Over the last decade out in the Big West Conference, UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara have gathered most of the conference’s national attention, but throughout that interim, the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors have been a consistent Big West threat, finishing above .500 in both overall record and in conference play since joining the Big West.
With an exclamation point on Christmas Day thanks to the game-winning three-point prayer from junior guard JoVon McClanahan, the Rainbow Warriors earned the national spotlight, beating SMU and two other top-150 opponents Pepperdine and Washington State for their first Diamond Head Classic title.
The Big West remains a wide open conference with about half of the teams having a realistic chance to earn the conference crown, but Hawaii’s Diamond Head Classic performance helped show the nation that the Rainbow Warriors are a tough, veteran team with an ability to go on a tournament run, making them one of the Cinderella Sleepers to keep an eye on this year.
Tough Defense Led by High-Major Length
Currently ranked 80th by KenPom in defensive efficiency, Eran Ganot’s defense is predicated on minimizing space to prevent offensive flow and maximizing difficult field goal attempts.
As of today, Hawaii is elite in the following defensive rankings:
1st in A/FGM (29%)
8th in 3PA/FGA (27.6%)
19th in 3P% (27.5%)
45th in 2p% (44.8%
The bedrock of Hawaii’s defensive identity is in their veteran frontcourt of 6’9 215 senior Bernardo da Silva and 6'10 215 fifth-year senior Kamaka Hepa. The duo are atop of Hawaii’s DBPR rankings, per EvanMiya.com, and rank within the top-320 nationally with matching 3.6% block rates.
With toughness and sound footwork, the pair are capable in one-on-one defensive assignments while using their length to become assets on the perimeter and disrupting space in help situations. Hepa’s shooting abilities (52.8 2p%, 2.0 threes made per game at 38.7 3p%) allows the pair to share the floor together, optimizing Ganot’s defensive scheme.
Noel Coleman = Veteran Playmaking Guard
Whether it’s Ja Morant of Murray State or Max Abmas of Oral Roberts, a trademark of nearly every March Madness Cinderella squad is a playmaking veteran guard who can put the team on his shoulders whenever they need a bucket.
For the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, senior guard Noel Coleman is that playmaker. Leading the team in points, assists and free throws made, Coleman is a true three-level scorer who can quickly go on hot streaks.
Case in point, in Monday’s win over SMU, Coleman scored all of his nine points in the final eight minutes of the game, highlighted by three creative and assertive drives to the basket.
Entering conference play with the second best overall record in the Big West, Hawaii is clearly one of the best squads in the conference and will be an intriguing sleeper pick should the Rainbow Warriors advance to March Madness.
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