Hawaii men’s basketball: 100th season celebration ramps up

By Brian McInnis on January 24, 2020 | Court Sense, Featured, Rainbow Warriors basketball
Tim Shepherd threw down a dunk on Jan. 28, 1993, in a 78-74 win against Fresno State. Shepherd and many other past greats are expected to attend the UH basketball 100th season game on Saturday against UC Davis. / Star-Adveriser file photo by Ken Ige

The tributes continue to roll in.

While it’s true that the entire 2019-20 season has been a tribute of sorts to the century-plus history of Hawaii basketball, Saturday’s contest against UC Davis — billed as the 100th season celebration game — will take things to a new level.

UH held a special get-together at Giovanni Pastrami on Thursday night, featuring some of the same former players, staff members and supporters who will be present Saturday.

Former coach Riley Wallace is expected to be there, as is the Fabulous Five and a number of other people who had an impact on the program through the decades.

Expect a number of bells and whistles, throwback clips and references to various eras — the earliest days, the Red Rocha-era owned by the Fab Five and Tom Henderson, the 1990s marked by Trevor Ruffin and the Dynamic Duo, the international flair of the early 2000s teams, and the recent NCAA Tournament breakthrough squad. Stephen Tsai wrote a little more on all that.

Here’s is a tentative list of the special guests expected to show up:
Huthifah Abdeljawad, Eric Ambrozich, Jarinn Akana, Tom Beckerle, Matt Brummel (manager), Dyrbe Enos, Rykin Enos, Jerome Freeman, Jay Goo (trainer), Vince Goo (WBB coach and son of MBB coach Ah Chew Goo), Kawika Hallums, Harvey Harmon, Dwight Holiday, Garland Hughes, Larry Jones, Gibson Johnson, Jim and Kanoa Leahey (broadcasters), Kalia McGee, Pi’i Minns, Andre Morgan, Bob Nash, Bruce O’Neil (coach), Geremy Robinson, Miah Ostrowski, John Penebacker, Jeff Portnoy (broadcaster), Scott Robbs (broadcaster), Dennis Sallas, Len Scaduto (coach), Julian Sensley, Tim Shepherd, Kelii Silva, Alika Smith, Justice Sueing, Kenneth Takeuye (manager), Mike Thomas, Riley Wallace (coach), Jackson Wheeler (coach), Johnny White, Artie Wilson.

The project, which includes an upcoming jersey retirement for Nash, began in earnest in the offseason. Earlier this season, UH held a special tribute night for the Fab Five. It’s had a different former player as its honorary game captain for every home contest.

UH coach Eran Ganot laid out some of what went into it.

Point guard Drew Buggs spoke highly of the opportunity to meet some past greats.

Many of those past greats, of older and more recent vintage, took to Hawaii basketball’s social media in recent days to pay their respects to the program.

Here’s a compilation of the tributes:

UPDATE: Here’s a few more tributes that went up Friday night:

UPDATE II: One more went up overnight:

UH (12-6, 3-1 Big West) is tied for first place with UC Irvine through four games. The Rainbow Warriors can maintain that position with a win over Davis (8-12, 2-2) in the third game of a four-game homestand.

COMMENTS

  1. Robert January 24, 2020 5:27 pm

    I wonder if they will name the 100th anniversary top team and second and third team?

  2. H-Man January 26, 2020 7:16 pm

    It was awesome to read so many former players checking in for the celebration. There are so many past players that still bleed green. UH should be so proud of their athletic heritage.

Comments are closed.

Schedules

Rosters

Standings

RELATED ARTICLES

Rainbow Wahine take on Gauchos on senior night November 27, 2021
Rainbow Wahine open final homestand vs. CSUN November 26, 2021
Rainbow Wahine seek breakthrough at Cal Poly November 20, 2021
Rainbow Wahine look to avoid the blues at CSUB November 19, 2021
Rainbow Wahine look to extend Big West lead November 14, 2021