“Senior Night” is always special for the University of Hawai’i men’s basketball program, but this one will be extra special as the Warriors can also clinch its first Big West Conference regular season championship since 2016 with a victory over Long Beach State.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. Saturday in BankOh Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center; the game will be televised live statewide on Spectrum Sports Channel 12 and broadcast live via radio on ESPN Honolulu/CBS Hawai’i AM1500. Fans are being asked to wear white shirts or sweaters, as the game is being promoted as a “White-Out.”
UH enters the game at 22-7 overall and 14-5 and tied for first place with UC Irvine (21-10, 14-5). Both teams have already clinched a Top 2 finish in the regular season and earned a double-bye straight into Friday’s semifinals of the Credit Union 1 Big West Championship tournament in Henderson, Nev.
Long Beach State (9-22, 5-14) is already mathematically eliminated from qualifying for the eight-team BWC tournament. The Beach is led by head coach Chris Acker and assistant John Montgomery, who both had served as assistants at Hawai’i under current head coach Eran Ganot.
UC Irvine finishes its regular season with a home game versus UC Davis (18-12, 11-8) at 3 p.m. Hawai’i time.
Leading the charge for the Warriors — and being honored after the game — will be six seniors:
- Harry Rouhliadeff, a steady blue collar 6-foot-9 power forward, team captain and rare-four-year letterman from Brisbane, Australia who is averaging 10.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.
- Dre Bullock, a dynamic 6-6 wing and grad transfer originally from Franklinton, N.C., who is averaging 13.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game and is perhaps the most exciting open-court player in the 11-season Ganot era.
- Isaac “Big Fish” Johnson, a versatile 7-foot grad transfer center originally from American Fork, Utah, who can run the floor and sink 3-pointers, averaging 13.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
- Hunter Erickson, a crafty and clutch 6-3 grad transfer guard originally from Provo, Utah, who has had to step into the starting point guard role and is averaging 8.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
- Gytis Nmeiksa, a gritty 6-8 graduate senior who lettered two years and is averaging 10.1 points and 5 rebounds per game, mostly coming off the bench.
- Yacine Toumi, a 6-10 grad transfer originally from Meudon, France, who is averaging 4.8 points and 2.5 rebounds off the bench.
Big Wes Conference Standings
*#HAWAI’I 14-5
*#UC Irvine 14-5
*Cal State Northridge 12-7
*UC San Diego 11-8
*UC Davis 11-8
*UC Santa Barbara 11-8
*Cal State Fullerton 11-8
*Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 9-10
Long Beach State 5-14
UC Riverside 5-15
Cal State Bakersfield 2-17
* Clinched berth in Credit Union 1 Big West Conference Tournament March 11-14 in Henderson, Nev.
# Clinched Top 2 finish in regular season and double-bye in Credit Union 1 Big West Conference Tournament