History is back on the table when Hawaii plays at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
The Rainbow Warriors have enjoyed chances to match or exceed several program bests when it comes to their gaudy record this season, and so it is again today at the Mott Athletics Center.
No Rainbows team has ever won its first four conference games on the mainland, dating back to the program’s first year in the WAC, 1979.
The best start, 3-0, was set twice: in 2003-04; and Thursday, when UH (17-3, 6-1) got 18 points from Aaron Valdes and prevailed 76-64 at UC Santa Barbara to remain a half-game behind league leader UC Irvine.
UH is also tied for its best overall start through seven conference games.
UH coach Eran Ganot’s group seeks its second home-and-home series sweep of an opponent in three days; it beat the Mustangs 86-73 in Honolulu on Jan. 6 behind 60 combined points from Roderick Bobbitt, Valdes and Stefan Jankovic.
The team drove up the Central California coast Friday and got in a practice at Cal Poly, minus guard Isaac Fleming, who is still back in Honolulu with an ankle sprain. Ganot could not be reached for comment via phone.
Cal Poly coach Joe Callero was more than willing to talk this week, despite some tough losses for his team (8-13, 2-6), including a heartbreaker at home against Irvine on Wednesday.
“There is a real clear thing that stood out in my mind — it’s the balance. Hawaii has a very good balance right now: inside, outside and penetration,” Callero said of the teams’ meeting that opened up league play. “I was really impressed with the post play, specifically Valdes who got posted up a couple times on our 3, 4 man.
“I just thought the team understood the importance of halfcourt variety … and I think that’s why they’re (basically tied for) first place. Eran’s really done a nice job of settling the offense down.”
UH BASKETBALL
Today, 5 p.m., at Mott Athletics Center, SanLuis Obispo, Calif.
Hawaii (17-3, 6-1 Big West) at Cal Poly (8-13, 2-6)
TV: ESPNU
Radio: KKEA, 1420-AM
Series: Cal Poly leads6-4
The 5 p.m. contest on ESPNU is the first on national TV at Mott in two seasons.
Cal Poly hazed Hawaii with physical play and immaculate ball control when the Rainbows joined the Big West in 2012, but UH has had the better of the matchup of late, taking three of the past four meetings.
Cal Poly’s season has been a study in pain management. Not only have the Mustangs had a number of rotation players in and out of the lineup with various ailments — Joel Awich, Brian Bennett, Reese Morgan and Ridge Shipley among them — but they’ve suffered many more than their share of last-minute losses.
“Unfortunately, I’m much more familiar with all this than I want to be,” Callero said.
Besides close defeats at UCLA and UNLV in nonconference play, here were Cal Poly’s whiffs in the Big West:
>> Feb. 3: The Mustangs allowed UC Irvine to connect on a fullcourt pass to Mamadou Ndiaye, who dished to Jaron Martin for a 3-pointer with a second left, sending the game to overtime, where the Anteaters dominated for a 78-72 win.
>> Jan. 28: David Nwaba made a layup with 31 seconds left to get Poly within a point of UC Riverside, only to have the Mustangs commit two turnovers from there and lose 72-68.
>> Jan. 21: Cal Poly led at CSUN by 11 points with 9:30 to play, but the Matadors rallied and CSUN guard Jerron Wilbut hit the game-winning 3 with 18 seconds left. Reese Morgan missed a layup attempt and a 3-pointer in the final seconds for Poly, which lost 76-74.
>> Jan. 14: Poly’s David Nwaba has a close-range shot to go ahead roll out with 2 seconds left and UCSB hit two free throws to seal a 76-73 Poly defeat.
If the Mustangs hadn’t beaten Long Beach State at home in double overtime — with tying 3-pointers coming from Cal Poly players in the last seconds of regulation and the first OT — they’d truly be in an awful way.
Callero noted a typical game involves about 140 possessions per night, or 65 to 70 chances each on offense and defense for his team “to do something.”
“We’re trying to view the second half of the season as improving by 2 percent, 3 percent. That might be enough to take down Hawaii … and use our home-court advantage.”
Nwaba remains Poly’s most important player, leading the team in scoring (12.1), rebounding (5.9) and assists (4.1).
UH prevailed at the 3,000-seat Mott last year, 59-56, its first win in the building in four tries.
