UH confirms Avea
Hawaii coach Eran Ganot made Kahuku wing Samuta Avea official on the school’s end today.
Here was today’s print edition story about Avea (subscriber content).
“We’re thrilled to have Samuta join our basketball program,” Ganot said in UH’s release. “He’s been a key recruit since the day I was hired at UH. He’s a tremendous person and has a great work ethic.”
“We absolutely love his versatility,” Ganot added. “He’s a tough athletic wing, who can rebound, score, and defend multiple positions. He comes from a great family and is very proud to return to Hawaii and represent this state and university.”
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Friday’s game against North Carolina is setting up to be a doozy, though perhaps not for competitive balance reasons. It could be UH’s third sellout in two years. If it does sell out, Carolina will be 2-for-2 for that at the Stan Sheriff (it was the Special Events Arena when they were here for its opening season of 1994).
As of Thursday night, there were fewer than 1,000 tickets left, per athletic director David Matlin.
Matlin encouraged people still planning to come to buy tickets early, and ideally online.
The Tar Heels are UH’s highest-ranked foe since the Rainbow Warriors faced No. 3 Oklahoma in the Diamond Head Classic semifinals last year. As a stand-alone game (not part of a tournament) Carolina is the most daunting since UH opened the 2005-06 season against No. 4 Michigan State on its way to Maui. Of course, we all know how that turned out.
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UNC coach Roy Williams was gracious enough to answer some questions over the phone with the Star-Advertiser in advance of Friday’s game. Look for some of his responses in Friday’s print edition (including what he recalls of the Rainbow Warriors’ upset of his No. 2 Kansas Jayhawks in 1997).
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CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein tweeted out what he says is the 2017 Diamond Head field. No confirmation on this end, but it’s interesting to look at.
Miami, USC, Davidson, Akron, Middle Tennessee, Utah St, New Mexico St, and Hawaii will headline the 2017 Diamond Head Classic, per sources.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) November 16, 2016
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