In the Hawaii basketball team’s drive to survive, the “check engine” light has illuminated.
At 10-10 overall and 2-6 in the Big West, the Rainbow Warriors are 10th in the 11-team league. The top eight teams qualify for the postseason Big West Tournament, with the winner claiming an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. Because second- place UC San Diego is in the final year of a transition to Division I and ineligible for the tournament, the ’Bows need to finish at least ninth to advance past the regular season.
“We’ve got to get our swagger back on defense,” said associate head coach John Montgomery, whose ’Bows play host to 0-8 Cal Poly tonight in SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. “That was our identity last year. It has to be our identity this year for us to win games. Guys have to really hone in on that, and get better there. It has to be something that carries us down the stretch.”
Head coach Eran Ganot described the defense as “non-existent” in Thursday’s 78-61 loss to UC Santa Barbara. The Gauchos amassed 54 paint points, and went on a 26-0 run to vaporize the ’Bows’ 7-2 lead. The ’Bows misfired on 15 shots during that scoreless stretch. An epitomizing sequence began when UH guard Tom Beattie’s attempted layup lipped out and led to UCSB guard Cole Anderson’s 3.
“When you’re not scoring” or grabbing an offensive rebound, Montgomery said, “you never get a set defense. So (the Gauchos) were never playing against a set defense (in the 26-0 run). Sometimes we were in cross matchups, which is what you don’t want to have.”
The ’Bows also are trying to fill the rim-protecting vacancy created with 7-foot-1 Mor Seck’s season-ending ACL injury. Seck has a team-high 20 blocks. Harry Rouhliadeff will be the immediate backup to starting center Bernardo da Silva. Forward Justin McKoy also can play the five, using his outside shooting to widen the ’Bows’ offense.
“I feel for Mor,” Montgomery said. “He’s going to work really hard to get back, and he’ll be stronger than ever next year.”
Cal Poly is familiar with abrupt changes. Last year, the Mustangs added two point guards — Jarred Hyder from Cal and Logan McLaughlin from New Mexico Junior College — to team with 6-8 Kobe Sanders in the backcourt. “Logan tore his ACL in the summertime,” Cal Poly coach John Smith said, “and Jarred has been out since the second game of our conference (play) with an MCL sprain.”
Hyder is iffy for tonight’s game. Sanders missed two games because of a foot fracture.
“It’s been a mess, to stay the least,” Smith said.
Sanders is back in the lineup, moving from off guard to the point.
Two guards — freshman Justin Page and walk-on Hayden Jory — have played extended minutes in recent games.
“Kobe is probably our best point guard because he sees the whole floor at 6-8,” Smith said. “He’s a versatile guard who can score on all three levels. He was 6-4, 6-5, out of high school. Now he’s 6-8 with the same guard skills. He’s going to make a lot of money playing this game when he’s done at the college level.”
The Mustangs’ front court has received production from 6-10 Tuukka Jaakkola, a graduate student from Finland, and 6-10 Joel Armotrading, who grew up in London. “Joel has only played basketball for five years, but he’s a freak athlete,” Smith said. “He defends well.”
