Each in-season birthday begins with a tough practice and ends with a cupcake and a group serenade.

Each video session begins with an analysis of correctable situations and ends with a highlight of good plays accompanied by double claps.

Each game, win or lose, ends with handshakes and knuckle-bumps. Lots of handshakes and knuckle-bumps.

And that is the atmosphere of the Hawaii basketball team, where neither anger nor depression is a parting emotion.

It is a philosophy UH coach Eran Ganot has embraced from one of college basketball’s legendary coaches. “That’s almost like old-school John Wooden: ‘Shout praise, whisper criticism.’ ” Ganot said. “Sometimes we do it individually, sometimes we do it collectively.”

Point guard Drew Buggs said: “We’re always going to leave positive. Even the bad things that happen to us, we’re always going to take it as a learning experience. You can always grow from each experience. You never want to have negative thoughts or leave on a down note.”

When Eddie Stansberry went through a shooting slump in the Diamond Head Classic, the ’Bows rallied behind the senior guard. He rebounded with 21 points against Maine. Road losses at Illinois and Oregon were categorized as teaching moments.

“Never forget what it’s like to be a player,” Ganot said, referencing advice he once received. “We’ll battle, we’ll grind. We win together, we lose together, we eat together. We come in united, we leave united.”

Buggs added: “Our coaches do a great job. They’re on us. They’re tough. They have high expectations. But they never disrespect us or demean us. Everything they do is for the betterment of the team or the betterment of us as individuals.”

The ’Bows are bringing the high-hopes approach into today’s Big West opener against Cal State Fullerton at Titan Gym. The two-game road trip continues with Saturday’s matchup against UC Irvine.

“Coach always says, ‘You can’t be a champion if you can’t perform on the road,’ ” said power forward Zigmars Raimo, the Big West leader with 7.4 rebounds per game. “We have to prove our team can play on the road, as well. It’s going to be a great challenge for us, but I think we’re ready.”

The Titans present a different look from a season ago, when guards Khalil Ahmad and Kyle Allman fueled the offense, and even from the fall semester, when injuries limited the practice participation. Ahmad and Allman completed their eligibility. The Titans also appear to be wholly healthy.

“It gave some guys more minutes, probably more minutes than we would have given them had we been healthy,” CSF coach Dedrique Taylor said.

Jackson Rowe, a 6-7 senior forward, missed the first 11 games because of an injury. But Rowe, who is considered one of the league’s top post defenders, is averaging 14.3 points and 7.0 rebounds in his three starts since returning. Rowe produced 17 points and 11 boards in the Titans’ upset of UCLA on Dec. 28.

“This group showed what they were capable of,” Taylor said.

Point guard Austen Awosika, a 6-3 senior, has filled the leadership void created with the departures of Ahmad and Allman. Awosika is averaging 14.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists.

“Our hope is we continue to ride the wave he’s creating for us with his energy and his ability to orchestrate the offense,” Taylor said of Awosika.

It will be a reunion for the opposing point guards. Awosika and Buggs were on the same travel-ball team when they were in high school. “We feel we bring out the best in each other,” Buggs said. “We talk on a regular basis.”