The Hawaii basketball team’s ID number is three.
“We’ve had to redefine our identity,” head coach Eran Ganot said of the Rainbow Warriors’ injury-influenced changes. “We had our identity going into practices (in September). That identity was incredibly deep, with the ability to play big and small with multiple play-makers and multiple ball-handlers. Then we lost two guys for the year.”
The ’Bows altered some roles after wing Samuta Avea and point guard Juan Munoz underwent surgery for season-ending injuries. Then after a 3-1 start, the ’Bows had to re-calibrate after center Bernardo da Silva suffered a hand injury and guard Noel Coleman sat out nearly three full games because of a hip ailment.
“So there was that stretch where we had to redefine our team again, and maybe play some less possessions because four guys (being) out is significant,” Ganot said.
Another adjustment was made after Coleman returned to the active roster for the Dec. 8 game against Hawaii Pacific.
“We’ve always said the blueprint is similar — share the ball offensively, have each other’s back defensively,” Ganot said. “Some of the identity had to shift. We’re still in that mode, and we’ll redefine it a bit when Bernardo comes back. I think in the long term, all of this will help us.”
Da Silva probably will not be ready when the ’Bows of the Big West play Vanderbilt of the Southeastern Conference at 7 p.m. in Wednesday’s opening round of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic in SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
That means 6-foot-10 Kamaka Hepa will remain at the three in the plus-sized lineup that includes 7-foot Mate Colina and 6-8 Jerome Desrosiers. Hepa can post up a smaller defender for a layup or kick-out pass, launch a deep shot, or set a screen for a guard. On defense, Hepa is a lengthy obstacle as a wing with a nearly 7-foot wing span and 35-inch vertical jump.
“It’s been a great experience for me (playing the wing),” said Hepa, who transferred from Texas this summer, “and EG (Ganot) has been in my ear making sure I’m making the right reads and decisions at this new position I’m playing.”
Coleman, who drained six of seven 3s against HPU, was surprised at rapidly going from day-to-day to a lights-out performance. “I thought it was going to be a little rusty, but I felt pretty good out there,” Coleman said. “I was happy to be back with my teammates, and I was happy to be able to contribute to my team.”
Ganot said Coleman has further improved during the two-week break leading to the Diamond Head Classic. “Now he’s had more practices to get his rhythm, his conditioning,” Ganot said.
Ganot added: “Our numbers are our numbers. It’s been unique. But I am appreciative the way the guys have handled it, really from day one, and helping each other through it with the mindset the best is yet to come.”
A look at the other teams in the tournament:
BYU COUGARS
>> Record: 9-2
>> Conference: West Coast
>> Head coach: Mark Pope
>> Wednesday opponent: South Florida, 4:30 p.m.
>> Outlook: Silencing opposing crowds with shots from all distances, Alex Barcello is the H-O-R-S-E whisperer. Barcello, who averages 19.7 points, is 50% (28-for-56) from behind the arc. He opened the season with 18 successful free throws in a row. Barcello, who transferred from Arizona two years ago, appeared to be on the move to the pros after the 2020-21 season. But he opted to stay put, giving the Cougars a 1-2 combo in the backcourt with the arrival of Milwaukee transfer Te’Jon Lucas. Lucas, who began his career at Illinois, has a 2-to-1, assist-turnover ratio. Caleb Lohner and Bernardo da Silva were Wasatch Academy teammates and BYU pledges. But da Silva de-committed and signed with UH. Lohner joined the Cougars, where he is averaging 7.2 rebounds this season.
LIBERTY FLAMES
>> Record: 7-4
>> Conference: ASUN
>> Head coach: Ritchie McKay
>> Wednesday’s opponent: Northern Iowa, 10 a.m.
>> Outlook: The shortest Flame — 5-foot-9 Darius McGhee — has the largest workload. McGhee’s 167 shots are more than double the attempts of the next prolific shooter. His 215 points in 11 games account for 28% of the Flames’ scoring. McGhee, who averages 19.5 points, tops the Flames in steals (18), has committed 13 fouls this year, and even blocked three shots. The Flames have tried to spread the offense, but 6-9 Blake Preston does not roam far from the low post — 22 offensive rebounds, one 3-point shot — and Kyle Rode is more of a facilitator. McGhee, last season’s ASUN MVP, has embraced his high-volume role, averaging 24.0 points the last three games.
NORTHERN IOWA PANTHERS
>> Record: 4-5
>> Conference: Missouri Valley
>> Head coach: Ben Jacobson
>> Wednesday’s opponent: Liberty, 10 a.m.
>> Outlook: All-MVC guard AJ Green’s 2020-21 season ended after three games because of a hip injury, and the Panthers’ league tournament run ended because of what turned out to be a false COVID-19 positive. The Panthers opened this season with consecutive losses en route to dropping to 2-5. But Green, a standout golfer at Cedar Rapids High, found his on-court stroke, boosting his scoring average from 11.0 after four games to 18.7. He also became No. 2 on UNI’s career 3-point list, surpassing Jacobson. An ailment has slowed forward Austin Phyfe’s scoring/rebounding production in recent weeks. But Noah Carter, after starting the opener, is averaging 11.4 points as a reserve.
SOUTH FLORIDA BULLS
>> Record: 4-5
>> Conference: American Athletic
>> Head coach: Brian Gregory
>> Wednesday’s opponent: BYU, 4:30 p.m.
>> Outlook: It is a tricky behind-the-line dance for the Bulls, who are antagonizing in defending 3s (29.3% shooting by opponents) but inconsistent in making them (349th out of 350 Division teams at 23.8% accuracy). DJ Patrick came off the bench to hit six 3s against Georgia Southern, and Javon Greene sank the decisive trey against North Carolina A&T State with 12 seconds to play. But the Bulls also missed 24 of 31 3-point shots in one game and hit 18.1% in another. Eight Bulls transferred from NCAA programs, including Greene (George Mason), 7-foot Russel Tchewa (Texas Tech) and Corey Walker (Tennessee). Caleb Murphy has scored in double figures in seven consecutive games.
STANFORD CARDINAL
>> Record: 6-4
>> Conference: Pac-12
>> Head coach: Jerod Haase
>> Wednesday opponent: Wyoming, noon
>> Outlook: One of Harrison Ingram’s jersey numbers at St. Mark’s High — 5 — also was his star rating as a McDonald’s All-American last season. Ingram, a 6-7, 230-pound freshman from Texas, has drawn comparisons to Draymond Green because of his ambidextrous drives, glass-cleaning rebounding, and soft shooting touch. Ingram is averaging 12.8 points, 6.9 boards, and 3.4 assists. While Maxime Raynaud has slumped in recent games, 6-9 Jaiden Delaire has flourished. After moving into the lineup, Delaire is averaging 13.0 points and 4.2 rebounds. Delaire’s 3 as the horn sounded beat Oregon. Reserve forward James Keefe’s parents are enshrined in Stanford’s Hall of Fame — Adam Keefe played 12 NBA seasons; Kristin Klein was a member of the 1996 Olympic volleyball team.
VANDERBILT COMMODORES
>> Record: 6-4
>> Conference: Southeastern
>> Head coach: Jerry Stackhouse
>> Wednesday’s opponent: Hawaii, 7 p.m.
>> Outlook: This year, Scotty Pippen Jr. — son of NBA legend Scottie Pippen — unveiled his step-back move. The younger Pippen applied for the 2021 NBA Draft, then withdrew his application ahead of the deadline to return to Nashville for his junior season. At 6-3, maybe, Pippen does not match his father’s height or reach, but he is a creative scorer who can glide into the paint or launch deep shots. Pippen, who averages 17.3 points and 4.2 rebounds, draws 6.4 fouls per game. When he is on the court, the Commodores are plus-7 points each game. Stackhouse, also a former NBA standout, has cobbled schemes to hold opponents to 60.7 points and 38.4% shooting every game. Liam Robbins, a 7-foot transfer from Minnesota, has yet to make his Vanderbilt debut because of a foot ailment.
WYOMING COWBOYS
>> Record: 9-1
>> Conference: Mountain West
>> Head coach: Jeff Linder
>> Wednesday opponent: Stanford, noon
>> Outlook: In 2020-21, Linder’s first season as head coach, the Cowboys went 14-11, improving from the previous year’s 9-24 mark. Their 8-0 start to this season was their best in eight years. They also have tightened their perimeter defense, limiting opponents to 28.7% shooting from behind the arc. Graham Ike is a 6-9 post who became the third Cowboy to amass more than 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 300 assists in a career. Ike can hit shots and absorb hits (drew 13 fouls against Denver). Against short-handed Hastings, the Cowboys tied the NCAA record with 28 3-point shots (in 54 attempts). Drake Jefferies, a hot-and-cool shooter, was scorching that night, draining a league-record 11 treys. The Cowboys are 11th nationally in 2-point accuracy (57.7%).
