The taste lingers.

Saturday’s first full preseason practice for the 2014-15 Hawaii basketball team was months removed from UH’s season-ending, first-round loss to Cal State Northridge in overtime at the Big West tournament in March.

But both of the Rainbow Warriors’ returning starters, Isaac Fotu and Garrett Nevels, retained the unsavory flavor from the series of unfortunate events that halted the team’s season abruptly at 20-11, with no postseason to show for it.

"It’s still in my mouth right now," said Fotu, UH’s returning All-Big West forward. "It was the worst feeling ever."

UH had leads in both regulation and the extra period, but the Matadors, led by guard Josh Greene’s 27 points, upset the ‘Bows 87-84.

"Man, I still taste that. It still tastes bad to me," said the shooting guard Nevels, UH’s lone senior. "I mean, I’ve seen Josh Greene back home during the summer (in Los Angeles) and we were playing open gym back home, and I’m just seeing him like, ‘Dude, this dude knocked me out of the tournament.’ I mean, it was just more motivation for me. It’s going to be a different outcome this year."

Coach Gib Arnold adopted the mantra "Finish strong" as this year’s theme. UH has been bounced in the first round of its conference tournament three of the past four years.

Nevels attributed last year’s late-season collapse (three of the last four games were losses) to both a mental and physical team breakdown.

Several times Saturday, Arnold called out, "Finish!" in UH’s auxiliary Gym 2 and waited for his players to yell in response, "Strong!"

The Rainbow Warriors weren’t quite finished for the day; they were to hold their Green & White scrimmage late Saturday night after UH volleyball at the Stan Sheriff Center, featuring a halftime dunk contest.

A few of the ‘Bows’ bigs weren’t able to fully practice or scrimmage on Saturday while they worked their way back from various ailments. Fotu (back) and Missouri transfer Stefan Jankovic (shin splints) did light drills on the court in the morning, and rehabbed on the side during the more intense work. Newcomer Sammis Reyes (toe) was sidelined for just about all of the three-hour session.

Arnold has said he doesn’t believe practices will reach full intensity until Friday, when he expects all his players to be full participants. In the meantime Saturday, UH broke players up by position to hone skill sets, then did some halfcourt motion offense work undefended. The team capped it off by having players pair up and do drills like precision passing and halfcourt trapping at various stations around the gym.

Meanwhile, Arnold enters his fifth season at UH without the security of a finished long-term contract; 2014-15 is the last year remaining on his previous deal, earned through reaching 20 wins last year. Simultaneously, an NCAA investigation into his program remains unresolved.

Arnold was asked after practice if he’s putting extra pressure on himself to succeed this season.

"No more than I have every day when I wake up," he replied. "You know, I wake up every morning thinking about how we can be a championship team. And it’s what I do. It’s who I am. … No more than when I was a third high school assistant, or an AAU coach. I woke up every morning — how can I make my team better? It’s the same. It’s how I’m wired. So, whether it’s playing a JV high school game or playing in the NCAA Tournament, I’m still going to wake up thinking how we’re gonna win and I’m going to try to be the best I can as a coach, and get my team to be the best they can as players."

Last year’s starting point guard, Keith Shamburger, departed a season early to play for Missouri. Arnold said the job is still up for grabs. Candidates are last year’s backup, Quincy Smith, junior college transfer Roderick Bobbitt, true freshman Isaac Fleming and redshirt freshman Niko Filipovich.

Another Missouri transfer, Negus Webster-Chan, is a strong candidate to replace the departed Brandon Spearman at shooting guard/small forward after training hard while redshirting last season.

As for the team’s leadership, "it starts with Fotu," Arnold said.

Fotu played about 30 games for New Zealand before and during the FIBA World Cup this summer — basically a full college season’s worth. He said his burgeoning 3-point stroke that was on international display will carry into this season.

"We’re not just going to start off strong, but finish strong as well," Fotu said.

UH has visitor

Gligorije Rakocevic, a 6-foot-10, 255-pound center, is taking a visit to the UH campus this weekend.

Rakocevic, a native of Montenegro in Europe, is a senior at Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary High in Montebello, Calif.

Season tickets on sale Monday for men, women

Season tickets for UH men’s and women’s basketball go on sale Monday.

Men’s hoops lower-level tickets are $415-$435. Upper level tickets are $200 for adults, $175 for senior citizens (age 65-plus) and $89 for youths (ages 4 through high school).

Women’s hoops general admission tickets are $70 for adults, $60 for senior citizens and $30 for youths.

Men’s season-ticket purchasers can pay an extra $30 to receive women’s season tickets, for a savings of $40.

UH students get in free to home games with a valid ID.

Season tickets may be purchased online at HawaiiAthletics.com, at the Stan Sheriff Center box office, or by calling 944-2697.