These appear to be desperate times for the UC Davis and Hawaii basketball teams.
Entering tonight’s game at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center, UCD is playing for an improved postseason seeding while UH is seeking to secure inclusion in the eight-team Big West Tournament.
“Hey, I think we’re all desperate at this time of the year,” said UCD coach Jim Les, whose Aggies are in sixth place in the 11-team Big West at 9-8. The top four seeds receive an opening-round bye in the league’s single-elimination tournament in two weeks.
“You see the end is near, and you’re always remembered on how you finish,” Les added. “There’s a heightened sense of awareness and intensity and urgency at this time of year. We know Hawaii has urgency. And we always have urgency. We always look forward to this challenge.”
After winning six of eight, the Aggies have lost the last three. “We’ve had some great moments and really good wins, and then we’ve had some disappointments,” Les said. “A lot of those have been self-inflicted wounds of not playing consistently.”
The Rainbow Warriors have lost eight of 10 to fall into eighth place at 6-11 in the Big West. The ’Bows also lost Kody Williams, their best-defending guard, to a season-ending fractured right wrist. Williams’ absence was evident in Thursday’s loss to UC Riverside when Barrington Hargress and Isaiah Moses had easy access into the lane. The Highlanders scored 40 paint points.
“We’ve always been a good defensive team, good at the point of attack, good in (building a defensive) wall,” UH coach Eran Ganot said. “With Kody out, we didn’t rise to the challenge of point of attack, especially in a key stretch when they separated. We expect to rise to those challenges. One guy’s out, we rise. We didn’t at the point of attack. And that was disappointing.”
Ganot noted the ’Bows were aggressive and confident offensively in the first half. But when open jumpers would not fall and layup attempts lipped out, the ’Bows became hesitant.
In the final seconds of the previous meeting between the teams, UH guard Marcus Greene could not convert a tying layup at the end of a coast-to-coast drive and center Tanner Christensen’s two-handed putback was too strong as time expired.
On Thursday against UCR, Christensen was held to 2-for-4 shooting. This season, Christensen, who transferred from Utah Tech, was expected to be an offensive force in the low post. But he has attempted at least 10 shots only six times in 28 starts. During the current three-game losing streak, Christensen is shooting 31.8%.
“Our guys need to get it to him,” Ganot said. “And he has to be more aggressive in demanding the ball.”
The Aggies rely on presses, traps, and rim protectors Niko Rocak and Pablo Tamba.
“Pablo’s been excellent,” Les said. “He and Niko give us an inside presence. Niko is kind of the anchor of our defense,” Les said. “He’s elite in blocking shots (2.0 per game) and rebounding (7.3 a contest). Those guys have been crucial for us in terms of being able to compete.”
TY Johnson, who was one-half of an dynamic starting backcourt, entered the transfer portal last April. But after further pondering, he remained with the Aggies. Johnson is averaging 21.5 points.
“He’s an elite competitor, which we love about him,” Les said. “He brings his lunch pail every game. He works really hard. And he’s a guy who invests a lot in the game — watching film, extra shots. He’s a believer. If you have that approach, the game will reward you. And the game has rewarded him.”
