HONOLULU – A year ago in this space, when a 20-11 University of Hawaii men’s basketball team was left on the outside of the postseason world looking in, it was suggested that 21 or more victories this season would be necessary in order for the Rainbow Warriors to be selected for the NCAA Tournament, National Invitation Tournament or CollegeInsider.com Tournament.
As it turns out, even 22 wins were not enough.
UH was shut out again, as selections for the three tournaments were announced Sunday and the Rainbow Warriors were not among the 148 teams who will participate in some version of March Madness.
It was not unexpected, as Hawaii’s NCAA Ratings Percent Index position of 152 made at-large bids to the Big Dance or NIT unlikely, and head coach Benjy Taylor said it was communicated to him “back in November or December” that the school would not pursue a bid to participate in so-called “pay-to-play” postseason tournaments such as the CIT.
“Right or wrong, we (UH) made a decision that we’re not going to do it,” Taylor said of the CIT.
Given the state of the athletic department’s finances, in addition to the physical and mental fatigue of a 35-game season, that decision may be understandable. The Rainbow Warriors’ last CIT appearance — a 69-65 home loss to Air Force in 2013 — was a bit uninspiring and did not draw well attendance-wise, causing unexpected financial loss.
And given that UH has been on the road for three of the past four weekends, including eight straight days at the Marriott in Fullerton, Calif., there also could be concerns about making up for lost class time should the team be sent back to the mainland.
For the NCAA Tournament and NIT, of course, it would be worth the sacrifice and finding a way to make it work … but for the CIT? Perhaps not so much.
Some people, including freshman guard Isaac Fleming, have expressed the sentiment that the Rainbow Warriors should only aim for the Big Dance or NIT, and nothing less. That says a lot about how far the program has come, as a CIT berth was welcomed with excitement just three years ago.
Which brings us back to “raising the bar.”
Despite the turmoil this team went through in late October/early November – with head coach Gib Arnold and longtime assistant Brandyn Akana being relieved of their duties and top returnee Isaac Fotu being declared ineligible and then turning pro – Taylor and the Rainbow Warriors not only maintained the standards set last year, but exceeded them, winning 22 games and advancing to the Big West Conference Tournament final.
With all but two players (starting shooting guard Garrett Nevels and reserve shooting guard Brandon Jawato) due to return, it would not be far-fetched to set a goal of 23 wins and an NCAA or NIT berth for next season.
Of course, things could be much different pending the results of possible NCAA sanctions and the hiring of a new head coach. Either event, or both, could start a chain reaction of departures and/or incoming transfers that could significantly change the makeup of next year’s team.
In a best-case scenario, the alleged “Level 1” NCAA violations will be dismissed and so would most of the rest of the allegations, leaving UH with a minimal penalty (no postseason ban or loss of scholarships).
Taylor would appear to have a strong case for himself, given that he knows the program and the players better than anybody else at this point and already guided them through huge challenges and found success.
Others may promise the world, but no other candidate can lay claim to exactly what Taylor accomplished with this group this past season.
At a minimum, it would behoove the next athletic director and coach to try to keep Taylor on staff to draw on his experience and knowledge and relationships built with the players not just this past season, but the previous four.
Taylor has been dutifully on the recruiting trail, seeking to fill two of the Rainbow Warriors’ biggest immediate needs: a strong rebounder and a pure outside shooter. If he is able to do that, and if all of the other players return (especially starters/key reserves Aaron Valdes, Stefan Jankovic, Negus Webster-Chan, Mike Thomas, Stefan Jovanovic, Fleming) … that 23-victory season and NCAA or NIT berth seems very reachable.
Either way, thanks to Taylor, Nevels and the rest of this season’s staff and players, that should be the expectation whenever candidates are brought in for interviews in the coming months (weeks?).
Thanks to the 2014-15 Rainbow Warriors, the bar for the UH men’s basketball program has been raised again.
And that’s a good thing.
