Gameday: at Long Beach State
Incredibly, a clean Big West road sweep is in play when Hawaii tips off at Long Beach State in about 20 minutes.
How many of you thought that was ever a possibility for the Rainbow Warriors? (Not just this season … ever.) Well, UH has yet to win at the Walter Pyramid in three previous Big West meetings there. (UH did win at BracketBusters game at LBSU in 2007.)
The 2 p.m. (HST) game is being televised on Fox Sports Prime Ticket. The line was previously even, but right now it’s Long Beach by 1.5 points.
You can bet UH (24-4, 13-2) will supply an improved effort on the boards from the last time the teams met up on Jan. 30, when The Beach chip-shotted its way to a 78-64 victory.
UH’s ball-handling depth was sorely tested against UC Davis on Thursday; once Roderick Bobbitt left the game with foul trouble, the Aggies’ pressed fullcourt and forced several turnovers. With no Isaac Fleming as a backup pressure relief, it put the onus on Quincy Smith and Niko Filipovich to handle the ball.
Bobbitt is going to have to stay on the court for UH to have success, plain and simple.
Aaron Valdes has been wanting another crack at defending Nick Faust. Valdes was pretty limited coming off his toe injury in the teams’ first meeting, and Faust erupted for 28 points and 14 rebounds.
Lastly, a strong performance by Stefan Jankovic today could help convince the Big West coaches that he is worthy of Big West Player of the Year.
————————
CollegeInsider.com did a video tribute to the “impossible” success of UH and Ganot.
Northern Iowa 57
Wichita State 52(OT)
This can only help Hawaii’s, albeit slim cause, towards a NCAA at-large bid.
Ugly, ugly game.
The Shockers missed their first 17 three attempts until Fred VanVleet finally hit one.
Hawaii could beat both teams.
Oh, wait, we almost did.
When Jerry Tarkanian was head coach, Fresno State used to get a lot of calls at home.
I forget the year, but Mike McIntyre was on the team, and during a loose scramble at center court, he got whistled for a foul. Both players were just battling for the ball. The ensuing free throws tied the game at the end of regulation.
So blatantly bad.
A little-used reserve named Stovall made a late basket around the rim and was hammered, but the zebras let it go.
I’m reminiscing about a WAC Semifinal game which ended with their point guard hitting a three at the buzzer in overtime.
A couple years ago, I recall Jackson Wheeler on “Hoops Talk” saying that Long Beach State gets some amazing calls in their favor at home.
I detected something in the otherwise rousing senior celebration that indicated to me why the women’s basketball team had a mildly disappointing regular season.
This team lacked strong senior leadership.
Coach Laura Beeman did a helluva job getting 19 wins out of this somewhat mediocre bunch.
UC-Riverside suits up seven players. You would hope that they’re exhausted by season’s end.
Two wins, then get plastered in the first round.
All-Reagan Era First Team
G- Clarence “Pop” Dickerson
G- Chris Gaines
F- Bobby Hancock
F- Eric Bowman
F- Jack Miller
Honorable Mention: G- Aaron Strayhorn; G- Tony Webster; F- Alan Andrus
It was not a good era for centers.
Bad timing.
Northern Iowa 56
Evansville 54
Northern Iowa to the NCAAs as the Missouri Valley Conference champion.
Hawaii now has its signature win.
All for naught.