After last week’s difficult 0-for-2 road trip, the Hawaii basketball team remains on a “journey.”
“We understand there will be ups and downs in the journey,” UH coach Eran Ganot said of back-to-back road losses to Grand Canyon and then to Long Beach State in the Big West opener. “But we’d better keep getting better.”
Ganot added: “I enjoy going through the journey with this team.”
During the two-game road trip, the ’Bows committed 37 turnovers that were redeemed for 49 points. Grand Canyon made 13 steals; LBSU had 10 takeaways. In their first six games, the ’Bows averaged fewer than 10 turnovers per game.
Ganot said the “unforced turnovers (were results of) being a little lazy, sloppy with the ball. … (That) got them going. All of a sudden their pressure picked up.”
The barometer also will be pointed to high in tonights’s 7 p.m. tipoff against Texas A&M Corpus Christi, the first of six consecutive home games for the’Bows. The Islanders force 15.6 turnovers per game, including 9.3 on steals.
“Corpus Christi is elite in areas we were just exposed in,” Ganot said. “It will be a great challenge for us (against) one of the best teams in terms of their pressure and athleticism.”
Last season, the Islanders were 21-12 overall and finished second in the Southland Conference. This year, they have won five of their past six games, a streak interrupted by a two-possession loss to Lamar. The Islanders are connecting on 50.9% of their shots, including 33% on 3s. Last Saturday, LBSU hit 71.4% from behind the arc.
“We’ve been good at defending the 3,” Ganot said of entering the LBSU game, but “we came off our worst 3-point percentage ever, at least in the last 10 years.”
For the Big West opener, Ganot changed the starting lineup. Marcus Greene was in for point guard Tom Beattie, who was battling illness. Gytis Nemeiksa, a 6-8 transfer from Xavier, opened at the four. Nemeiksa scored 14 points, grabbed seven rebounds, made two steals against one turnover, and drew five fouls, shooting 4-for-5 on free throws.
Nemeiksa was averaging 20.5 minutes as a reserve. He logged 33:42 against the Beach.
Although Nemeiksa had Division I experience with Xavier, his late arrival to Manoa slowed his cohesiveness with the ’Bows’ schemes, according to Ganot. “He comes in here and didn’t have the offseason with our team,” Ganot said of easing Nemeiksa into the rotation. “Getting comfortable was part of that.”
Ganot also noted Nemeiksa was ill during the “exhibition season” against Hawaii Hilo and Chaminade. But Ganot said Nemeiksa was getting “starter’s minutes.” Ganot said Nemeiksa brings versatility on offense — a unique jump shot and creative post moves — an ability to draw fouls, and a defensive fierceness.
Greene is one of the ’Bows’ best one-on-one players, using cross-over drives and all-direction jumpers to produce points. He has hit 56% of his shots on drives and short jumpers, but only 20% from behind the arc. UH is Greene’s fourth college. He played at Sacramento State, then Panola College, and last year at Houston Christian. He scored 30 points against the Islanders last year, and he has been helpful in providing intel.
“We’ll use everything at our disposal,” Ganot said. “We’ll turn whatever stone we need to turn to put our players in the best position we can.”
Ganot also remains hopeful 6-foot-10 center Tanner Christensen can solve the double teams he has faced recently. In the first five games, Christensen averaged 16 points on 73.1% shooting. Hawaii Pacific’s double-team tactics resulted in 1-for-5 shooting. He was 1-for-3 against Grand Canyon. He hit all four of his shots against LBSU.
“He’s not the first guy in the country going through it,” said Ganot, noting the guards will try to feed Christensen ahead of the collapsing defense and use the double teams to feed the open shooter.