During his three-week tenure as acting head coach, Hawaii’s Chris Gerlufsen has likened a college basketball season to a marathon.

But he also emphasized that there’s no reason not to pick up the pace early in a long-distance run.

“We want to win every game,” said Gerlufsen, whose Rainbow Warriors play host to New Orleans on Sunday in the Stan Sheriff Center. Tip-off is at 5 p.m.

“That’s the goal,” Gerlufsen said. “I’m not naive. We’re going to have some hiccups and some bumps along the way. The purpose of the preseason is to learn about your team while winning games and preparing for Big West play (in January).”

The immediate concern is expanding the playing rotation and sorting the glut in the post. Because of ailments and other circumstances, four players are averaging more than 33.8 minutes per game, topped by guard Eddie Stansberry’s 39.0.

“We can’t sustain a year with guys playing that many minutes,” Gerlufsen said. “We’re recognizing that. We need to get other guys up to speed.”

Gerlufsen said freshman guards Kameron Ng and Justin Webster will have to log more minutes. Ng is the top understudy to point guard Drew Buggs, who is averaging 34.2 minutes per game.

An ankle injury prevented Webster from participating in the final week of training camp and the first three games of the season. Webster can play both guard positions and the wing. “We need Justin to score for us, too, and provide a spark off the bench,” Gerlufsen said.

The ’Bows are wishful 6-6 wing Justin Hemsley will have an expanded role. Hemsley can provide scoring on drives and jumpers, defend wings and power forwards, and lead the transition game. But foul trouble (1.98 per 10 minutes) has limited Hemsley to 14.6 minutes per game.

The ’Bows have a unique dilemma of having four available posts — Dawson Carper, Mate Colina, Zigmars Raimo and Bernado da Silva. Raimo has opened at the four to create a double-post look. But Raimo also can slide to the five when the ’Bows want to go with a quicker lineup.

Carper, a 7-foot sophomore, played his best game in defending Illinois’ 7-foot, 290-pound center Kofi Cockburn.

“He battled,” Gerlufsen said of Carper, who eventually fouled out. “(Cockburn is) as big and as athletic of a guy you’ll see all year. I was proud of his effort.”