Ferd Lewis: University of Hawaii basketball history is no mystery for coach Ganot

Eran Ganot is, first and foremost, a teacher of basketball in its many facets.

But, in his own way, he’s also a student and teacher of history at the University of Hawaii. Most specifically Rainbow Warrior basketball history.

Ganot spent only four seasons at Manoa sandwiched between five years at Saint Mary’s in California before becoming the UH’s head coach for the 2015-16 season. But under the wing of head coaches Riley Wallace and Bob Nash, two figures whose experiences bridge seminal periods in the annals of UH hoops, he came to gain an understanding and regard for its lore and legends.

It is why in each of his four previous seasons as head coach Ganot has sought to give his players an appreciation for not only where they are but what came before them at UH and how they can add to the legacy as they come up on a milestone.

This year it will be manifested in the celebration of 100 years of UH basketball history as the ’Bows embark upon their centennial season and plans to share it with their fans.

“We’ve got a few things in mind,” Ganot said this week. “We’re still in the planning (stages).”

One of the things you have to like about Ganot is his sense of history and a heartfelt commitment to honoring it. They are virtues that have not been universally embraced by all of his predecessors, several of whom seemed to believe that the clock started only when they got off the plane.

Among Ganot’s first projects upon ascending to the head coaching job was to give his players a sense of what preceded them here. It is why he does more than just talk about history with his players, he seeks to educate them on it.

Beyond pulling out the retro rainbow uniforms, that has been driven home for a couple years now by a set of 13 can’t-miss, large framed, plaque-like posters lining the walls of the tunnel leading from the Stan Sheriff Center court to the ‘Bows’ locker room.

Each one honors in words, pictures, season highlights and statistics one of UH’s past NCAA Tournament or NIT teams. It makes for an impressive timeline, one that illuminates and gives perspective to the past for those who came later while rekindling memories for those who witnessed or lived it.

This green wall of fame is one of the first things that catches the eye of former players and alums when they return and something current players pass by every game and practice day. It is also a point of interest for visiting players, coaches and others who often remark upon it while passing through.

Officially, UH recognizes the 1912-13 season and its seven games (6-1 record) against largely high school and military opponents as the school’s first in basketball.

It came three years after football debuted and the early years were a struggle in getting basketball to take root with several interrupted periods; World Wars I and II among them, when the sport wasn’t played at all. Which is part of why football hit its century mark a decade ago and basketball lagged.

For basketball the arrival at this milestone juncture will be something to celebrate, especially if the coach with a sense of that history can guide the heirs to adding to the legacy in the process.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertier.com or 529-4820.