Gib Arnold’s got his guys playing excellent team basketball right now. With victories over No. 14 Xavier and Clemson in the Diamond Head Classic, the Rainbow Warriors are performing with the synergy derived from everyone having gained a better understanding of their roles and believing in each other.

UH has won five of its last six games as it closes in on the start of the Western Athletic Conference season at 7-5 overall with two non-league games left to play — hosting South Carolina State on Thursday and UNLV on Saturday.

"This team’s really starting to play together," Arnold said Sunday after the win over Clemson. "They’re starting to trust each other."

He added that the players have accepted that each has a part to play, and if that is done the wins will continue to roll in.

"Shooters shoot. Rebounders rebound. Defenders play defense," UH’s second-year head coach said.

Well done so far, Coach. You are clearly earning that hard-fought-for raise.

But all this success and potential can lead to just one thing: sharing the wealth. Because the UH football team needs tight ends.

Not right now of course. I hope the basketball team can ride this wonderful chemistry and flow all the way to the WAC championship and some postseason wins.

But come spring time and after the BasketBows have made their run through March Madness (hey, you never know), it will be time — time for some big men to say ciao to Arnold, and hello to Chow — Norm Chow, the new UH football coach.

Chow needs tight ends, STAT.

His predecessors, June Jones and Greg McMackin, had none on the team. There is no such thing as a tight end in the run-and-shoot offense. Instead, it has two slotbacks — the position 5-foot-9 basketball guard Miah Ostrowski played. Will Chow use a slot in his attack, or will Ostrowski have to adapt to being a wide receiver?

THE BEST, easiest place to locate the tall, coordinated and strong athletes who make good tight ends? On the basketball court, of course.

That’s where perhaps the greatest tight end ever was often found during his college years. Tony Gonzalez played both football and basketball at Cal.

Seven-time Pro Bowler Antonio Gates only played basketball in college, with two years at Kent State.

Jones swiped Tony Akpan and Ikaika Alama-Francis from the basketball team, both to play defensive line. They probably could have been tight ends — that is, if UH had tight ends in its offense then.

Back in the 1980s, Sam Johnson went from the hardwood to the gridiron as a tight end. He did OK.

When I asked Arnold about this, he said Joston Thomas and Trevor Wiseman (who are both listed at 6-7) would be good candidates, even though neither played high school football.

"I always tell Trevor that when he’s done (with basketball eligibility) he should play a year of football and go on to the NFL," said Arnold, adding that Wiseman is a cousin of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel.

"Those two guys (Thomas and Wiseman) would be good," Arnold said. "But tell Norm he can’t have them."

Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783.