It’s the eternal basketball question. Are shooters born or made?

If you ask first-year Hawaii coach Eran Ganot, it’s a combination — and college players can improve their percentages a lot, through technique and shot selection.

Before UH’s season started Friday, a lot of folks who watched this team last year thought the sky was falling because too many treys would be falling — and, in their estimation, not into the basket.

We’re just two games in, but so far, so good. The Rainbow Warriors aren’t Steph Curry, Larry Bird and Ray Allen. But their 3-point shooting is one of the reasons they’re 2-0.

Their identity as the swashbuckling steal-and-slam outfit that won 22 games last year hasn’t been stolen. It’s just been augmented by a halfcourt offense that seems to always get guys open from 21 feet before the shot clock hits E.

At the beginning of the 11-point wins against Montana State on Friday and Coastal Carolina last night, the Rainbows were deadly from beyond the arc. In both cases early long-range marksmanship keyed fast starts, and UH has yet to trail in the regular season. They cooled off later, but the damage had been done.

Chanticleers coach Cliff Ellis acknowledged other reasons for UH getting off to a big early lead, including the Rainbows’ tenacious D (really, shouldn’t someone recruit Jack Black as a ‘Bows fan?).

But it was the steady barrage with contributions from four different Hawaii players that really stunned Coastal Carolina, and when Sai Tummala plopped in his first trey and the team’s fifth at 16:05, UH led 23-9.

"We watched them shoot five of seven (3-pointers) by guys who shot around 25 percent (last year)," Ellis said on his postgame radio show.

Yeah, the book on the ‘Bows that says sag off and let ’em fire away may be obsolete.

That’s especially true when trying to figure out how to deal with point guard Roderick Bobbitt. Ganot likes to say last year’s national leader in steals is underrated as a facilitator. Bobbitt had 18 assists and just three turnovers in the two wins.

His ability to direct at such a high level was enhanced by hitting 3-pointers early in both games, serving notice to defenders that if you leave him open it’s at your own peril.

Bobbitt made just 25.2 percent on 107 3-point attempts last year, but is 6-for-10 in the early going of his senior season. He said one reason he’s shooting better is lingering effects of the broken arm of two years ago are now fully behind him.

As a team, UH shot just 32.2 percent on treys last year, and two of the three players with the highest percentages, Negus Webster-Chan and Garrett Nevels, are no longer with the team.

After two games, Hawaii is at 35.4 percent (newcomer Tummala has made seven of nine). It’s a small sample size and the difference might not seem like much. And although it’s improved a lot, occasionally the ‘Bows 3-point selection still isn’t always the greatest.

But when the long shots fall through the net in a bunch at the beginning of the game, the sky is indeed falling. On the opponents.

Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783. His blog is at Hawaiiwarriorworld.com/quick-reads.