Court Sense

Formerly about Rainbow Warriors basketball, but now covering all University of Hawaii sports.

About the blog host

Brian McInnis has covered sports on Oahu full time since 2007, when he joined the Honolulu Star-Bulletin staff as a general reporter. He was the UH basketball beat writer from the 2008-09 season through 2017-18. Follow him on twitter @Brian_McInnis

Latest news

Hawaii football: Justus Tavai keeps mid-camp tabs on brother Jahlani

By Brian McInnis on July 30, 2019

Jahlani Tavai reached up, batted a ball thrown by NFL veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford, hauled it in and took off running. You can bet the Detroit Lions’ rookie linebacker’s younger brother, Hawaii defensive tackle Justus Tavai, heard, saw and talked all about it right after UH football practice Tuesday morning. The two brothers and former Rainbow Warriors teammates are still tied by bonds of training camp. They just happen to be thousands of miles apart. Jahlani Tavai was taken as […]

Hawaii football: Specialists Stan Gaudion, Ryan Meskell welcome the action

By Brian McInnis on July 30, 2019

At a typical Hawaii football practice, the specialists — kickers, punters, long snappers and the like — form their own little group in an adjacent grass clearing to hone their craft while the offense and defense clash on the elevated practice field. But when they’re called in for some team-wide special teams work, with the full roster and coaching staff either participating or spectating, that’s their time to shine. It’s not quite action under the bright lights, but as fall camp goes, […]

Hawaii soccer: UH loses Big West first-teamer Lei Medeiros

By Brian McInnis on July 27, 2019

The Hawaii fall soccer roster went up with a notable absence. It was Leialoha Medeiros, the All-Big West first-team midfielder from Makawao, Maui, who would’ve been a junior and the team’s primary go-to option in 2019. Coach Michele Nagamine told Hawaii Warrior World that Medeiros left the team in the offseason due to personal reasons. “We wish Lei all the best,” Nagamine said Saturday. “Sometimes life gets in the way of soccer, and it’s always about the student-athletes’ well-being and […]

Hawaii football: Jason-Matthew Sharsh prepares to step up

By Brian McInnis on July 27, 2019

Sixteen touchdowns. One-thousand, three-hundred and forty-three yards. That’s what John Ursua did last season for Hawaii on 89 catches. Ursua, who left Manoa a season early, was drafted in the seventh round by the Seattle Seahawks, leaving a hole in the Rainbow Warriors’ offense considerably larger than his 5-foot-10 frame. A single player alone will not likely make up what Ursua did in the run and shoot. One of those who will try to defray his loss is fifth-year senior […]

Hawaii football: J.R. Hensley leads intact offensive line

By Brian McInnis on July 26, 2019

It’s a rare advantage in college football to have an offensive line remain intact from one season to the next. Hawaii will try to capitalize on such an opportunity to maximize protection and blocking for Cole McDonald and the rest of the UH backfield in the coming months. Returning left guard J.R. Hensley, one of the Rainbow Warriors’ best communicators, feels strongly about his unit’s chances of doing something special come the season opener vs. Arizona on Aug. 24, and […]

Hawaii football: 2019 Rainbow Warriors returning statistical leaders

By Brian McInnis on July 25, 2019

To whet your appetite for the start of Hawaii football fall camp — UH begins the first of 20 preseason practices at 8 a.m. Friday morning — here’s a breakdown of the Rainbow Warriors’ returnees by statistical category. These are career totals at UH heading into the 2019 season, with number of years of service indicated. Stats at previous college stops were not counted. For the categories of games played and tackles, and a couple other categories, there was a cutoff […]

Hawaii soccer: Natasha Kai, Sonest Furtado win United Women’s Soccer title

By Brian McInnis on July 23, 2019

A couple of former Hawaii soccer standouts of different eras came together to help bring home a professional championship. Natasha Kai and Sonest Furtado, who played more than a decade apart for the Rainbow Wahine, were among the victorious LA Galaxy Orange County side that won the United Women’s Soccer title, 1-0 over host Calgary Foothills WFC in Canada on Tuesday. The UWS is a semi-pro, 23-team league a step below the National Women’s Soccer League. It was the fourth […]

Hawaii men’s basketball: Black Bears are Maine event at Sheriff on Dec. 29

By Brian McInnis on July 22, 2019

Hawaii’s first-known nonconference opponent of the 2019-20 season — aside from Ball State in the previously announced Diamond Head Classic pairings — is Maine of the America East Conference. The Black Bears put out their nonconference schedule on Monday. Lo and behold, UH was listed as an away game for the Black Bears on Dec. 29. 📅 Men's Hoops Releases 2019-20 Non-Conference Slate 📅 Details: https://t.co/HYnVtPn1bDSchedule: https://t.co/Hdur4Tiifg#BlackBearNation | #AEHoops pic.twitter.com/JKfMOrMmZL — Maine Basketball (@BlackBearsMBB) July 22, 2019 UH has never faced Maine. […]