The late nights are sometimes the toughest to remember fully, but they’re often the ones we wish to remember most. What looked like it would be another one-sided victory to cap off an impressive opening week for Hawaii hoops turned
The late nights are sometimes the toughest to remember fully, but they’re often the ones we wish to remember most. What looked like it would be another one-sided victory to cap off an impressive opening week for Hawaii hoops turned into a thrilling finish during Monday night’s tilt that spilled into Tuesday morning.
As part of ESPN’s college basketball Tip-Off Marathon, Hawaii took on the Nevada Wolfpack at 11 p.m. with both teams having won their first two games of the season and hoping to remain unbeaten on national TV. The game was physical, it was antagonistic and Nevada’s Marqueze Coleman put on one of the best individual performances you’ll see this season. But Hawaii escaped with a 76-75 victory to move to 3-0 under first-year head coach Eran Ganot.
The day was saved by Roderick Bobbitt, who hadn’t put up the type of numbers we’re accustomed to seeing, but his lay-up with 1.4 seconds left were the only two points that mattered. Without a timeout and Nevada having just taken a one-point lead, Bobbitt took the inbounds pass coast-to-coast for a delicate scoop and score, sending the Stan Sheriff Center into a frenzy.
We’re learning a few things about the ‘Bows through the early going. For one thing, they’ve been getting off to quick starts. In each of their three contests, they’ve scored at least 40 points in the first half and taken sizable leads to the locker room. Some of that has been thanks to the play of Sai Tummala, who seems to be earning a larger role than I originally expected. Tummala is averaging 11 points in 20 minutes off the bench, but his 69 percent shooting (9 for 13) from three-point range is just aching to regress to a realistic number. Tummala has scored 27 of his 33 points in the first half, helping Hawaii run out to big margins.
Whether it’s getting too comfortable playing with a lead or just taking their foot slightly off the gas, the second-half execution is where UH has struggled thus far. They held a 16-point lead over Nevada with 16 minutes to play, but Coleman scored 32 of his game-high 34 points in the second half to propel the Wolfpack back in front with under four minutes remaining.
Defensively, Hawaii was unable to keep Coleman in front of them. He was getting into the paint with ease and taking advantage of some quicker whistles in the second half. Coleman got to the free-throw line 18 times, converting 15 of those attempts.
Hawaii is having major issues defending the high pick and roll. Coleman was the biggest culprit, receiving the screen as the UH big man hedged out to guard him, only to attack immediately when the big retreated. The ‘Bows never really solved that issue and briefly went to a zone after repeatedly being burned. But it took far too long to make even that adjustment. Defending the pick and roll is something that requires everyone to be on the same page. Conference opponents will try to exploit that weakness if it remains one for long.
Despite the lead slipping away, the intensity never withered for UH. Bobbitt, who seems to be a cross between Gary Payton and T.J. Ford, wasn’t going to let his team exit with a loss. He’s the unquestioned leader, mostly with his play and his demeanor, rather than his words. They feed off his intensity and tenacity.
He has a lot of responsibility because there really isn’t another point guard on the roster. Quincy Smith slides into that spot from time to time if Bobbitt needs a quick breather, but he and Isaac Fleming are really off guards, not playmakers.
The exuberance of the game’s ending was marred slightly as Fleming said something clearly incendiary to the Nevada bench as time expired. It was enough to provoke Wolfpack head coach Eric Musselman to jaw back and move aggressively towards Fleming, who went to celebrate with his teammates. Some of Fleming’s immaturity showed last season under Benjy Taylor and he recently left the team for personal reasons. Coach Ganot indicated to Musselman he would address the matter with Fleming, but I’m sure he’ll be much happier if the talented lefty would make waves only with his play from now on.
This is a closely-knit team. The bench has fun during the games, jumping around and cheering big plays and performing choreographed “Major League” celebrations during free throws. The players all stick up for one another, though Fleming and Aaron Valdes may sometimes get a little more antagonistic than their coach may enjoy. But, frankly, that’s better than the alternative.
Despite the second-half deficiencies, it’s impossible to not be impressed with how Ganot and Hawaii have begun the 2015-16 season. The ‘Bows have a fairly favorable schedule and just one road game until Jan. 14(!), so their nightly quick starts could very well translate to a season-long sprint.
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David Simon can be reached at dsimon@thegardenisland.com.
