Rainbow Warriors hope to stay hot in Alaska tourney
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
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The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team took care of business at home.
Now, on to the cold business of the road.
The Rainbow Warriors departed Honolulu yesterday for Anchorage, Alaska, where temperatures are expected to be in the single-digits this week.
Hawai'i will play three games in the Great Alaska Shootout, starting with a Thursday game against Hofstra.
"It's a good chance to go there and get some national recognition early in the season," Hawai'i junior guard Matt Gibson said. "Get a couple of big wins up there and get our name on the board. Let people know we're around this season and we're going to stay around."
The 'Bows got a perfect going-away present wrapped in an 85-41 rout of Oregon State on Sunday at the Stan Sheriff Center.
"We at least got some momentum going in (to Alaska)," Hawai'i head coach Riley Wallace said. "And (Oregon State) was a game where everybody played, so we'll have some energy."
Hawai'i, which is 2-1, will play three games in three days in the Great Alaska Shootout.
A brief look at the other seven teams in the field:
UAA is 4-0, although the four victories have come against NCAA-II teams, including a 102-30 rout of Lancaster Bible (Pa.).
Eric Draper, a 6-2 guard, leads the team with 23.8 points per game, and 4.3 3-pointers per game. Luke Cooper, a 6-foot junior guard, is averaging 8.0 assists per game and is already the school's all-time leader in assists.
However, freshman Ryan Anderson, a 6-9 forward, has made an immediate impact with averages of 20.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in his first two collegiate games.
Three starters return from last season's 20-11 team, including point guard Ayinde Ubaka, who averaged 14.5 points and 3.8 assists per game.
Hofstra has arguably the best starting trio of guards in the nation in 6-3 Loren Stokes, 6-3 Antoine Agudio and 6-2 Carlos Rivera. All three are averaging double-figure points — Stokes is at 25.0 points per game, Agudio is at 21.0, and Rivera is contributing 11.5.
The Pride went 26-7 last season, including 14-4 in the Colonial Athletic Conference (the same conference as last season's Final Four surprise team, George Mason).
Forward Matthew Knight and guard Brandon Worthy form one of the best inside-outside combinations in the West. Knight is averaging 18.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game; Worthy is averaging 19.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.
Travis Aikens, a 6-4 guard, is averaging 19.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. Markel Humphrey, a 6-5 forward, is contributing 13.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game.
Quinton Day, a 6-1 senior, leads the team with 20.3 points per game. Dane Brumagin, a 6-4 sophomore, is scoring 17.7 per game, and Dominique Johnson, a 5-10 freshman, is at 16.7 per game. The trio has combined to make 28 3-pointers in the three games this season.
Anthony Brown, a 6-8 sophomore forward, is averaging 19.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. C.J. Morgan, a 6-foot freshman guard, is averaging 15.5 points per game, and has made 7 of 11 3-pointers.
Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.
