Hawaii has called in reinforcements from Canada for its signature event of the nonconference season, eh.

The Rainbow Warriors should have their two resident Canucks, Stefan Jankovic and Negus Webster-Chan, available for Monday’s 8 p.m. first-round matchup of the 2014 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic against Nebraska of the Big Ten Conference.

Eleventh-ranked Wichita State enters the eight-team field as the prohibitive favorite. The Shockers went 35-1 last season and return preseason All-America picks Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker in the backcourt. This season they’ve already beaten four teams that went to the 2014 NCAA Tournament.

The field features three other teams coming off an NCAA Tournament appearance — George Washington, Colorado and, of immediate concern to Hawaii, Nebraska.

UH (8-3) has yet to win its ESPN-run holiday tournament, which in 2009 replaced the Rainbow Classic as the signature eight-team event at the Stan Sheriff Center. The ‘Bows haven’t won their Diamond Head opener since the inaugural year against College of Charleston.

Since then it’s been a slew of challenging foes out of the gate, and this year is no different.

"Big-time team," said the 6-foot-11 Jankovic, who transferred in from Missouri and is expected to make his UH debut after redshirting the spring and fall semesters of 2014.

He’s expected to add a versatile element at power forward; he can push the ball himself in transition and shoot from NBA range.

"I played against big teams, big players all my life," he said. "It’s just another game for me. Obviously it feels special because I haven’t played in a year. Nebraska, Diamond Head, it’s a big deal for us, but I’m not scared."

The swingman Webster-Chan (UH’s other Missouri transfer) is recovered from a right ankle sprain which, to the surprise of coach Benjy Taylor, kept him out of Friday’s 31-point win over Chaminade at the Blaisdell Center.

"I just wanted to be ready for Nebraska. Bigger game," Webster-Chan said. "I’m ready though … I got a little more rest. I’m feeling back to 100 (percent). Actually, 110."

Jankovic said he’s squared away with his grades and eligibility and just awaits final clearance Monday morning.

"It’s 99.99 (percent) … as many 9s as you want to put," he said.

Jankovic practiced with the UH first team Sunday morning, though Taylor said the sweet-shooting big man would begin by coming off the bench.

"He’s going to have to earn his name to be called," Taylor said. "He has the ability to, but right now I love my starting lineup."

The added firepower could come in handy against a stingy defensive-minded team that has enjoyed a resurgence under coach Tim Miles.

Nebraska held its first six opponents to a combined 38 percent shooting from the field before lapses against Creighton and Incarnate Word. But the ‘Huskers kept Cincinnati in check — 31.7 percent shooting — in a 56-55 double-overtime win over the Bearcats on Dec. 13, their last game.

"Pretty much how we’ve won about every game," Miles said. "None of them have been pretty. If you like missed shots, come watch us play, ’cause we force a lot of them and we shoot a lot of them."

All-Big Ten guards Terran Petteway and Shavon Shields have operated something of a two-man show for the Cornhuskers offensively, combining for 37.5 points per game.

UH could opt to go heavy zone against the Huskers.

"We have our work cut out for us," Taylor said. "It’s going to take a special effort on defense to slow them down. Those other guys are Big Ten players. If you don’t play those guys, they can go for double figures easily. We’ve had our problems doing that in the past."

DIAMOND HEAD CLASSIC CAPSULES

COLORADO BUFFALOES (6-3)

Conference: Pac-12

Fifth-year coach Tad Boyle: "These trips, winning makes them really sweet. (The Rainbow Classic with Northern Colorado in 2009) is a great example. It was such a jump-start to our season. It gave our players such confidence, coming over to Hawaii, winning three games and having the experience that they did on the islands. We won 25 games that year. Without winning the Rainbow Classic, that doesn’t happen. … Great memories."

Top players: Jr. F Josh Scott (15.4 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 2.0 bpg); Sr. G Askia Booker (14.0 ppg, 3.1 apg); Jr. G Xavier Johnson (13.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg).

Notes: Boyle’s Northern Colorado Bears beat UH in the annual ESPN Tip-off Marathon late-night game for the 2009 Rainbow Classic championship. Since going to Colorado, Boyle’s .649 winning percentage is the best in Buffs history… Only one opponent has topped 70 points against CU this season.

DEPAUL BLUE DEMONS (6-4)

Conference: Big East

Fifth-year coach Oliver Purnell: "We’re struggling coming in here, having lost three in a row … You want to come here and have a good tournament. If you can win two games, three games obviously, you can (turn it around). And you’re gonna play against really good competition. This is a really underrated field here."

Top players: Jr. F Myke Henry (16.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 54.7 FG%); So. C Tommy Hamilton IV (12.9 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.6 bpg).

Notes: Guard Billy Garrett, the returning Big East Freshman of the Year, is the son of DePaul’s assistant coach of the same name. His grandfather Bill Garrett was the first African-American player in the Big Ten. … DePaul, in Chicago, has nine players on the roster who hail from the greater Windy City area. … Blue Demons are shooting 37.7 percent on 3s as a team.

GEORGE WASHINGTON COLONIALS (6-3)

Conference: Atlantic 10

Fourth-year coach Mike Lonergan: "I’m trying to get some quality wins. We challenged ourselves with a really good schedule, a lot of road games. … We got a chance to play on TV and keep getting our program out there (for) exposure."

Top players: Jr. G Patricio Garino (15.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg); Jr. G Kethan Savage (12.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg); Jr. F Kevin Larsen (11.1 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.6 bog).

Notes: Lonergan coached Vermont in the 2008 Rainbow Classic, and beat George Washington 83-72 in the first round … Sixth man Yuta Watanabe is the fourth Japan-born Division I basketball player in NCAA history. … Washington D.C.-based GW traveled the farthest among the seven visiting teams.

HAWAII RAINBOW WARRIORS (8-3)

Conference: Big West

First-year coach Benjy Taylor: "This is a fun group. This is going to be a great tournament. I think people should play hooky from work and come see the first two (day) games (Monday). This is the best Diamond Head Classic field since we’ve been here, top to bottom. To get a win in this thing you’re going to have to play well, and we realize that and we’re not going to shy away from it."

Top players: So. F Aaron Valdes (16.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 57.3 FG%); Sr. G Garrett Nevels (12.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg); Jr. G Roderick Bobbitt (10.2 ppg, 5.7 apg, 2.7 spg).

Notes: Hawaii’s last men’s basketball sellout at the Stan Sheriff Center came in 2004 against Nebraska in the second round of the NIT. UH edged the Cornhuskers 84-83. … UH is 18-13 all-time against the 2014 DHC field. … Bobbitt is 14th nationally in steals average.

LOYOLA MARYMOUNT LIONS (3-6)

Conference: West Coast

First-year coach Mike Dunlap: "We’re young. It’s a mixture of all-new, and usually at the Division I level the formula is you’re going to take your hits. So we’re very poised, we’re very assertive, but we understand the journey. … As witnessed by the Stanford game (67-58 defeat on Wednesday) we know we’re getting better."

Top players: So. G Evan Payne (21.7 ppg, 40.0 3FG%)

Notes: Only team in the field with a winning series record against UH (10-6) enters the tourney on a four-game losing streak. Ten different players have started games for LMU so far. … Dunlap, an LMU alumnus, previously was the coach of the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats in the 2012-13 season. … In the Lions’ last appearance in the islands, the they went 0-3 in the 2005 Rainbow Classic with a combined losing margin of six points.

NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS (6-3)

Conference: Big Ten

Third-year coach Tim Miles: "I’ve been here before and loved it (with Colorado State in 2008 Rainbow Classic) and so when we had a chance to come back I was real excited about it. You know, maybe get a chance to find Elvis … he did enough movies here. People are not sure where he’s at. He might be here."

Top players: Jr. G Terran Petteway (19.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg); Jr. G/F Shavon Shields (17.7 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 53.7 FG%)

Notes: Sophomore guard Tai Webster of New Zealand is the son of former UH player Tony Webster and is averaging 6.6 ppg off the bench. … Nebraska is the first Big Ten Conference team to participate in the six-year-old DHC.

OHIO BOBCATS (3-4)

Conference: Mid-American

First-year coach Saul Phillips: "I’ve tried to do everything to this point knowing this was a pretty intense stretch of games for us. Not only because of the times we’re playing … but who we’re playing. It sucks energy to play really good, athletic teams, and that’s what we’ve got coming. … I don’t know if we have an identity yet. That’s probably not a great thing saying coming into here."

Top players: Sr. F Maurice Ndour (15.4 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 80.0 FT%); Sr. G Javarez Willis (15.2 ppg, 90.9 FT%); So. F Antonio Campbell (10.6 ppg, 54.5 FG%).

Notes: Better call Saul … Phillips came in from North Dakota State, which upset Oklahoma in the NCAA Tournament last year in a 12-5 matchup…. Ndour, of Senegal, speaks five languages and has a 7-foot-3 wingspan.

WICHITA STATE SHOCKERS (8-1)

Conference: Missouri Valley

Eighth-year coach Gregg Marshall: "Pre-Hawaii, we’ve played pretty well. … Take it for what it’s worth (being viewed as the favorite). I think the winner will be determined by who plays well. There’s plenty of good teams, some excellent coaches. … Anyone can beat anyone on a given night in college basketball. You just have to go out and play to the best of your abilities and hopefully you’ll be good enough."

Top players: Jr. G Fred VanVleet (12.7 ppg, 5.2 apg, 2.4 spg); Jr. G Ron Baker (18.0 ppg, 46.6 3FG%)

Notes: Only loss for No. 11 WSU (No. 4 RPI) came in overtime at Utah on Dec. 3 … Its 129-25 record since the 2010-11 season is the best winning percentage (.838) in the country. … Shockers have won 37 of their past 39 regular-season nonconference games.