Shanghai » Thousands of skyscrapers greeted the Hawaii men’s basketball team when it awoke in China’s modern economic metropolis on Wednesday morning.
Less than a 2-hour drive away from the city of 20 million, the Rainbow Warriors experienced part of the country’s ancient lore.
The team traveled outside of the city limits to visit the Zhujiajiao ancient water town. The thousand-year-old city, considered Shanghai’s version of Venice, awed the team on a day off from practice and games.
The entire travel party, including the dozen UH boosters, braved the near 100-degree heat under a cloudless sky and navigated narrow passageways of ancient architecture while vendors hawked their wares at the passers-by.
"Would you eat that?" UH assistant coach Brandyn Akana wondered aloud at one of the more unusual food displays, what appeared to be a variation of escargot. Players backed away.
To beat the heat, senior guard Zane Johnson and sophomore center Davis Rozitis donned Chinese straw hats. Junior forward Hauns Brereton picked up a native flute.
Soon afterward, everyone hopped on six-person, gondola-like boats each manned by a single steersman.
UH strength coach Chris McMillian marveled at the strength of the wiry steersman as he rowed a single, massive oar back and forth behind the boat.
"He’s doing that all day?" McMillian said as he shook his head in amazement.
The boat captains were skilled, too, fearlessly navigating the boats under narrow bridges without slowing when vessels traveling the opposite direction came within inches of colliding.
It mirrored the aggressive style of the team bus drivers, who’ve left the team in awe with their willingness to turn around in intersections and weave nonchalantly through traffic.
Blakes, Biggs final word coming soon
The fate of UH signees Gerry Blakes and Dillon Biggs should be known in the coming days.
The Los Angeles-based recruits are waiting on some final classwork and SAT test results before it is known whether they qualify for entry into UH.
If they don’t, the two will likely enroll in a prep school for a semester or a year, and UH would look to pick up players to fill the roster spots.
Guards Victor Bermudez of University Park Academy (Texas) and Garrett Jefferson of Citrus College (Calif.) are possible replacements.
UH starts its fall semester on Aug. 22, the day after the team returns home.
Coming up
Later on Wednesday, UH was to take in an acrobatics show in downtown Shanghai.
On Thursday morning, the team departs further north to the city of Qingdao for the first of its games against Chinese Basketball Association professional teams. However, the first game against Shandong, was bumped from Thursday to Friday as UH was concerned about travel fatigue.
