Sizing ’em up

Missouri might not have Negus Webster-Chan, but the Tigers still bristle with weapons to throw at today’s guest.

Hawaii will have to contend with a three-man backcourt that, in size, more closely resembles frontcourts in the Big West when the Rainbow Warriors meet host Missouri at the "neutral" Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.

Tigers guards Jordan Clarkson, Jabari Brown and Earnest Ross each stand at 6-feet-5. They are the large, athletic focal points of an attack that has thus far outscored opponents by 24.5 points per game — that trifecta alone has put up 52 points per game in two blowout wins.

"They can shoot it, they can drive it," UH coach Gib Arnold said. "Big, strong kids who can play. It’s the reason why they’re good. They haven’t lost a nonconference home game in Missouri in eight years. It’ll be a heck of a feat to go up there and beat ’em."

The talented Webster-Chan made it to the NCAA Tournament as a Tigers freshman last season, but he transferred from Missouri to UH in the offseason seeking an expanded role. He isn’t with the ‘Bows because redshirts aren’t allowed to travel — though he helped supply a little extra intel on his former team leading up to the trip.

UH will take any advantage it can get against a power program now in the Southeastern Conference. The Tigers reached the NCAA Tournament the past five years, 20-win seasons all, and could again even with four new starters.

Missouri has won 75 straight nonconference games at home in Columbia. And while the 19,000-seat, five-year-old Sprint Center is a 21/2-hour drive down the highway, it’s expected to be packed with Tigers black and gold.

It’s an interesting time for Missouri basketball. Coach Frank Haith was suspended the first five games of the season by the NCAA for compliance violations from his time coaching at Miami three years ago.

Associate coach Tim Fuller, 35, has taken the reins as interim coach.

"We’ve just really leaned on the leadership of this team," Fuller said of the situation. "We would have guys step up and be the representatives of our program. And not necessarily look at it as, ‘Hey, Coach Haith is gone,’ but ‘Hey, we have building to do, we have work to do. And Coach Haith has laid a solid foundation here for us to build off of. So let’s stand on that solid foundation and execute the game plan he has set forth for us for the entire games.’ "

That foundation basically involves a heavy shot count for their "Big Three" in the backcourt. Clarkson, Brown and Ross have combined to take 73 of Missouri’s 110 field-goal attempts (66.3 percent).

UH would prefer that an untested Missouri frontcourt be asked to carry a bigger load against ‘Bows bigs Isaac Fotu (16.7 ppg, 9.0 rpg) and Christian Standhardinger (15.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg).

The ‘Bows (2-1) are coming off their first defeat of the season, 95-88 to New Mexico State early Tuesday morning. They spent all of Thursday traveling and got in a practice at the Sprint Center on Friday evening.

"We gotta make sure we just keep going at it," said point guard Keith Shamburger. "With the loss that we took it was tough on us. It’s going to tell if we like losing or we hate it. This is a bounce-back game for us and it’s going to test us a lot."

Shamburger was ejected for two technical fouls for talking in the New Mexico State game.

"I just gotta learn and live with that," he said. "There’s nothing I can do about it now. I just know it won’t happen again."

UH guards Shamburger, Garrett Nevels (15.0 ppg) and backup Quincy Smith will have their hands full today, but they might get a boost with a possible return from senior Brandon Spearman, who has progressed quickly on his sprained right ankle.

Arnold has looked to extend and trap other teams with fullcourt pressure to open the season, but the ‘Bows might be outmatched in the open court this time against a team that excels in transition.

"I think we gotta pick and choose when to do it," said UH assistant coach Scott Fisher, who had the scout on the Tigers. "I do think we gotta mix it up. They’re too talented (for us) to stick with one thing they can get used to and adapt to. But I think we need to try to keep them off-balance."

The ‘Bows have dropped their past five mainland nonconference games. Their last such win came in a Feb. 19, 2011, BracketBusters contest against UC Davis of the Big West. UH was still in the WAC at the time.