Much of the upcoming schedule for the University of Hawaii men’s basketball team was already known, and more could come later.
Though a possible December game on Molokai is still being worked out, the Rainbow Warriors released the rest of their slate on Tuesday.
MEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
2012-13 season
NOVEMBER
9: Maryland-Eastern Shore (Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic); 11: Arkansas-Pine Bluff (RC); 12: Houston Baptist (RC, College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon); 16: Illinois; 20: North Dakota
DECEMBER
1: at UNLV; 8: Pepperdine; 22: Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic first round; 23: DHC second round; 25: DHC third round; 29: *Cal State Northridge
JANUARY
3: *Cal State Fullerton, 5: *UC Riverside; 10: *at UC Irvine; 12: *at Long Beach State; 17: *Pacific; 19: *UC Davis; 24: *at Cal Poly; 26: *at UC Santa Barbara; 31: *at UC Riverside
FEBRUARY
2: *at Cal State Fullerton; 7: *Long Beach State; 9: *UC Irvine; 14: *at UC Davis; 16: *at Pacific; 23: ESPN Bracket Busters opponent TBA; 28: *UC Santa Barbara
MARCH
2: *Cal Poly; 7: *at Cal State Northridge; 14-16: Big West tournament, Anaheim, Calif.
* Big West Conference game |
Besides UH’s first tour of the Big West Conference, a Nov. 16 home date against Illinois of the Big Ten and the eight-team Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic highlight the docket.
The Rainbow Warriors also play a Dec. 1 game at UNLV, a team with lofty aspirations. The Runnin’ Rebels edged UH in Honolulu last year in the first game of the home-and-home series.
“We definitely face some big challenges in nonconference with the likes of Illinois out of the Big Ten and UNLV, which I believe will be a top-10 team heading into this season,” Arnold said. “And of course the Diamond Head Classic always brings in some of the best teams in the country.”
This year’s possible Diamond Head Classic opponents (Dec. 22, 23 and 25) are Arizona, East Tennessee State, Indiana State, Miami (Fla.), Ole Miss, San Diego State and San Francisco. The tourney bracket will be announced later.
The Molokai game is still a possibility, Arnold said. UH has played games in Lahaina and Wailuku on Maui and Kona on the Big Island under the third-year coach.
“It’s our hope to bring another regular-season game to one of the neighbor islands,” the coach said. “It’s been a phenomenal experience for both the fans and our team the last two years.”
As previously announced, UH will open the season with a return to the Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic. The Rainbow Warriors meet Maryland-Eastern Shore on Nov. 9 to kick things off, followed by Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Houston Baptist. The last of the three will be UH’s entry into ESPN’s College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon.
UH opens its inaugural, 18-game season of Big West play against Cal State Northridge on Dec. 29.
The Big West is currently comprised of low-RPI teams, with the exception of Long Beach State. UH has played many of its teams over the past several years, to mixed results.
“There is familiarity with some of the teams since we’ve played them in the last few years,” Arnold said. “But overall, there definitely will be a feeling-out period. We look forward to competing for a league title.”
