‘Bows ready to tip off first Big West season

Big West basketball has arrived at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Hawaii, the newcomer to the 10-team league after 33 years in the Western Athletic Conference, opens up against Cal State Northridge, an opponent well-versed in the brand of ball that typifies a BWC duel on any given Thursday or Saturday from now until March.

The Rainbow Warriors (6-5) tip off against the speedy Matadors (9-3) at 7:30 p.m. in the first of three straight league games at the Stan Sheriff Center through next week. UH was picked to finish fourth and CSUN eighth in the Big West preseason media poll. It’s safe to say the Matadors have exceeded expectations thus far.

"They’re exceptionally quick, 9-3, playing really well," UH coach Gib Arnold said. "A pressing team and a zoning team, maybe doing a lot of stuff we never saw in the WAC. We didn’t see many teams like that. It’s really different for us."

UH, an exceptionally young team — half the roster is made up of freshmen — had an up-and-down nonconference slate to prepare for this point of the season. There were wins over teams the ‘Bows were expected to beat, and losses (and missed opportunities) against bigger-name foes.

Most recently, Arnold shook up the lineup to give freshmen Manroop Clair and Brandon Jawato more playing time in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic. UH went 1-2 in the eight-team holiday tournament for sixth place.

The Matadors, like many Big West teams, tend to play a road-heavy schedule in the nonconference season. This year, though, they started 6-0, and reached nine wins at the earliest date in program history. Last year’s Matadors went 7-21.

"It’s been a very surprising start for us," CSUN’s 17-year head coach Bobby Braswell said. "Our guys have really stepped up and really bought into what we’re doing. We’re extremely young. What these guys have done is really given me a great effort. They listen, they’re very, very coachable. And they’ve played in all kinds of situations so far."

UH senior point guard Jace Tavita took a backseat during most of the DHC, but his confidence is restored after he dished eight assists in 31 minutes off the bench during the 81-66 loss to Ole Miss on Christmas Day. The 6-foot-4 Tavita took back first-team reins from Clair in practices this week, and senior wing Hauns Brereton could also see more time coming off several quiet games.

"Coach has been big on me attacking and using my size to really start being more aggressive," said Tavita, who leads all conference players in assists per game at 5.6. "Especially with conference play coming up, a lot of the guards are smaller, quicker. So he wants me to be aggressive and use my size to my advantage."

That’s exactly what UH’s preseason all-league center, Vander Joaquim (team-bests of 15.6 ppg, 8.1 rpg), wants to do. Through his career game (29 points, 15 rebounds, two blocks) against Ole Miss, Joaquim demonstrated that he’s fully back from his preseason MCL tear. He will continue to wear his right knee brace as a precaution.

The 6-foot-10 Joaquim is quite aware the Big West has a reputation as a guards’ league.

"I mean, I feel it’s a great opportunity," Joaquim said. "I feel like I just gotta go out there and play hard every night. Show what I learned, what we’ve worked hard for."

UH might be relatively young, but CSUN doesn’t want to hear about it. It is the youngest team in the country by average number of college years of experience (0.65).

CSUN is second in the league with 81.3 points per game and first in steals at 9.7.

The Matadors are coming off a 76-71 win at Utah in which they trailed by 21 at half — 49-28 — and rallied for the win.

They are led by 6-foot-6 sophomore wing Stephan Hicks (17.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg), the returning Big West Freshman of the Year. Hicks had 22 points and 17 rebounds in UH’s 86-67 win to kick off the 2011-12 nonconference season.

Braswell said he is most concerned with UH’s size. Behind starting big men Joaquim, 6-foot-8 Christian Standhardinger (15.5 ppg, 7.8 rpg) and 6-8 Isaac Fotu (9.4 ppg, 7.4 rpg), UH has the best rebounding margin (plus-8.9) in the conference.

"I think that this group of guys has matured every game," Arnold said. "With Vander getting healthier and the freshmen getting the minutes we were able to give them, I think we’re ready for this conference. I think it’s going to be a quite a battle every night."