LAS VEGAS >>The University of Hawaii men’s basketball team turned down an invitation to participate in the College Basketball Invitational, putting an end to the Rainbow Warriors’ 2023-24 season.
Coach Eran Ganot and athletic director Craig Angelos both confirmed the decision not to compete in the pay-to-play tournament.
On Friday night, the ’Bows lost to UC Davis in the semifinal round of the Big West Tournament at the Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nev.
After the game, Angelos floated the possibility of the ’Bows participating in the CBI, a 16-team, single-elimination tournament played March 23-27 in Daytona Beach, Fla. There is an entry fee of $27,500 per team. Angelos said a donor agreed to pay the ’Bows’ fee.
But in the end, UH decided not to sign the contract.
The ’Bows finished at 20-14 overall.
“We’re really proud of our guys,” Ganot said. “I think they’ve given us everything they have. And clearly we’ve been banged up down the stretch, and even this week. With all the circumstances, right now we’re just looking to our end-of-the-season meetings with the guys, attacking the offseason, and getting ready for next year.”
After the ’Bows were eliminated from the Big West Tournament in 2022, the UH coaches visited 7-foot-1 center Mor Seck, who eventually signed with the ’Bows. After last year’s tournament, Ganot traveled to North Carolina to meet with forward Justin McKoy, who was key to the ’Bows’ 9-3 finish to this year’s regular season.
Ganot and his assistant coaches will remain on the mainland to recruit. Six seniors, including four starters, completed their UH eligibility with this season’s end. Guards AJ Economou and Aaron Hunkin-Claytor, who attended ’Iolani through his sophomore year, were the first to join the 2024 recruiting class.
“We’re organized on where and when,” Ganot said of the recruiting logistics, “and at the same time continue to be mobile and fluid because things can change and some recruits can pop up (through the transfer portal). I’m very excited about who we’re on, very excited for our team next year. We know who to target. We’re going to have the right pieces, and we’re going to have a great recruiting class.”
The mood was somber following Friday night’s loss. JoVon McClanahan’s shot for the go-ahead basket did not fall in the final seconds. It was the second time in three years the ’Bows lost a one-possession game in the tournament.
“You can be proud, you can have perspective, but it also can hurt,” Ganot said. “The scars are there. They will heal, but there are scars that will be left behind. And back to work you go, with the belief and faith you’ll break through. Certainly we’ve inched close in the last three years. The hope is that it’ll eventually lead to the ultimate goal.”
The ’Bows also have not reached the tournament final since 2016, Ganot’s first of nine seasons as head coach. In Ganot’s first two UH seasons, the ’Bows were limited to 11 scholarships — two under the limit — because of NCAA infractions committed under predecessor Gib Arnold.
Ganot said he is not satisfied just reaching the semifinals. “We want to break through,” he said. “We want to get back to the (NCAA) Tournament. … Our energy is put toward doing just that. Our goal is to be in the NCAA Tournament. And to get our team chances in the conference tournament to get us to that ultimate goal. That’s our focus.”
