Respect is still coming for the Hawaii basketball team at the league level, if not the national one.
Guard Isaac Fleming was named the Big West Player of the Week on Monday for his efforts in the Rainbow Warriors’ first two road wins of the season last week, at UC Riverside and Cal State Fullerton.
Meanwhile, those victories did little to increase the profile of UH (15-2, 4-0 BWC) nationally, although the ‘Bows’ RPI shot up about a dozen places to 81.
The Rainbows received three points in the Associated Press Top 25 poll Monday, down from four the previous week despite the road wins. They received no votes in the USA Today Coaches poll, where they’d received one last week. That was despite Oklahoma, the source of one of UH’s losses, rising to No. 1 in both polls.
If Fleming was aware, he was not discouraged.
Fleming messaged the Honolulu Star-Advertiser about his award: “I’m very happy to receive it but it’s just an accomplishment and it’s a long season and I’m ready to get back to business and continue to win in conference play and finally get into the top 25!”
Fleming beat out the likes of UC Irvine center Mamadou Ndiaye, UC Santa Barbara guard Gabe Vincent and Cal Poly’s Brian Bennett.
It is the first such award in the sophomore’s career. He is the second UH player to receive the conference’s weekly honor this season; point guard Roderick Bobbitt has gotten it twice.
“Proud of Isaac and his continued development,” UH coach Eran Ganot said. “He as well as others stepped up at a key time. There are a lot of worthy candidates in this league and on our team. As I’m sure he and the others will tell you, individual accolades are a direct result of team success.”
Fleming scored 15 points in the 80-71 win at Riverside’s SRC Arena on Thursday, then a career-high 23 in the 86-79 overtime decision over Cal State Fullerton in Titan Gym on Saturday.
It was the third time this season he’s achieved a career high; he topped off 18 as a freshman, then scored 21 at Texas Tech, 22 at home against UCSB and shot 7-for-15 from the field and 5-for-5 from the line against the Titans.
UH is off to its best start since the 2001-02 squad also went 15-2 in its first 17 games. That team eventually made the NCAA Tournament.
The Rainbows host UC Davis (6-10, 1-2) on Saturday in their only game of the week.
