Four days out from the Hawaii basketball team’s season opener, a starting point guard has not been officially named by coach Eran Ganot.

But practice observations have made it clear that redshirt freshman Drew Buggs is the lead guard heading into Friday’s game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the Outrigger Resorts Rainbow Classic.

The 6-foot-2 Buggs has been competing with 5-foot-9 incumbent junior Brocke Stepteau for the job of primary ballhandler. They each started a half of last week’s 90-70 exhibition win over Hawaii Pacific, with Buggs getting the second-half nod and playing when the Rainbow Warriors blew the game open down the stretch.

Buggs recorded 13 points, five assists and six rebounds with one turnover in 22 minutes, while Stepteau contributed six points, two assists and two turnovers in 21 minutes.

Asked Saturday about Buggs and the starting job, Ganot demurred.

“Obviously you want one to emerge in the point guard position,” he said. “I think Drew and Brocke have done a nice job. Brocke has shot it really well over the course of this whole (preseason). Drew is now gaining more confidence as he gets breakthroughs. He’s getting more live game experience. I think both those guys have done a nice job, and at times we’ll use Sheriff (Drammeh). … I think the competition’s been great for all of them.”

Stepteau, who walked on and redshirted back in 2014-15, started 22 games for the 2016-17 ’Bows, averaging 6.4 points and 3.0 assists for a team that went 14-16. He claimed the job a handful of games into the season after Drammeh struggled with the position.

Buggs, who more often than not has guided the first team in recent practices, is a natural combo guard with an affinity for driving and finishing. He sat out last season, including most practices, while recovering from a knee injury that also robbed him of much of his senior year at Long Beach Poly High.

He said he benefited from the time spent observing, picking up things from the vantage point of the sidelines that he might not have by always having the ball in his hands.

“I’ve always been confident in myself. I can play the point guard position,” Buggs said. “With this team, they make it really easy. A lot of returning guys, a lot of guys helped me embrace the role and step into it. It’s easy when we got so many weapons. My job is basically to get them the ball in the right spots and they make me look really good by making the right shots.”

UH decided to take Sunday and today off going into a final push of practices before the opening tourney, which is three games in four days.