The Hawaii basketball team’s no-excuse tour continues with today’s road game against Santa Clara at Leavey Center.
On the first leg of this three-game road trip, the Rainbow Warriors were short-handed in splitting two games at the Las Vegas Classic. Injuries kept post Bernardo da Silva (hand) from playing in Las Vegas and limited guard Noel Coleman to five minutes in the tournament’s first game. UH already is without wing Samuta Avea and point guard Juan Munoz because of season-ending injuries.
Coach Eran Ganot said da Silva and Coleman have made progress in their return to health. Da Silva’s availability still is listed as “questionable.”
“I think Noel is closer than Bernardo,” Ganot said. “No one is going to feel sorry for us. Games are going to continue to be played. We’ll have to find a way. We’re dealing with tremendous adversity in terms of numbers. But the guys have really battled with it. The good news is those two will be back at some point. In the short term, we’ll have to find a way to be at our best with who we have.”
Absences have made the ’Bows more creative. Junior Madut, at 6 feet 6, can provide quickness at the wing or be part of a taller lineup as a point guard. Princeton transfer Jerome Desrosiers can play the three, four and five spots. Texas transfer Kamaka Hepa also is a multi-position player. And Amoro Lado has accelerated his devel0pment as a sharp-shooter.
“We’ve been competing at a high level,” Ganot said. “I expect that to continue. Whoever we have is whoever we have, and we’ll maximize that. Credit the guys who are ready to go. And the guys who are out, their job is to continue to find ways to help the team and, in the meantime, get healthier. I think they’re doing that.”
Santa Clara presents a tough test for the ’Bows. The Broncos won their first five games, including decisive outcomes against Stanford and TCU, but lost their last two. The Broncos have connected on 56.9% of their shots. Their 3-point accuracy of 42% is ranked 13th nationally.
“They have one of the more efficient offenses in the country, and one of the best we’ll see all year,” Ganot said
The Broncos’ offense starts with point guard PJ Pipes, a graduate transfer from Green Bay. Pipes is averaging 14.6 points and 4.0 assists per game. He has made 45.7% of his 3s. Josip Vrankic is a 6-9 forward who averages 16.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists. Keshawn Justice averages 14.3 points while hitting 50% of his 3s.
“They’ve shown to be a top-100 defensive team,” Ganot said. “”We’re looking forward to the challenge. And I know they’ll be pumped and ready to go after (last week’s) loss. This is a great opportunity for our team.”
Hawaii (3-2) vs. Santa Clara (5-2)
>> Where: Leavey Center, Santa Clara, Calif.
>> When: 4 p.m. today
>> Radio: 1420-AM
>> TV: None
>> Streaming: wccsports.com
