It hasn’t been the start to Big West play that the ‘Bows had hoped for, dropping their first two games on the road. However, the good thing about playing in a one-bid conference – which the Big West is all
It hasn’t been the start to Big West play that the ‘Bows had hoped for, dropping their first two games on the road. However, the good thing about playing in a one-bid conference – which the Big West is all but assured to be – is that the regular season can be used as more of a precursor to the conference tournament.
After starting the year 11-3 in non-conference play, Hawaii opened up its men’s basketball slate with a pair of Mainland matchups. The first was a throwback to some of the team’s past struggles, as it got off to a terrible start against Cal Poly. The Mustangs gained control early, nailing some quick three-pointers and sprinting to a 21-6 lead. That was the head start they needed and they used it to cruise to a 77-65 victory.
The ‘Bows corrected the first-half slumping in the second game of the West Coast swing, playing almost even with Cal State Northridge for the first 20 minutes. But the Matadors made their run in the second half, taking a 70-57 lead before Hawaii stormed back to within one point with less than two minutes to play. That was as close as they would get, ultimately dropping a 79-78 heartbreaker.
The next challenge arrives Sunday when Hawaii gets to open its home conference schedule at the Stan Sheriff Center against UC Riverside (5-11, 0-2 Big West). It will be an important game for the ‘Bows to get back on track and regain some momentum, since its two games to follow are back on the road.
While he is much more a playmaker than scorer, point guard Keith Shamburger struggled with his shot in the two losses, shooting just 1 for 12 from the field. After shooting 14 for 29 from beyond the three-point line from Nov. 22 to Dec. 25 – a 7-1 stretch for the team – Shamburger is just 2 for 17 since. With the ball in his hands so much, Shamburger needs to be a threat from the outside for opposing defenses to show enough concern to allow Isaac Fotu and Christian Standhardinger to operate inside with fewer double-teams.
He’s been getting touches, but Fotu needs even more shots if the team is going to be successful. He averaged 14.5 points and 9 rebounds in the two losses, shooting 60 percent (12 for 20) from the floor. For the good of the team, the big man with the array of post moves should probably become a little more selfish.
Junior Garrett Nevels has become the team’s most consistent backcourt scorer. The Los Angeles product is averaging 16.8 points over his past five games while shooting 11 for 24 from behind the arc. On nights when swing man Brandon Spearman hasn’t had it going from the perimeter, Nevels has picked up the slack and toed the three-point line with lethal results.
They’re not playing their best ball, but they’re still learning how to win. The chemistry is there, the talent is there and the coaching is there. Becoming a winning team in a new conference typically takes time, evidenced by the ‘Bows being picked to finish sixth by the media this preseason. But their goal right now should be to keep getting better. They can’t play their way into the postseason – at least not the Big Dance – in January. If they continue to gain familiarity with one another and with their opposition, they’ll be a major player in the Big West for the remainder of the season and right into Championship Week.
