If Hawaii is to achieve some positive consistency in Big West play, there’s no better time than the present.

The Rainbow Warriors have two favorable home games this week in UC Riverside on Thursday and last-place Cal State Fullerton on Saturday.

UH and Riverside are tied for fifth place in the Big West at 4-5. Amazingly, UH has yet to win or lose two conference games in a row. If that trend holds, UH will bounce back from its 75-74 loss at UC Santa Barbara last Saturday. However, respectable Riverside already dealt the ‘Bows a 66-62 defeat at SRC Arena on Jan. 17.

The Rainbows are 8-0 coming off a loss for the whole season.

"I just think it’s the time of year we have to have everybody come ready to play," UH coach Benjy Taylor said. "We can’t have four guys on, three guys off, or three guys on, five guys off. We have to have everybody give their best effort on any given play. … If we do that, we’re tough to beat."

Problem is, UH might be without its primary playmaker. Point guard Roderick Bobbitt sat out practices Tuesday and Wednesday with what was described by the team as bruising to his left knee.

Bobbitt, the national leader in total steals who is three swipes shy of tying Tom Henderson for the UH single-season record of 84, said he’d be ready to play against the Highlanders.

If he’s not able to go, Taylor said he’d start freshman Isaac Fleming.

"We’re expecting to have (Bobbitt)," Taylor said. "It’s a very important 24 hours for him in terms of his treatment. (But) I don’t want to sacrifice his long-term health for the rest of the season to get in (Thursday’s) game."

It is the first home game since Jan. 24 for UH, which went 2-2 on its two-week road trip.

"It’s hard being on the road, especially two weeks at a time," said top scorer Aaron Valdes (14.5 ppg). "We gotta get back in the classroom too and get our grades up from all the classes we missed. But I know a lot of us are excited to play in front of our home crowd tomorrow."

By the end of the trip, nerves were frayed a bit.

"I think just sticking together out there (will be key)," Valdes said. "We kind of got away from being a family a little bit. But I think we’re back on track, we’re there for each other. It’s hard being together for two weeks straight without getting on each other’s nerves. But I think everybody’s good right now and we’re excited to get out there and play with each other."

A large factor in Hawaii’s inconsistency has been its conversion rate from behind the 3-point arc, compared to that of opponents. UH is making a league-worst 28 percent of its 3s in Big West games, while allowing 42.5 percent to its foes, also the worst mark in the league.

It factored heavily in UCSB’s rally from 13 points down to steal the win at the Thunderdome, as well as Riverside’s comeback win over UH. Guard Steven Thornton (10.1 ppg) scored a career-high 22 points in the latter.

Besides its usual pesky pressure upcourt, UH has been focusing on denying opponents their sweet spots in the halfcourt.

"We just can’t let them get anything easy," senior guard Garrett Nevels said. "Most teams, you take away their first option, they’re not even going to attack you. They’re just going to look to pass. If they just catch it and don’t feel any pressure, they’re going to be comfortable. We just can’t have anybody be comfortable."

Nevels scored 16 at UCSB, his most since missing the first three games of the Big West season due to surgery on his right hand. He was present but sidelined for the game at UCR, while swingman Negus Webster-Chan was also out.

UH forward Stefan Jankovic made minimal impact in UH’s two games last week while dealing with what Taylor called "food poisoning" and a subsequent loss of 12 pounds.

"He’s got his legs back. He’s actually had a really, really good week of practice," Taylor said.

UCR guard Jaylen Bland (15.5 ppg) leads the Big West with 3.2 makes from long range per game. He is coming off a 25-point outing in a 71-66 overtime win at Cal State Fullerton.

"It was good to get that road win. It was our first conference road win," UCR coach Dennis Cutts said. "This is a big trip for us, kind of where we fit in the standings with Hawaii, then three at home. This is a big stretch for us."

Forward Taylor Johns (16.6 ppg, 8.2 rpg) was held to seven points, seven rebounds and six turnovers in the first meeting with UH.

Starting point guard Steven Jones is out with an undisclosed injury that Cutts said could keep him shelved for the rest of the season. In his place, guards Nick Gruninger and Austin Quick have taken over primary ballhandling duties.