Benjy Taylor has presented most of his case — the part on the court, anyway.

Right now, the University of Hawaii basketball team still has a chance at 20 wins as it prepares for the finale of the regular conference slate at Fullerton and then the Big West tournament.

“This 20-win thing is mystical and important for all the wrong reasons,” Taylor, UH’s head coach, said in his office Thursday, minutes before heading to the airport. “Of course I want it, but what I really want is to make sure these kids have a great experience.”

UH has enjoyed success this season against all expectations. Taylor deserves plenty of credit for that. The question is if he should get the job for an extended period.

More and more fans are saying yes.

Even after a loss in the final home contest Wednesday, the crowd showed its appreciation for him, repeatedly chanting his first name.

They knew it could be his last game here.

It very well could be if the Rainbow Warriors don’t grind out some victories in the classroom the way they have on the hardwood. It is natural for academics to take a back seat during the season, and basketball covers big chunks of both semesters.

Taylor said the team compiled an acceptable 2.7 combined GPA in the fall, despite the turmoil of the NCAA investigation and transition after Gib Arnold’s firing.

Part of the challenge now is UH doesn’t have much wiggle room with the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate (APR) standards.

“We had a good semester (academically) in the fall and we’ll finish this semester strong, too,” Taylor said. “Two guys leaving hurt our APR. Imagine our APR if more guys leave.”

That was Taylor’s leverage, the idea that the team would play for only him. He was a rare source of familiarity and trust for the players amid the chaos.

If everyone returns for next season, UH loses just two players from this team. Taylor said he has no plans to “upgrade” personnel by encouraging anyone to transfer.

“I don’t want any of these kids to leave,” he said. “I’m not sitting here plotting how to get rid of two guys so we can get two others.”

Taylor said he would accept a one-year contract at this point, but would prefer two. The one-year extension offer he received around New Year’s included a provision where UH could replace him at any time, in effect maintaining him as interim. That’s why he didn’t accept it, he said.

Chancellor Robert Bley-Vroman — interim himself — said this week that there is no rush to hire a coach.

“I actually told him there IS a rush to fill the job quickly,” Taylor said.

One year with an appropriate pay raise with an option for a second year seems fair to all parties, including the new athletic director (whom a source says could be in place in two weeks).

“I think I’ve done a good enough job in all these situations that I’m the guy for the job,” Taylor said. “Who is better to get them through what is coming up than who got them through all of this?”

His case is pretty good, at least on the court.

Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783. His blog is at hawaiiwarriorworld.com.