Hawaii can’t get enough of the Bluff.

That might as well be the Rainbow Warrior basketball team’s mantra going into tonight’s season opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, a nonconference opponent UH faces for the sixth time in eight seasons.

Though the Golden Lions routinely get billing in the local media as the ’Bows’ version of the Washington Generals, Hawaii is taking no chances coming off a 14-16 season that included an opening-night loss to lowly Southern Illinois-Edwardsville.

“Do whatever it takes to win. I remember last year, SIU-Edwardsville,” said senior forward Mike Thomas, who watched that game from the sidelines as a redshirt. “The (court) conditions were a little weird. We lost that game, and we weren’t supposed to lose that game.

“I want to start the season off on a good note, going in strong, and sending a message as well.”

Hawaii launches the Outrigger Resorts Rainbow Classic with a “Blackout” night. The ’Bows follow against North Dakota on Sunday and Troy on Monday in the round-robin tournament. UND and Troy reached the NCAA Tournament last season.

Not Pine Bluff. Not by a longshot. The Lions went 7-25 (1-13 nonconference) and were picked to finish eighth in this year’s SWAC preseason poll.

Since the first meeting between UH and UAPB — a seven-point UH win in 2010-11 — the ’Bows have won by an average margin of 25.8 points. Hawaii has never lost to a SWAC school.

But UH keeps tempting fate. It’s the second time in four years the ’Bows face the Golden Lions in the regular-season opener, and it’s the fourth straight year they’ve been on the nonconference schedule.

“Lot of respect for the teams in this field,” third-year Hawaii coach Eran Ganot said. “They’re all putting in the same amount of time (over the six-week preseason). Here we go seeing who’s done the best job of preparing.”

Lions coach George Ivory likes selling recruits on the almost-annual Hawaii trip. And there’s this — most SWAC teams play a road-heavy pre-league schedule to gain money for the athletic department through “guarantee” money games.

Ivory also credits the teams’ first meeting — in which UAPB was down to eight players due to injuries — as the source of the 2-3 zone defense the Lions have stuck to religiously since.

So, consider it a possibility you’ll see Ivory and his Lions again after tonight.

“We’re talking about it. It’s just a great experience,” Ivory said. “There’s no place like this to get away and bond together.”

Pine Bluff’s top returnee is senior forward Trent Steen (9.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg). He was held to two points with four turnovers in UH’s 64-44 win last year.

UH could be without guard Sheriff Drammeh, its fourth-leading scorer (9.2 ppg) from 2016-17. The junior has missed about a week of practice with an illness. Junior forward Jack Purchase has taken the most reps with the first group in Drammeh’s stead at the 3.

The other projected starters are Drew Buggs at point guard, Leland Green at shooting guard, Mike Thomas at power forward and Gibson Johnson at center. Wing Brandon Thomas is also day to day with a bruised leg.

UH signs three bigs

UH announced three signings on Thursday for its towering 2018 recruiting class.

The ’Bows gain two 6-11 Australian big men in Mate Colina and Owen Holland, and 7-foot center Dawson Carper of Rampart High in Colorado Springs, Colo. All three have four years of eligibility starting in 2018-19.

The oral commitments of all three were previously reported by the Star-Advertiser. Colina will join UH at the semester break but will sit out games in the spring.

“We’ve added three high-level young men that will help us continue to elevate our program and set us up for sustained success over the long term,” Ganot said in a UH release. “Certainly appreciate our staff’s efforts to bolster our size and versatility in the frontcourt.”