Hawaii’s senior class has a lot to play for in its last home game

A full-strength Hawaii basketball team can complicate the Big West regular-season championship picture by closing the home season strong tonight.

This “White-out” senior night features opponent UC Irvine, the team that UH (16-10, 7-6 Big West) edged 62-61 in Irvine, Calif., just nine days ago — and now the conference front-runner. The Anteaters seek a third straight regular-season title, shared or outright.

Since that strange Feb. 15 game at Bren Events Center, in which UH shot 3-for-24 in the second half but still prevailed, the Anteaters have gone right back to their elite rebounding and defensive identity. Motivated UCI (15-15, 10-4) beat Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara and is 7-1 in its last eight games. UCSB got knocked off the pole position by being held to 49 points on Thursday.

“They were able to beat us in a close game. That’s how it goes sometimes,” Anteaters coach Russell Turner said. “We didn’t make enough plays to win that game. That’s a credit to Hawaii. They did. I thought their performance, especially in the first half, was outstanding. They were able to win a tough road game and showed great character and toughness in doing that.”

Fortunately for UH, senior forward and top scorer (13.5) and rebounder (6.1) Mike Thomas is recovered from his unspecified injury from the last Irvine meeting and will not miss the last home game of his five-year career. Yet, UH was 2-0 without him, including a 74-63 win over Long Beach State on Thursday as Zigmars Raimo came off the bench for a career-high 17 points.

Thomas was an active practice participant Friday. He is one of three outgoing players who will be honored tonight, along with Gibson Johnson and Zach Buscher.

“I could go forever about how special they’ve been to this program, this university, to Hawaii, to myself, to my family,” UH coach Eran Ganot said. He noted their on-court contributions, their work in the community and solid grades.

“To do what they’ve done, under some really dark clouds at times during their tenure, we could’ve fallen off the map, and we didn’t. I always say it’s because of the people in our locker room and the support of those guys.”

The 6-foot-7 Thomas, of Woodland Hills, Calif., appeared out of El Camino Real High in 2013-14, recruited by Gib Arnold. He endured Arnold’s firing, the infamous NCAA probe and an interim season under Benjy Taylor. He captained three years under Ganot — two active seasons sandwiching an injury redshirt year.

Thomas could’ve transferred out free of penalty after UH’s NCAA Tournament season of 2015-16. Instead, he became the most prominent player from that decorated team to stay.

“I (didn’t) want to leave and Hawaii’s having a great year and I can’t be a part of that, knowing that I could’ve been there, playing for the island and the state and everything, these teammates I still have now,” Thomas said. “That was a big thing for me, being loyal to that.”

Thomas, when he avoids foul trouble, is an elite defender and efficient scorer within the framework of the team’s offense. He exploded for 20-plus points six times this season and is third in the Big West in field-goal shooting at 57.7 percent.

UH just announced him as its winningest all-time player (86 in his active seasons). Thomas could try his hand as a hoops pro or go into marketing.

The 6-8 Johnson (9.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg), of Centerville, Utah, arrived in 2016 from a national championship season at Salt Lake Community College knowing UH faced stern NCAA sanctions. He surmounted that to become a two-year team captain and a Big West honorable mention as a junior. This season he is second in two categories — his age among all Division I basketball players (he just turned 26), and his field-goal shooting in Big West games (57 percent).

“There were tough situations coming in with the NCAA,” he said. “But really, I think we did a great job as a team of banding together, becoming a family, looking past things like that that could maybe hold us back. Trying to become the best version of ourselves.”

Johnson will also look to extend his playing days as a pro, possibly overseas.

Buscher, a Kailua native who walked on out of ‘Iolani in 2014, recently decided his redshirt junior season will be his last. The travel industry management major sees himself doing something in the field of hospitality — his father owns Lei Lei’s Bar & Grill on the North Shore.

The “Hawaii 5-O” and scout team veteran has appeared in 36 career games with 23 total points. He chalked up the highs and lows he’s witnessed as one big “learning experience.”

“Obviously this place means a lot to me,” Buscher said. “I’ve been here for four years, so I love all my teammates, love all my coaches. Appreciate everything they’ve done for me. … Playing in front of my family and friends, aunties, uncles and teachers, everyone who helped me along the way has been special.”