In one form or another, the UH-Hilo men’s basketball has been practicing together since after Labor Day, albeit sporadically.
Coach GE Colemen has seen enough to come to one positive conclusion.
“I think this is the best shape our team has been in during our three years,” Coleman said.
He added: “We really haven’t had a lot of time with them in the gym.”
That is about to change.
The Vulcans men’s and women’s teams can go full bore at 12:01 a.m. Friday. In lieu of Midnight Madness, UH-Hilo is holding Vulcans Madness on Thursday night after the volleyball team’s 7 p.m. contest against Notre Dame de Namur.
The festivities mark the first public event signaling the start of practice since Coleman began his tenure.
“It was something I always wanted to do, and when (new AD) Patrick (Guillen) came on board he was all for it,” Coleman said.
While Lady Vulcans coach David Kaneshiro will introduce an remade roster, Coleman returns some familiar faces, including junior forward Darius Johnson-Wilson senior point guard Vandyon Lockett, who each averaged in double-figures in scoring last season.
Coming off a 12-14 campaign and welcoming a slew of senior transfers, Coleman has just under a month to prepare UH-Hilo for its opener Nov. 14 against Montana State in Honolulu.
The Lady Vulcans, 10-14 last season, have an exhibition against the University of Hawaii on Oct. 28 and start the year at home Nov. 19 against the University of Alaska at Anchorage.
“I think this is the most crucial part of the year in terms of preparation,” Coleman said. “The most important 30 practices we’ll have.”
Among the first-year Vulcans is Pahoa graduate Tolby Saito, a high-scoring guard and the 2015 BIIF Division II Division Player of the Year.
Saito has received the same advice as every player.
“You’re competing for playing time every day,” Coleman said. “Everything is being evaluated.”
Vulcans Madness caps a quadrupleheader of sorts Thursday on campus.
• At 12:30 p.m., the women’s soccer team (3-3-3, 2-3 Pacific West Conference) opens a three-match homestand against struggling BYU-Hawaii (2-6-2, 1-3-1). Both teams are on two-match losing streaks, but the Vulcans are 3-1-1 at home.
• The men’s soccer team (1-9, 0-5) is in dire need of a victory when it takes in BYU-Hawaii (4-6, 2-3) at 3 p.m. UH-Hilo has lost seven in a row and during the stretch it’s failed to score multiple goals in a match.
• It’s make-or-break time for Vulcans volleyball (5-5, 3-4), which has its next five matches at home. At 7 p.m., UH-Hilo plays the Argonauts (7-9, 3-4) and looks to build off the momentum of last Saturday’s win at Point Loma.
