in 10 players, and it has six new options in the frontcourt, led perhaps by forward Gibson Johnson, a 6-8 junior transfer from Salt Lake City (Utah) Community College, where he averaged more than 12 points per game in two seasons. Another transfer is 6-8 forward Jack Purchase, who redshirted last season after leaving Auburn.
In Hawaii’s exhibition victory Nov. 3 against BYU-Hawaii, Johnson compiled 12 points, eight rebounds and three assists, while Purchase went for 11 points and six rebounds.
“We have very good cutters and passing post players, as well as unselfish players,” Acker said. “We expect them to make the right reads every time, establish their position early and do their work offensively.”
The Rainbow Warriors also will work a pair of true freshman into the lineup in 6-10 Ido Flaisher and 245-pound forward Zigmars Raimo, who grabbed 12 rebounds against BYU-Hawaii.
“It’s always about playing to your team’s strengths and at times you’ll see different personnel mixed in there in the frontcourt,” Ganot added.
The Stefans may be gone, but between Flaisher (Israel), Raimo (Latvia), Purchase (Australia) and Drammeh (Sweden), their is still plenty of foreign flavor on the roster. Iolani graduate Zach Buscher is UH’s only player from Hawaii.
If Ganot wants to feature a smaller lineup, the options include senior wing Noah Allen, who transferred from UCLA after playing 71 games for the Bruins, and Darryl Matthews, who last played at West Los Angeles College.
“Noah is going to be very good for us,” Acker said, “and we’re going to require him to be a leader and continue to show flashes of greatness offensively.”
Allen flashed with 15 points against the Seasiders, and freshmen two-guard Leland Green added 11.
Hawaii takes on Texas State on Sunday (OCSports) and its game at 11:15 p.m Monday night against Florida Atlantic will be nationally televised on ESPN2 as part of the College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon.