Trying hard not to have Carolina on its mind, the University of Hawai’i men’s basketball team is focused on hosting Weber State in nonconference action at 5 p.m. Sunday in SimpliFi Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center.
The Warriors are 3-0 fresh off winning the OUTRIGGER Rainbow Classic championship Monday night. They will face No. 9-ranked North Carolina (2-1) at home on Friday, but insist the attention has been on Weber State all week.
“(North Carolina) is a great opportunity with them coming in, but we can’t overlook this game,” said graduate transfer Tanner Christensen, who was named Rainbow Classic Most Outstanding Player. “We can’t skip steps, we gotta focus on the next opponent coming up.”
Sunday’s game will be televised live statewide on Spectrum Sports Channel 12, and broadcast live via radio on ESPN Honolulu AM1420. It is being promoted as “Retro Night,” with the team wearing Rainbow retro jerseys and fans having the opportunity to take pictures at a “Retro Locker” display on the outer concourse just past Gate B, set up by personnel from Old Queen Street Stadium.
Weber State is 1-2, coming off an 88-58 loss at Nevada on Wednesday. Blaise Threatt, a 6-foot-3 senior guard, led the Wildcats with 13 points and five rebounds, and 6-11 center Vasilije Vucinic added 11 points.
“It’s still early in the year, all teams have a blueprint for how they do things but they wrinkle it for their strengths, and they’re still learning about each other just as much as we are,” UH coach Eran Ganot said. “Obviously they have an advantage with having so many more returners who have been in their system. But the fact they can play through their guards and through their bigs … we have to be ready for anything that they can throw at us.”
With three double-digit victories last week — 96-61 over Life Pacific, 80-69 vs. San Jose State and 76-66 against Pacific — the Warriors have shown they can be a tough scout for opponents with balanced scoring and strong play off the bench.
Christensen, a 6-10 center who transferred from Utah Tech, has proven sturdy and steady in the post with averages of 15 points and 7.3 rebounds per game along with four total blocks and three assists. Another transfer, senior guard Marcus Greene, averaged 12 points and 3.7 boards off the bench in the three victories, adding eight total assists. And sophomore guard Tom Beattie was also named to the All-Tournament Team along with Christensen and Greene after averaging 13 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.
“I think all of our guys, we’re all focused on winning,” said Greene, a 6-2 combo guard who transferred from Houston Christian. “And whatever way that pans out, I think we’ll all be happy because at the end of the day, we all win.”
Here is the projected starting lineup for Hawai’i:
G – #0 Kody Williams, 6-0, Jr.
G – #2 Tom Beattie, 6-5, Soph.
F – #34 Akira Jacobs, 6-10, Soph.
F – #14 Harry Rouhliadeff, 6-9, Jr.
C – #32 Tanner Christensen, 6-10, Sr.