Only 10 times in school history has the men’s basketball team reached 20 wins in a season. The Rainbow Warriors are primed to do just that and more as the calendar tantalizes us with that exciting flip from February to
Only 10 times in school history has the men’s basketball team reached 20 wins in a season. The Rainbow Warriors are primed to do just that and more as the calendar tantalizes us with that exciting flip from February to March.
Hawaii entered Thursday night’s road game at Long Beach State boasting a 19-8 overall record, 8-5 in the Big West Conference. At stake was not only that magic “20” figure, but a chance to leap frog LBSU for third place in the conference standings and to remain in the hunt for a regular-season title. The ‘Bows entered the contest trailing both UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine by 1.5 games, those two tied for first at 9-3.
UH has won at least 20 games just four times since the great 1972 team. That last 20-win season came during the 2003-04 campaign under head coach Riley Wallace. The team finished 21-12 that season and reached the quarterfinals of the NIT, falling to eventual NIT champion Michigan after wins over Utah State and Nebraska.
Ten years later, head coach Gib Arnold is poised for his best record at UH and has a team that seems to be clicking at the right time. The Bows’ hot start was briefly interrupted a month back when the team dropped two games to LBSU and UCSB during a three-game home stand. Since then the team had won four of five entering Thursday, including a pair of road wins, with the only loss coming in overtime to UC Irvine.
Christian Standhardinger has been in beast mode for much of that stretch, if not all season. During those five games, the senior forward averaged 19.2 points and 10 rebounds, going 37 for 43 from the foul line. He earned Big West Player of the Week for the second time this year on Feb. 17 after the team picked up road wins at UC Riverside and Cal State-Fullerton.
Entering Thursday’s contest, Standhardinger was just 15 points shy of 1,000 for his career. According to the UH athletic department, 15 players in school history have reached the 1,000-point plateau. Only three of those 15 were two-year players like Standhardinger.
In his first season at Manoa, Standhardinger averaged 15.8 points per game last year, totaling 504 for the season. This year his average is up to 17.8 to go with 8.1 rebounds.
Thursday’s results are unknown as of press time, but if he approached his season average, Standhardinger might already be the 16th name on that list.
Last Saturday’s 86-77 win over UC Davis was also a rebound game for big man Isaac Fotu. Held to just 11 points on 3 for 8 shooting in a 60-56 overtime loss to UC Irvine, his efficiency was back to appropriate levels two days later when he tallied 18 points on 8 for 12 shooting and hauled down 11 boards.
The front court tandem is very complementary mostly because they are so different. Standhardinger is scrappy and deceptive. He finishes off hustle plays that may not seem pretty, but get the job done. He gets to the foul line more than anyone else in the Big West (8.2 free throw attempts per game) and shoots just under 77 percent when he gets there, good enough for fifth in the conference.
Fotu, on the other hand, has much more of a wow factor to his game. He’s comfortable with his back to the basket, along with facing up on the baseline. Some of his performances appear even more substantial than the reality because he seems to be so efficient and unstoppable. While you may look up at the scoreboard and think “it doesn’t feel like Standhardinger has scored 24 points,” you may simultaneously think “it sure seems like Fotu has more than 14.”
But no matter who is doing the scoring, the team is playing well as a unit. Point guard Keith Shamburger’s distribution has been paramount to their success. He averaged 8.3 assists in those four previous wins, but had just three in the loss to UC Irvine. I’ve written it over and over this season, but he is still the straw that stirs the drink. When he’s shaken and not stirring, UH is vulnerable.
But with only a pair of games to play before the Big West Tournament, these ‘Bows are quietly moving up the ladder of best teams in school history. Now it’s just a matter of how high they can climb.
