UH to face California in NCAA Tournament
BRIAN MCINNIS / BMCINNIS@STARADVERTISER.COM
The UH men’s basketball team and supporters held an NCAA Selection Sunday watch party at JT Schmid’s in Anaheim, Calif.
DARRELL MIHO / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER
UH Rainbow Warriors celebrate after they beat the Long Beach State 49ers 64-60 in the Big West Tournament Championship Game Saturday night at the Honda Center. UH won the game 64-60 and the Big West Championship.
BRIAN MCINNIS / BMCINNIS@STARADVERTISER.COM
The UH men’s basketball team and supporters held an NCAA Selection Sunday watch party at JT Schmid’s in Anaheim, Calif.
ANAHEIM, CALIF. >> The Big West champion Hawaii basketball team was awarded a 13 seed and will open against No. 4 California in Spokane, Wash., in the NCAA Tournament on Friday.
The Rainbow Warriors (27-5) erupted into cheers when their bracket was revealed on CBS’ Selection Show on a big TV at JT Schmid’s restaurant, across the street from the Honda Center where they beat Long Beach State 64-60 for the BWC tournament title Saturday night.
“It’s a great moment for this program, for a lot of people for a lot of sacrifice and work, not just in our program, athletic department and university, and the people in Hawaii and the community,” first-year UH coach Eran Ganot said. “It’s a special day. Yesterday was their night. Today was their day, and we want them to enjoy it. And now we’re shifting gears, getting back to our normal (preparation) routine. And here we go.”
UH’s game is in the South Region of the field of 68 teams. The winner of the first-round game with Cal advances to face either fifth-seeded Maryland or 12th-seeded South Dakota State in the round of 32.
California (23-10) tied for third in the Pac-12 Conference. The Golden Bears beat Oregon State in the Pac-12 tournament quarterfinals, then lost to Utah in the semifinals and received an at-large bid.
“This might be the most talented team in the tournament, along with North Carolina,” CBS analyst Charles Barkley said of Cal on the broadcast.
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It is the first NCAA Tournament appearance for the ’Bows since 2002, and the first as a Big West member. UH is 0-4 all-time in the NCAAs.
“Great matchup for us,” forward Stefan Jankovic said. “I don’t know a lot about Cal, (they’re) obviously young but I think we have the experience factor over them. They’re definitely beatable, especially away from their home arena.”
UH will remain in Anaheim for the time being, and plans to fly up to Spokane on Wednesday.
The game will be played at the 14,000-seat Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena at 11 a.m. (8 a.m. in Hawaii).
91 responses to “UH to face California in NCAA Tournament”
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Right on for UH going to Spokane, Washington to meet the California Bears. We can beat California.
well…we shall see. Finally, we shall see the uH play a major league schedule. The weak conference we are in makes it difficult to tell how ept this team is.
Hawaii is typically a team that rises to the occasion. They tend to up the ante when they face tough opponents, like mctruck mentioned when UH nearly beat #3 Oklahoma. Earning the #1 seed in the Big West tournament, than winning the tournament isn’t a small feat either. So I’m definitely bullish on UH’s chances against Cal.
You got that right tiger warrior!!! Love your attitude & optimism!
allie. sports is not your venue, stay away from it, your negativity and ignorance shows!
mean!
We played Oklahoma tough. I hope UH can win a game or two in the trourney. Go Warriors!
Allie; you are always so negative when it comes to UH Sports. Nobody likes a downer like you. Better you didn’t say anything and you are definitely not an authority on NCAA Collegiate Athletics.
My points are widely sought out and parsed.
Allie, It’s basketball not baseball. LOL
As my Mama used to say if you have nothing good to say then keep it to yourself.
Sort of a silly recommendation. We need freedom of expression to praise and criticize where called for. Cal takes this one but I am still proud that our guys got this far.
Cal is 6.5 points favorites.
It’s a tough draw, but who knows what this team can accomplish? Go Bows !!!
Better than playing the number one seed though. All the teams should be tough if they got in.
Agreed. Even the #2 (Villanova) and #3 (Miami) seeds in the South regional, could have been #1 seeds had they won in their post season finales. Even #5 seed Maryland was projected as a #1 seed midway though the season. So Cal may be the best case scenario for Hawaii for game one.
Cal has two seven footers who weigh 250+ lbs. Don’t know how agile athletic they are or if they just take up space under the the basket?
If they are anything like Cal Irvines center?, and most of their 6’7″ fowards are mostly fr/so; again, UH’s experienced players might have an edge there.
One thing for sure is UH has got to take it to Cal, no hesitation; move quickly and take open shots. Plus, their exceptional defense forcing turnovers.
Hi-ho, Hi-ho, it’s off to work we go.
It’s better to be in Spokane than somewhere on the East Coast.
That’s so true!!! West Coast is much easier for the body to handle vs. East Coast when it comes to time differences and our bodies ability to adapt.
I fly to Atlanta several times a year and it’s a long trip.
Greeeeeaaaaaaatttttt !!!! We already beat the Irvine campus of the University of California system so now let’s beat the Berkeley campus !!!! For the first time, I am interested in the NCAA Tournament and gosh I am only 2016 years old.
2016 is pretty old
Nah I’m only 58 years old.
wow, that’s old……………………just kidding
Not as old as the senile old lady allie.
🙂
huh?
allie is 23
You talking IQ of shoe size?
ouch!
two very different campuses and programs hon
You are in your late 50’s dear Patrick. Not at all old.
I like the seed. Cal is no slouch but its better than going up against Kansas…I guess.
I have not checked, however is Kansas the overall number one seed?
Per ESPN: Spokane Arena (Spokane, Washington)
(1) Oregon vs. (16) Holy Cross/Southern
(4) California vs. (13) Hawaii
(5) Maryland vs. (12) South Dakota State
(8) Saint Joseph’s vs. (9) Cincinnati
Kansas is the overall number one seed, and I think Oregon is the number four overall seed. So, if we can Dream, if UH makes the Final Four, we will likely face Kansas there. Because Oregon is the number four overall seed, we have been placed in the most favorable region. If UH can make the Sweet Sixteen, it will be a tremendous boon to our recruiting efforts. If we lose to California, let’s just hope it will not be a rout.
UH almost did the job against Oklahoma losing by the slimmest margin so I believe they have built up a lot of confidence to go along with their team chemistry.
🙂
I though UNC is overall #1.
@mctruck Interestingly, Bobbitt’s best performance of the season was against the 3rd ranked Sooners. He had a monster game against Oklahoma with 32 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds and 3 steals. This proved that he has the potential to play well against anybody. Jankovic did well with 17 points and 3 blocked shots. These 2 players have my vote of confidence when faced with the toughest of opponents.
Would have to agree that UH was placed in the most favorable region. Also, I’m just glad Hawaii is facing off against Cal instead of Oregon or even Maryland. Maryland is much better than their #5 seeding when they play to their full potential–for midway through the season, Maryland looked like a #1 seed.
I just hope the refs let them play and stop calling all those step in charging flop fouls.
The entire bracket, as shown on pic.twitter.com/9LmiX4vDK4, shows that Hawaii is in the South Region, the region with Kansas, the overall number one seed. Hawaii is not in the same region as Oregon. Oh well, I got the earlier information from ESPN, so ESPN was in error.
@Jonathan_Patrick Noticed ESPN recently updated their brackets. So this would mean UH will arguably be in the toughest regional, the South regional, with Kansas, Villanova, Maryland and Miami. All season long, up until this past week, Villanova was projected as a #1 seed. Miami finished 3rd in the ACC, after North Carolina and Virginia, which are both #1 seeds in their respective regional. So if there’s any consolation–at least Hawaii doesn’t open with Kansas, Villanova, Maryland or Miami.
I was wrong. It’s Kansas
play cal in football this year might as well play cal in basketball this year we can beat them both. GO WARRIORS.
Well, our Warriors did their job and was justly rewarded.
As long as they don’t have to play consecutive days on the road, I think they got a very good chance to get to the second round and more. Three days in a row I think wore down the team starters against LBST, good thing the bench had enough experience to chip in some valuable points along with fresh legs on defense.
And Valdez was as steady as a rock all three games.
UH will have to rely heavily on Valdez when they face California. Cal’s star player, 6-5 Wallace, averages 15.3 ppg, 5.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.0 steal. Valdez, who is also listed at 6-5, averages 14.6 ppg, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals.
Give credit to Ganot for giving our bench players valuable experience during the regular season. We certainly needed them in the defeat of Long Beach. His substitutions during the game was intuitive and insightful. We didn’t lose a step during the first half. I’m looking forward to a good game against California. Ganot’s wheels are already turning on his game plan for California.
Like I mentioned earlier, Hawaii has the edge when it comes to bench production with Tumala averaging 6.5 points/3.1 rebounds per game and Jovanovic with 5.0 points/4.1 rebounds per game. If Drammeh can also step up his point/rebound production, this could be a key factor in Hawaii playing well against Cal.
Agree.
Agree too. Drammeh made us forget the loss of Flemming for sure.
Joe Lunardi of ESPN in his bracketology predicted that Hawaii as a number 14 seed would play Utah as a number 3 seed in the Midwest region with Kansas as the number 1 seed. So I guess Joe, the NCAA has not been following u.
time to research Cal.
There’s a lot of Cal-Berkley alumni in Hawaii so I guess those will be rooting for California.
Go Bows, you have an entire state behind you.
On paper, Hawaii seems to match well with California as far as height, weight, skill set and athleticism. Cal has a slight edge with the height of their guards, as their starting guards are listed as 6-3, 6-5 and 6-6, while UH’s starting guards of Smith, Bobbitt and Valdes go 6-1, 6-3 and 6-6, respectively. Perhaps this would mean that 6th man Tumala will have an expanded role since he is a 6-6 guard. I’m also hoping that 6-3 guard Drammeh will also step up for UH after Fleming’s departure. The Lion’s share of Cal’s point production is by its five starters and there is a huge drop off in scoring for its bench players. So this is where Hawaii has the edge with Tumala who averages 6.5 ppg while backup center Jovanovic averages 5 ppg. Hawaii also has a huge edge in the steals department with Bobbitt and Smith averaging almost 4 steals per game combined. That’s almost as many steals per game than Cal’s entire squad averages. As far as the front court, the matchup between 6-11 Jankovic and 6-7 Thomas with Cal’s 6-11 Rabb and 6-7 Brown looks pretty even in my opinion. Of course it should be stated that Cal’s strength of schedule was much stronger than Hawaii’s, being that they’re in the Pac-12, so how they match up on paper may be much different than how this translates to how they match up when they face each off against other.
Correction: Valdez is listed as 6-5, not “6-6” as I incorrectly stated. Also, not quite sure if Tumala should be mentioned as a guard, since while he is listed as a guard, he also plays forward for the Rainbows.
Strategy number one get the starters in foul trouble then see what their bench can do or not do.
So this puts Hawaii at an advantage. Against Oklahoma, UH’s bench stepped up big with Jovanovic and Fleming scoring 8 points each and combining for 5 rebounds, while Tummala scored 7 points and grabbed 5 rebounds.
Hope that works for UH and not the other way around as we’ve seen how the past pressure games have been getting Bobbit and Janks into early foul trouble.
From ESPN Insider:
Rainbow Warriors were building, they received word they would be banned from the postseason for the 2016-17 season. For Hawaii upperclassmen, it was a seismic shift. For many, this would be their last chance to play in the NCAA tournament and lacking the résumé for an at-large selection, they knew they would need to win the Big West Conference tournament to get in. The Rainbow Warriors did just that, topping Long Beach State for the conference’s automatic bid. Can they turn the Big Dance into a hula and ride a wave deep into March?
ESPN Insider has your answers, as Joe Lunardi has enlisted a team of Bracketologists to compile advanced metrics, key scouting intel and best- and worst-case tournament scenarios for all 68 teams to help you make smart picks in your bracket.
TOURNEY PROFILE
Best wins: Nevada, Northern Iowa, Auburn, at UC Irvine
Worst loss: UC Riverside
Regular season conference finish: 1st, Big West
Polls and metrics: Hawaii sits at 80 in RPI, due in part to their odd circumstances. RPI favors road wins over home, but because of their location, Hawaii only left the islands once in nonconference play. They rank higher in other metrics — 61 in KenPom and 68 in BPI.
All-time tourney record: 0-4 (four appearances)
Coach (tourney record): Eran Ganot (0-0)
PERSONNEL
(Note: Player statistics are through games of March 6.)
STARTING LINEUP
F Stefan Jankovic (15.7 PPG, 6.6 RPG)
F Mike Thomas (7.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG)
G Aaron Valdes (14.7 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 2.5 APG)
G Quincy Smith (7.7 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 1.7 SPG)
G Roderick Bobbitt (13.3 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 2.2 SPG)
Missouri transfer Stefan Jankovic was a major handful in the Big West all season long. Kelvin Kuo/USA TODAY Sports
Key bench players
F Sai Tummala (6.5 PPG, 3.1 RPG)
G Sheriff Drammeh (1.7 PPG, 1.1 RPG)
C Stefan Jovanovic (5.0 PPG, 4.1 RPG)
Biggest strength: Hawaii loves to knife into the lane, getting easy buckets or earning their way to the foul line. Hawaii’s guards are excellent at finding gaps in opposing defenses and using pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop action to create scoring opportunities for the ‘Bows.
,Biggest weakness: The Rainbow Warriors take a lot of 3-pointers, but don’t shoot a high percentage. Hawaii shot only 32.8 percent from beyond the arc, but attempted a Big West-leading 41.2 percent of their field goals from outside. Hawaii has issues when they settle for jump shots, rather than sticking with their game and looking to score inside.
Best player: Jankovic was named Big West Player of the Year, and for good reason. He is a stretch-4 capable of scoring from outside and on the block. He scores from all over the floor, finishing third in the Big West in effective field goal and true shooting percentages. Just don’t confuse him with backup center Jovanovic, who is merely a role player.
X factor: Bobbitt is a lightning-quick point guard who gives defenses headaches in the pick-and-roll game. Hawaii loves to screen for Bobbitt or get him the ball off of a handoff, getting him into the lane to make plays for himself and for teammates. He scored more than 30 points three times this season (including against Oklahoma), while also posting the second-best assist rate in the Big West.
SCOUTING REPORT
Offensive approach: The ‘Bows run everything through a pick-and-roll, pick-and-pop, or dribble-handoff. This frees up the Hawaii guards to attack holes in defenses and finish at the rim or dish to open teammates. It allows the Hawaii frontline, like Jankovic, to find separation and knock down open looks or get to the basket for an easy one.
Defensive approach: Hawaii plays man-to-man for the most part, with its quick backcourt able to cause some havoc. Smith and Bobbitt finished second and third, respectively, in the Big West in steal percentage. Valdes is a lockdown defender with the athletic ability to be able to cover three different positions.
How they beat you: When Hawaii’s offense is working properly, it can be a beautiful thing to watch. Two-man games between Bobbitt, Valdes, or Smith and Jankovic push defenses into difficult decisions. Cutting off the guard from the paint leaves defenses susceptible to a Jankovic popout or post touch. The more in rhythm the Warriors offense gets, the more they find open shots and put defenses on their heels.
How you beat them: When Hawaii has the ball, it is crucial to make them settle for jump shots on the perimeter. With so much of their offense pointed at getting into the paint and finding points from penetration, cutting off that penetration hampers the Rainbow Warriors. Defensive communication and game planning can force Hawaii into taking shots it is less equipped to make.
WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY
(Note: All statistics in this section are courtesy of kenpom.com and are accurate through games of March 6.)
NATIONAL RANKS
Offensive efficiency, 110th (106.8)
Defensive efficiency, 61st (97.8)
3-point percentage, 271st (32.4)
3-point percentage D, 61st (32.3)
Free throw rate, 8th (46.2)
Free throw rate D, 256th (40.4)
TO percentage, 192nd (18.4)
TO percentage D, 63rd (20.1)
Good stat: 46.2 free throw rate
All the penetration and slashing Hawaii looks to set up leads to a ton of free throws. Hawaii’s aggressiveness with the ball gets it into the bonus early in each half and has it shooting more and more free throws. Not only does this mean Hawaii lives at the line, but it puts its opponents into foul trouble.
Bad stat: 32.4 percent 3-point shooting
Outside shooting could hold Hawaii back from being a truly dangerous tournament team. No Rainbow Warrior made more than 55 shots from outside the arc this season, with Jankovic being the only starter above 35 percent from outside. Hawaii’s ability to get into the paint becomes much more potent when defenders have to respect the outside shot, but they haven’t had to much this year.
HOW FAR WILL THEY GO?
?Best-case scenario: A second flight back to the mainland for the Sweet 16
The Rainbow Warriors’ only shot at a top team this year came in December, when Oklahoma visited the islands. Hawaii stayed close, leading in the second half, and only losing by three. Now they’ll get another chance, and knowing the postseason ban is coming next season, could take advantage and win more than once this March.
Worst-case scenario: A quick loss sends Hawaii home
Hawaii’s inability to shoot the outside shot puts it behind the eight ball in trying to pull off an upset. If the Rainbow Warriors fall behind early, they lack the offensive pop to make a run. This leaves them relying on aggressive defense from Bobbitt and Smith, which could backfire and leave them in an even deeper hole.
Thanks for posting Jonathan. While it will take a team effort for Hawaii, including contributions from the bench, to be competitive with Cal–I wholeheartedly agree with this ESPN insider’s synopsis, namely, Jankovic is our best player and that Bobbitt will be the X-Factor against Cal.
😉
Thanks for providing this analysis – perhaps later you could provide the same for the Cal Bears(?). I would say that this is a fair draw for the Bows. No matter which team the Bows face, in order to advance, they will have to bring their “A” game. I’d say at least 4 Bows in double figures; less than 10 turnovers; 60% or more from the FT line; staying out of “stupid” foul trouble, and most importantly, winning the rebound match-up, where the Bows are 23-0 when that happens, including the BW Final against LBS. We saw what the Heart Attack Kids can do potentially, when they smoked the Anteaters in Honolulu. In that game, the Bows “rained” 3’s right out of their game. Better not to play catch-up in the Dance – very tough – especially against seasoned opponents. At least Spokane is not in California! If the Bows can get the first one, the Sweet 16 is not out-of-the-question. “If Can – Can; if cannot, cannot”. Go Bows!!!
Okay I can get it for California, if ESPN has not discovered that I am plagiarizing.
First this is what I got from ESPN, before I get the same detailed analysis for California: “No other team in the region has potentially two 2016 NBA draft lottery picks in their starting lineup like California’s Ivan Rabb and Brown. The Golden Bears, who finished undefeated at home, took a while to come together while their freshmen got acclimated to how they needed to increase their intensity on the road. But the point is, they did get it together, winning eight of nine games to close the regular season. They nearly reached the Pac-12 tournament championship game but lost to Utah 82-78 in overtime in the semifinals. The Bears aren’t solely relying on youth, either, although senior guard Tyrone Wallace is the only current player on their roster who played for Cal in its last NCAA tournament appearance in 2013.”
Cuonzo Martin pulled off a recruiting coup by landing Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb and they haven’t disappointed. Neither have the California Golden Bears. They improved by five games in Pac-12 play and are back in the NCAA tournament for the first time in three years. Ultimately, this could be the only tournament for the two top-10 freshmen. After a successful regular season, will they make it count when it really counts?
ESPN Insider has your answers, as Joe Lunardi has enlisted a team of Bracketologists to compile advanced metrics, key scouting intel and best- and worst-case tournament scenarios for all 68 teams to help you make smart picks in your bracket.
TOURNEY PROFILE
Best wins: Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Oregon
Worst losses: vs. Richmond, at Stanford
Regular-season conference finish: T-Third, Pac-12
Polls and metrics: KenPom and the BPI were kinder to Cal than the AP poll for much of the season with the Bears just outside the top 20 in each. Cal fell out of the AP poll in November, not to return until the season’s final weeks.
All-time tourney record: 20-18, one national title, three Final Fours
Coach’s tourney record: Cuonzo Martin (3-1)
PERSONNEL
(Note: Player statistics are through games of March 6.)
STARTING LINEUP
C Kingsley Okoroh (1.5 PPG, 2.0 RPG)
F Ivan Rabb (12.2 PPG, 8.4 RPG)
F Jaylen Brown (12.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG)
G Jabari Bird (10.0 PPG, 3.4 RPG)
G Tyrone Wallace (15.2 PPG, 4.3 APG)
Cal got hot late in the season behind sensational freshman Jaylen Brown and others. Samuel Stringer/Icon Sportswire
Key Bench Players
G Sam Singer (3.7 PPG, 2.8 APG)
G Jordan Mathews (13.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG)
C Kameron Rooks (3.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG)
Biggest strength: It took a little bit of time to jell, but Cal has become an elite defensive team. Martin’s lineup is full of athletes with length who contest shots all over the floor. No Power 5 team allowed fewer made 3-pointers than the Bears, and Cal ranked second in the nation in 2-point field goal percentage defense, permitting just 40 percent on shots inside the arc.
Biggest weakness: Cal can be explosive at one moment, and static the next. Offensively, the Bears lack consistency. With Wallace missing five games at midseason, some players are still figuring out or adjusting their roles. Wallace was once the star, but with Brown and Rabb he has had to be more facilitator, and his comfort level isn’t there yet.
Best player: Brown. The top recruit has lived up to his reputation. A combination of quickness and strength, Brown is an aggressive offensive athlete who is tough to keep out of the lane. His jump shot has improved as he has matured and he will be playing in the NBA sooner rather than later. Along with Rabb, they are the top scoring freshman duo in the country.
X factor: Their NCAA tournament inexperience. Brown and Rabb are mature players and handled the pressure-cooker of the Pac-12 season well, but the tournament is a different animal. For Cal to make a deep run both will have to avoid getting caught up in the moment or squeezing the ball too tightly. Even juniors Bird and Mathews are new to this.
SCOUTING REPORT
Offensive approach: Running is the first priority. Brown, Bird, Mathews and Rabb are all finishers, making the Bears tough to slow in transition. Cal isn’t as smooth in the half court. Getting Wallace back from a wrist injury in mid-February helped get a fourth weapon back on the floor, or five if Martin goes with Rabb at center. Still, spacing and impatience can be issues at times.
Defensive approach: Martin is a defensive coach first and once this group had some time to play together, his vision came together. After a 4-5 Pac-12 start, the Bears’ active man-to-man became the difference in the turnaround. Seven of Cal’s next nine opponents were held under 66 points. Because of their athleticism, the Bears can switch on every screen, sag into the lane and are willing to give up a mid-range jumper rather than a drive to the rim.
How they beat you: The talent is there to score big, but it meshed more quickly on the defensive end. When the Bears find mismatches, like Rabb in the low post against some defenders, and are patient enough to take advantage, they have a winning offensive formula, too.
How you beat them: Bird has found a rhythm late in the season and was a key to the eight-game winning streak, but Mathews had been the only true deep threat until then. Cal has a few different places it can turn, but it’s best to play off their wings and make the Bears beat you from the outside. The ball tends to stop moving when Cal is forced to grind out possessions. The Bears’ assist rate is 254th in the country. Cal is also just a 65.7 percent free throw shooting team. Putting them at the line in late-game situations might be a winning strategy.
WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY
(Note: All statistics in this section are courtesy of kenpom.com and are accurate through games of March 6.)
NATIONAL RANKS
Offensive efficiency, 49th (111.1)
Defensive efficiency, 12th (93.3)
3-point percentage, 67th (36.9)
3-point percentage D, 158th (35.5)
Free throw rate, 58th (41.7)
Free throw rate D, 164th (36.5)
TO percentage, 163 (17.9)
TO percentage D, 348th (13.8)
Good stat: 93.3 defensive efficiency
The young Bears bought into Martin’s plan and it has translated into the program’s best season since 2012. One of the keys to that is Cal’s ability to limit 3-point attempts, while not giving up too much mid-range space or action at the rim. Only three teams allowed fewer shots from beyond the arc.
Bad stat: 13.8 turnover percentage D
Ironically, a team that wants to run and is good at defending the opponent is not good at turning the opponent over. In fact, Cal is one of the worst in the country.
HOW FAR WILL THEY GO?
Best-case scenario: Sweet 16
The offensive production probably hasn’t lived up to the talent thus far, but the Bears wouldn’t be the first team to find an extra gear in the tournament. Brown or Rabb could be breakout national stars for a week with a few acrobatic plays and a couple of Cal wins.
Worst-case scenario: Opening-round loss
Any team with issues scoring becomes an upset possibility. Not to mention these Bears are relatively young and have not been in this environment before. Even Martin has coached in only one NCAA tournament, although he did get Tennessee to the Sweet 16 in 2014.
Thanks for posting California’s ESPN analysis as well Jonathan.
One thing I’m puzzled by, is why is Kingley Okoroh listed as a starter for Cal when he averages only 10.7 minutes per game and puts out less than mediocre stats averaging a measly 1.5 points and 2 rebounds per game? Why isn’t Jordan Matthews in the starting rotation since he averages nearly 30 minutes per game, with 13.1 ppg and 3.4 rpg? And this would make sense considering Hawaii’s starting lineup consists of 3 guards in Smith, Bobbitt and Valdes. Is this lineup listed in such a way to make Cal’s bench appear to be statistically better than they really are?
Don’t know Tiger, I just copied and pasted from ESPN Insider. One has to pay to be able to read Insider articles on ESPN. Soon I will not be able to, because I will not be able to renew ESPN Insider automatically.
thanks Jonathan.
Your ESPN reports helps put some perspective into understanding how these two teams match up; thanks Jonathan.
😉
Thanks for providing this analysis – perhaps later you could provide the same for the Cal Bears(?). I would say that this is a fair draw for the Bows. No matter which team the Bows face, in order to advance, they will have to bring their “A” game. I’d say at least 4 Bows in double figures; less than 10 turnovers; 60% or more from the FT line; staying out of “stupid” foul trouble, and most importantly, winning the rebound match-up, where the Bows are 23-0 when that happens, including the BW Final against LBS. We saw what the Heart Attack Kids can do potentially, when they smoked the Anteaters in Honolulu. In that game, the Bows “rained” 3’s, taking the Anteaters right out of their game. Better not to play catch-up in the Dance – very tough – especially against seasoned opponents. At least Spokane is not in California! If the Bows can get the first one, the Sweet 16 is not out-of-the-question. “If Can – Can; if cannot, cannot”. Go Bows!!!
Sorry – Internet problem.
ur name is familiar: u don’t have to answer — r u Tai Manu-Olevao?
Not that “Tai”! 8^)
Okay
How many people from Hawaii are on this team? And how many of the People from the Mainland or elsewhere in the world are on athletic scholarships?
Not having followed basketball that closely, I don’t know. However offhand I don’t think any local players are on this team (a guess).
If this game was at the Stanley, we could draw 15,000 or more, if the capacity was limitless. However these ‘bows have made it known that they can win on the road. One does not get to 27-5, by being homebodies.
I believe the only players from Hawaii on UH’s roster are Dyrbe Enos and Zach Busher, who are used sparingly.
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/team/roster/_/id/62
Tough call for me about which school to root for. I have degrees from both Berkeley and UHM.
First half for Cal and second half for Hawaii.
I’m in the same boat (both UH and UC-Berkeley degrees) and the choice is easy: Hawaii
Support your HOME team!
I have a degree from Linekona.
I don’t think Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb are going anywhere just yet. Both are true freshmen.
Wow, this could be the most longest posts here!
13 4 Cal.
Madame Pele is on our side!
The get together at the restaurant was I’m sure checked with compliance before it was commenced. We don’t want to open a Gibson’s on the mainland. When I won one of the three volleyballs in the October 2009 auction regarding the pink month for the Wahine Volleyball team, I double checked with UH compliance before I publicly displayed it at the Maple Garden Restaurant in Moilili. I can clearly see the signatures of Dave Shoji, Elizabeth Kaaihue and Emily Maeda on it. That team was the last team to go to the final four.
And just when you thought that we were “finished” here, another interesting comment from the New York Times from 3/14/16:
Hawaii Can Beat California
WHY IT WILL HAPPEN California’s interior defense is stellar; its opponents score the lowest percentage of their points via 2-point field goals, per KenPom.com. But Hawaii is great at scoring down low, led by the 6-foot-11 junior Stefan Jankovic, who is particularly good at being fouled and a threat to shoot 3-pointers. In that matchup, why shouldn’t the tie go to the offense, and to the more experienced team?
WHY IT MIGHT NOT In terms of raw talent, California was, if anything, underseeded at No. 4. It has beaten some terrific teams — St. Mary’s, Oregon State, Arizona, Utah, Oregon — and N.B.A. teams are eager to get their hands on talents like Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb.
X FACTOR Cal is one of the worst teams at turning over the ball, which can be a gift to Hawaii if the Rainbow Warriors can exploit it.
In other words, the Bows have got to be on their game to pull off the upset – an impressive resume by the Bears this year. Go Bows!