Basketball assistant Akana not with team

Assistant coach Brandyn Akana was not with the University of Hawaii basketball team Wednesday in California, raising new questions about his status.

The Rainbow Warriors open a two-game Big West Conference road trip Thursday at UC Riverside. University officials refused to say whether Akana will rejoin the team for the game or Saturday’s contest at Cal State Fullerton.

"It is a personnel (matter)," athletic director Ben Jay said. "I’m not going to comment on personnel things."

In a phone conversation, UH head coach Gib Arnold confirmed Akana was not with the team in Riverside on Wednesday.

When asked if Akana would be with the team for Thursday’s game, Arnold said Akana "will be on the road" for recruiting purposes, but did not elaborate on when he would return to the bench.

Akana, who is responsible for the UH guards, missed four games (road games at UC Davis and UC Irvine and home contests against Long Beach State and Cal State Northridge) as well as practices before rejoining the team last week.

At the time Jay said it was a "personnel" action and involved the school’s Office of Human Resources and Akana was being paid. On Wednesday, Jay declined comment when asked if Akana was still being paid.

Akana did not return phone messages left by the Star-Advertiser.

A source in the Big West Conference said UH has apprised the conference’s compliance office of "a situation" but refused to say if it was related to Akana.

Last week Arnold said Akana’s absence was "absolutely nothing" and referred questions to Jay.

Akana is in his fourth season as a UH assistant after spending nine years at Brigham Young-Hawaii.