An Apple Watch has yet to be invented that is synchronized to Hawaiian Time.
We’re Hawaii, which means being punctual is being only a few minutes late.
Wedding scheduled for 1 o’clock? The first notes of “Here Comes the Bride” won’t be played until a quarter after.
Don’t hold your breath when news anchors insist — wink, wink — the first election printouts will be released at 6:30 p.m.
Target and Macy’s put up holiday displays in September, but we’re panic shopping on Christmas Eve, which is why the most popular presents are gift cards.
And that’s why we’re bemused, but not surprised, when the “full” University of Hawaii men’s basketball schedule is released seven weeks into the fall semester. Although most schools across the country have had their schedules in place for a while, the ’Bows announced their 2023-24 schedule on Monday to coincide with the start of season-ticket sales.
What is noticeable is the first game is against Hawaii Hilo on Nov. 14 — eight days after Division I teams are permitted to play regular-season games. Because talks collapsed for a proposed opener on the week of Nov. 6, the ’Bows still have kept open the possibility of filling that slot. In the meantime, they also are playing Division II Hawaii Pacific on Dec. 10.
The thing is, it has become a greater challenge for Eran Ganot, who is in his ninth year as UH head coach, to fill a pre-conference schedule.
The days of a team like Indiana, or even a prominent mid-major program, playing a stand-alone game in Hawaii are long gone. It does not make as much fiscal sense without a game being attached to a large appearance fee or widely viewed national television audience. That’s apparent with this year’s absence of the Rainbow Classic, which hadn’t been the Rainbow Classic in a long time. UH’s game against Nevada on Dec. 17 precedes both teams’ appearance in the Diamond Head Classic.
With expanding conferences — and expanding conference schedules — the ’Bows are scrambling to find available nonconference opponents. It is a problem a growing number of teams are experiencing. Some schools from the Big West, of which UH is a member, did not finalize their schedules until a couple of weeks ago.
The delayed schedule announcement might be an inconvenience for fans who plan parties and activities around UH games. But in the big picture, it really is not a big deal whether the ’Bows fill all 32 slots, especially with games in November.
One of the purposes of fall-semester games is to build team unity and cement roles. But the ’Bows did that with an 11-day Japan tour this summer.
And even a perfect preconference record will not help in the national rankings. Poll placements begin with strong finishes the previous season. The UH football team’s 2006 season was the foundation for the accolades the Rainbow Warriors received in 2007.
In the NBA, few pay attention until the Christmas Day games. For the ’Bows, it’s the Diamond Head Classic, which leads to Big West play. A show of hands for those who remember Mississippi Valley State was the ’Bows’ opening opponent a year ago.
What really matters is the ’Bows need a strong showing in the Diamond Head Classic for national recognition, competitive games against league opponents, and to win the Big West Tournament in March for the league’s automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. As the saying goes, it’s how you finish, not how you start.
2023-24 SCHEDULE
Nov. 14 — Hawaii Hilo
Nov. 21 — Northern Arizona
Nov. 24 — *UT Rio Grande Valley
Nov. 25 — *Arkansas State or San Diego
Nov. 30 — At Utah
Dec. 3 — Central Arkansas
Dec. 10 — Hawaii Pacific
Dec. 17 — Nevada
Dec. 21 — **Portland
Dec. 22 — **Georgia Tech or UMass
Dec. 24 — **TCU, Nevada, Old Dominion or Temple
Dec. 30 — Cal State Fullerton
Jan. 4 — At Cal State Bakersfield
Jan. 6 — At Cal State Northridge
Jan. 11 — UC Irvine
Jan. 13 — UC Riverside
Jan. 18 — At Long Beach State
Jan. 20 — At UC San Diego
Jan. 25 — UC Santa Barbara
Jan. 27 — Cal Poly
Feb. 1 — At Cal State Fullerton
Feb. 3 — At UC Irvine
Feb. 8 — UC San Diego
Feb. 10 — UC Davis
Feb. 15 — At Cal Poly’
Feb. 17 — At UC Santa Barbara
Feb. 24 — Long Beach State
Feb. 29 — At UC Davis
March 2 — At UC Riverside
March 6 — Cal State Northridge
March 9 — Cal State Bakersfield
March 13-16 — At Big West Tournament
* Acrisure Invitational, Palm Springs, Calif.
•• Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic
