UCLA is highlight of 2018-19 Hawaii men’s hoops schedule

The Hawaii men’s basketball team released its full 2018-19 schedule this afternoon, on the heels of UCLA revealing UH as an opponent at storied Pauley Pavilion in late November.

The Nov. 28 game at UCLA — just the Rainbow Warriors’ second all-time date with the Bruins — is unquestionably the highlight of the slate, which includes 18 home games.

The Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic (Dec. 22, 23, 25) is the home highlight. UH will open against UNLV.

UH will open the season Nov. 9, three days after the new NCAA-allowed start date, against Portland in the round-robin Rainbow Classic at the Stan Sheriff Center. The Rainbows follow with Division II Humboldt State and North Texas of Conference USA the next two nights. A non-Division I team has not been a full participant in the Rainbow Classic, formerly UH’s signature event, since the early 1970s.

Following a Nov. 18 home date with Northern Arizona, UH heads to the Wooden Legacy tournament in Fullerton, Calif., for three games (Nov. 22, 23, 25) starting with Utah during Thanksgiving week. The Rainbow Warriors will likely remain in Southern California for the meeting with another Pac-12 team, the Bruins, three days later.

UCLA won the schools’ only meeting to date by 20 points at Pauley on Dec. 9, 2000. The Bruins went 21-12 (11-7 P12) last season, including 14-2 at home, compared to UH’s 17-13 and 8-8 in the Big West.

UH’s remaining stand-alone nonconference games are UH Hilo (Dec. 8), Mississippi Valley State (Dec. 16), and Alabama A&M (Dec. 29). The Rainbows begin their 16-game Big West schedule at home vs. Cal State Fullerton on Jan. 9.