These are desperate times for the University of Hawaii basketball team.
Following last week’s loss to now 12th-ranked North Carolina, the Rainbow Warriors are seeking to maintain their drive when they play host to Division II Hawaii Pacific tonight in SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. Tip-off is set for 7:05 p.m.
“We’ve got to treat every team the same way, have the same motivation for each game,” UH co-captain Ryan Rapp said. “For us, the message is we always have to be the desperate team. We always gotta be that team coming out to hunger the win.”
UH coach Eran Ganot said: “If we can’t keep the same intensity, we’ve got bigger problems. I think we’re a process program, which leads you into situations like this. Skipping steps will get you humbled quick. … We’re in no position to take our foot off the pedal. We’ve got to keep getting better. We can get better. We need to get better.”
Against North Carolina, the ’Bows controlled the boards, including a 15-5 advantage in offensive rebounds. But the Tar Heels’ quicker guards, led by All-American RJ Davis, accelerated through the lane for easy layups in the second half. The Tar Heels outscored the ’Bows 26-6 in the paint after the intermission. They also had a 19-1 edge in fast-break points.
Ganot expects the ’Bows to bounce back, particularly in operating their inside-outside attack. Not wanting to rely solely on 3-point shots, Ganot is hopeful the guards will drive the lane in search of layups or fouls.
The ’Bows also appear closer to being whole. Gytis Nemeiksa, a 6-foot-8 transfer from Xavier, did not participate in the ’Bows’ summer workouts. An illness also slowed his acclimation. But Nemeiksa has emerged as an aggressive rebounder, second-chance scorer and a dependable outside shooter.
“He still has another level to go to, but he’s moving in the right direction,” Ganot said.
Rapp also has been a contributor in the two games he has played since recovering from a broken left hand.
“That’s the one thing that’s bad about sports — injuries are going to come and go,” said Rapp, who transferred from Washington State in 2022. His first season with the ’Bows became a medical hardship when a cyst led to nerve damage and eventual numbness in his right foot. He said that condition is no longer an issue.
At 24, Rapp is one of the more experienced ’Bows. It appears he regained his confidence when he faked a Tar Heel and then hit a floater to cut the ’Bows’ deficit to three late in the first half.
“It’s good to get that rhythm back,” Rapp said.
HPU is downplaying the matchup between teams from different divisions.
“We treat it like any other game,” said HPU coach Jesse Nakanishi, who used to be on Ganot’s coaching staff. “It definitely has extra meaning for our guys to play a Division I team, especially a team of the state. But at the end of the day, it’s who can execute and limit their mistakes and knock down some shots. That’s what we’re trying to do. And like any other game, we expect to win.”
The Sharks have height (6-foot-10 center Jonas Visser and 6-9 stretch four Charlie Weber), a prolific scorer (Sherman Brashear), and a speedy playmaker (Avi Halpert). All 16 Sharks receive scholarships or some form of financial aid. The coaches’ duties include laundry, floor wiping and recruiting.
“Two volunteers, one part-timer, one full-timer,” Nakanashi said of his staff. “That’s the D-II way, baby.”
