ANAHEIM, CALIF. » They were lost for varying stretches of games during the Big West Conference schedule, leaving coaches, teammates and fans to shake their heads in frustration. But now, when things matter most, just about all of the Big West’s marquee players have been found.

The best talent in the league will be on display and will have plenty to say about which of eight teams will hoist the 40th Big West tournament championship on Saturday at the Honda Center and punch their automatic ticket to the NCAA Tournament.

"I think everybody’s kind of gotten back to where they need to be," said Benjy Taylor, coach of fifth-seeded Hawaii, after Tuesday’s practice at Cal State Fullerton. "So I’m glad. It’s good for the tournament."

Several Big West teams lost a key player for a stretch. Regular-season champion UC Davis survived — even thrived — without Big West Player of the Year Corey Hawkins for three league games. Runner-up UC Santa Barbara made do without big man Alan Williams for seven games because of a shoulder injury, but went 5-2 without him.

UC Irvine, the preseason media pick to win the league, was ravaged by injuries but still finished with an 11-5 conference record. The Anteaters lost 7-foot-6 center Mamadou Ndiaye to foot problems for most of the season; guard Luke Nelson missed time with a facial fracture for several games, and Nelson’s backcourt mate Alex Young was hobbled as well.

But all those players are back in action.

Hawaii didn’t want to hear about it. The Rainbow Warriors had their own problems. Senior guard Garrett Nevels tore a ligament next to his right thumb in a Christmas Day win over Colorado and required surgery, which cost him the first three games of league play and hampered his performances until a few games ago, when he shed a cumbersome hand brace. Aaron Valdes, Mike Thomas and Isaac Fleming all dealt with late-season ankle sprains but have since recovered almost completely.

UH is gunning for its first conference tourney title and NCAA appearance since 2002. Last year, Cal Poly shocked the league and won three games in three days as a No. 7 seed.

The Rainbows (20-12) open against fourth-seeded Long Beach State (16-16) in the second quarterfinal Thursday, scheduled for 11:30 a.m. The other first-round matchups are: No. 1 UC Davis vs. No. 8 Cal State Northridge, 9 a.m.; No. 3 UC Irvine vs. No. 6 UC Riverside, 3 p.m.; and No. 2 UCSB vs. No. 7 Cal Poly, 5:30 p.m.

Taylor bristled at the notion his 20-win team is something of a wild card in this tournament.

"I don’t see us as a wild-card team. I don’t," he said. "There are probably a couple of favorites, but I don’t really think we’re a wild card. If we win it I don’t think people will be (reacting) like they were last year with Cal Poly.

"We’re 8-8 with all the injuries that we had. I don’t think a lot of people would be surprised if we won it. I don’t think people will be surprised if one of Irvine, Santa Barbara or Davis or anybody (did)."

Long Beach State always lurks in the Big West tournament, as well. The 49ers have won it five times, the most of any current league member.

Beach coach Dan Monson tabbed Davis (24-5) as the team to beat. The Aggies, who are fourth in the country in shooting (49.5 percent) and first in 3-point accuracy (45.2 percent), became the first Big West team to go from last place one season to the outright regular-season championship the next.

"I’m not one of those coaches that feel (anybody can win it)," Monson said this week. "Davis has proven it’s the best team right now and somebody is going to have to go get them. … What they did without Corey Hawkins at UC Irvine (a 75-56 victory) was truly impressive.

"I just think somebody’s going to have to beat them or they’re going to have to have an off shooting night."

Not only are they a good team, but they are playing with a tremendous amount of confidence."

Davis’ Jim Les, the Big West Coach of the Year, said he’s appreciated what his team has done this year but isn’t satisfied. After all, the No. 1 seed has failed to win the tourney in three of the past four years.

"We’re putting behind us everything we’ve done with everything we have to be ready for," Les said.