After their NCAA basketball teams played each other in 2016, coaches Roy Williams of North Carolina and Eran Ganot of Hawaii agreed to a rematch in 2020.
The papers were signed a couple of weeks later. But then the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 game. Williams retired after the 2020-21 season. The rematch eventually was pushed to this Nov. 22 at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center ahead of the Tar Heels’ participation in the Nov. 25-27 Maui Invitational.
“We planned it back in 2016,” Ganot said, noting scheduling is “not an exact science. It has more challenges, as we all know, in the new landscape (of college basketball).”
On Tuesday, UH announced the remaining games of the 2024-25 schedule, including the return of the season-opening Rainbow Classic after a one-year hiatus. UH previously announced the Big West dates, Diamond Head Classic field and North Carolina game.
“North Carolina is one of the clear blue bloods in college basketball,” Ganot said. “They have a Top 10 team they’re excited about, as well.”
The Rainbow Classic features San Jose State, Pacific and Life Pacific.
On Nov. 17, the ’Bows play host to Weber State, which won 20 games last season.
On Dec. 3, the ’Bows will travel to Phoenix for a road game against Grand Canyon. The Lopes were 30-5 this past season, including an opening-round victory over 15th-ranked Saint Mary’s in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. The Lopes were 16-0 at Global Credit Union Arena last season.
The ’Bows also play host to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, a 21-win team last season.
The Diamond Head Classic field includes Oregon State, Charleston, Loyola (Chicago), Oakland, Nebraska, Murray State and Charlotte.
“It’s an attractive home schedule,” Ganot said. “It’s something fans should be excited about. Our guys are.”
New recruit
Osahon “Osa” Obasohan, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound guard from Belgium, has joined the ‘Bows
Obasohan was admitted into UH last week and then signed a scholarship agreement.
“The thing that made me pick Hawaii the most is because of all the schools I was talking to, I felt more welcomed with Hawaii,” Obasohan told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “They gave me the feeling of home and love.”
He also was familiar with Noel Coleman, a Belgium-reared guard who completed his UH eligibility in March.
“From there, it was easier for me to link with the University of Hawaii,” Obasohan said. “I don’t know (Coleman) personally, but because Belgium is not that big, I know of him. I saw him play in Belgium. I always know all the Belgian guys.”
Obasohan’s brother Retin Obasohan was a multi-skilled guard for Alabama. As a senior in 2016, the elder Obasohan was named to the Southeastern Conference’s first team, the league’s all-defensive team, and was honored as the SEC’s 2016 Scholar Athlete of the Year.
Osahon Obasohan, 21, said he has played basketball since he was 5. He has a 6-7 wing span and can play both guard positions. This past season, he played in the France U21 league for Espoirs Le Mans. He averaged 14.5 points on 63.1% shooting, including 35.1% from behind the arc, and 3.9 assists in 34 games.
After graduating high school in Belgium, he attended The Skills Factory in Atlanta, where he earned a 4.0 grade-point average and took extra-credit online classes from BYU.
He said he is fluent in Dutch, English and French.
While he enjoys going to the beach or on walks, he recently “got into meditating.”
