For the first time in three seasons, the Hawaii shooting guards could live up to their name.

UH has lacked a true, consistent perimeter threat since 2007-08, when the Rainbow Warriors had options like Bobby Nash, Matt Gibson and Jared Dillinger to light up opponents from deep.

This year’s edition of the Rainbows boasts two shooting guards who can, well, shoot.

Junior Zane Johnson (6-6, 210) and true freshman Bo Barnes (6-4, 190) have consistently hit from long range throughout the preseason. And Johnson is a proven commodity from his two years at Arizona prior to transferring to UH.

"There’s a reason why they call them shooting guards. They gotta hit shots, they gotta extend the defense," UH coach Gib Arnold said. "I don’t want them to be toe-the-line shooters, I want them to have NBA range."

While Johnson and Barnes can supply that, the ‘Bows have two other guards they can call upon as utility players.

True freshman Jordan Coleman (6-4, 175) is a raw talent who has a nose for the ball on the perimeter. He is athletic and has great potential, but his time could be limited this season as he learns the nuances of Division I basketball and gets stronger.

Sophomore walk-on Pi’i Minns (6-3, 180), the 2009 state player of the year out of Kamehameha, was a late addition to the roster after transferring to UH from Chaminade. An able defender, the coaches appreciate what Minns brings in practice every day.

More than just shooting ability is expected of the 2-guards, including Johnson and Barnes.

"I don’t want them to just fall on that, to be one-dimensional," Arnold said. "They gotta know when to drive, how to move the ball, how to draw fouls. And they gotta guard. That’s no good if they get 20 points and they give up 21."

Johnson has fully recovered from a torn patellar tendon in his left knee that he rehabbed while sitting out as a transfer last season. His goal is to be a threat on the dribble-drive as well as from behind the arc, and he made some definite progress there in the preseason.

Barnes is lauded for his toughness and hard work in practices. He may not have much else to offer besides his pure shot in his first year of college, but that should be enough to get him on the floor.

"We practice different shots we’re going to get out of the offense," Barnes said. "So, coming off a down screen, top of the key 3s, or coming off a dribble handoff, we work on that a lot. Just how it’s gonna happen in the offense is how we practice it."