University of Hawaii programs trying to predict the future for organized workouts
JAMM AQUINO / FEB. 27, 2020
“We’re going to have a plan in place for when they come back,” said UH basketball coach Eran Ganot. “We’re expecting them to come back in the summer. We have a plan in place if that doesn’t happen.”
The University of Hawaii football and men’s basketball teams have plans — and alternative plans — in place for whenever organized workouts are allowed to begin.
The Rainbow Warriors are preparing with the assumption that football training camp will open, as scheduled, on July 30. That date was timed for the Aug. 29 opener against Arizona in Tucson. But the status of that “week zero” game is in question because of the pandemic. The Warriors have prepared several contingency schedules if the NCAA decides to postpone the start of training camps.
Training camp is essential for the Warriors, who have not conducted a team practice since Todd Graham was hired as head coach in January. The Warriors went through conditioning drills, which did not involve the use of a ball, before the NCAA canceled in-person group activities for athletic teams this semester. The ruling forced the Warriors to cancel the 14 spring practices and annual spring game.
UH basketball players usually enroll in Summer Session II, which is set for July 6. Each week during Summer Session II, the coaches are allowed up to eight hours with the players, four of which may be used in the gym. In March, UH shifted all instruction to on-line classes, a policy extended through the first summer session.
“A lot of things now are two plans,” UH coach Eran Ganot said. “We’re going to have a plan in place for when they come back. We’re expecting them to come back in the summer. We have a plan in place if that doesn’t happen.”
UH officials announced the plan is for in-class instruction to resume for the fall semester.
“Any baby steps, momentum, we’re jumping on,” Ganot said. “We’re hopeful. Things are progressing in Hawaii. But there are so many layers to this. Everything is different from state to state. Everything is different from country to country. That’s why we continue to keep tabs on each other to make sure the guys are good and their families are good.”
On March 13, the ’Bows’ season ended when the Big West tournament was canceled. The ’Bows were alerted on the morning of the tournament opener against UC Davis in Anaheim, Calif. After a season ends, the ’Bows usually take off a few weeks before resuming the four-week offseason program.
“We didn’t have a proper sendoff to the season,” Ganot said. “We didn’t have a banquet. We’re not going to have a graduation (ceremony). Those are tough moments not to have.”
Ganot said the coaches are working on a way to virtually celebrate the graduations of Eddie Stansberry, Zigmars Raimo and Drew Buggs.
