When Hawaii upset Cal 77-66 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, text message chains and social media posts lit up with support for the Rainbow Warriors. ADVERTISING When Hawaii upset Cal 77-66 in the first round
When Hawaii upset Cal 77-66 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, text message chains and social media posts lit up with support for the Rainbow Warriors.
Shortly after the ‘Bows put a ribbon on their victory over the No. 4 seeded Golden Bears, my phone lit up with messages of, “Don’t call it an upset,” and “Who’s next,” accompanied by an animated GIF of President Barack Obama doing a slow clap (the POTUS had what he called a “homer” upset pick in his bracket).
It was just a microcosm of what was going on elsewhere, with national media even jumping on the ‘Bows bandwagon.
“Advantage, Hawaii. On so many levels,” ESPN’s Trey Wingo wrote on Twitter, which included a picture of a classic Hawaii sunset.
That sunset is something the Rainbow Warriors players have not seen for nearly three weeks after embarking on a mainland trip where the program collected its first league championship of any kind since the 2002 WAC season, and then picked up its first win at the NCAA tournament ever, while also breaking the school mark for wins in a season. It’s been a road journey even Frodo Baggins would be envious of.
With the team now firmly in focus for even the most casual college basketball fans in the Aloha State, the players have felt a volcanic surge of support after the upset, but haven’t had time to get caught up in history and hype with the hectic pace of March Madness. No. 5 seed Maryland is on the docket today at 1:10 p.m., with a Sweet 16 berth on the line.
“Celebrate? I don’t know if we did too much. After the game we were pretty happy” guard Roderick Bobbitt said in a press conference on Saturday. “We knew that we had to put that game behind us and focus on Maryland, who is a great team. Everybody in the islands celebrated for us.”
Celebrating has been a nice change of pace for Hawaii supporters. While last year’s 22-13 campaign and Big West runner-up finish was nice, Hawaii had not graced a NCAA tournament floor since 2002 and boasted a woeful 0-4 record entering the Big Dance.
It’s hard to find a comparison, but it is beginning to feel a bit like 2007, when the Colt Brennan and June Jones led Warriors marched their way up the BCS rankings, eventually resulting in a Sugar Bowl berth (and ensuing blowout loss to Georgia).
But with a half-dozen double-digit seeds still remaining, it’s still too soon to anoint Hawaii a fairy-godmother and pumpkin carriage as the tournament’s foremost Cinderella candidate. However, a win over the Terrapins would certainly make the glass slipper a snug fit, and there’s reason to believe the Rainbow Warriors can do it.
Maryland — which has spent 35 consecutive weeks ranked in the AP Top 25 — didn’t exactly cruise in it’s first round victory over South Dakota State, building a big lead but having to hang on late to win 79-74.
The game was the epitome of the up-and-down season for the Terrapins, who at one point were ranked No. 2 in the nation before losing five of its final eight games before the tournament.
However, the talent of the Terrapins is obvious. All five Maryland starters average in double figures — between 11.1 and 14.4 points per game — and have NCAA Tournament pedigree. With their win over the Jackrabbits, the Terps have won at least one game in 12 straight NCAA appearances dating back to 1998 — the second longest streak in the nation. Maryland also won it all in 2002.
But this matchup is not about the past. Hawaii is firmly in the present, embracing the Tournament experience because — quite frankly — the future is not all rainbows and butterflies, regardless what happens the next few weeks. Lurking on the horizon is a 2016-17 postseason ban — one that may have seemed a little less significant when it was handed out by the NCAA last December. Also stemming from the NCAA’s yearlong investigation into the program under Gib Arnold — the Rainbow Warriors coach from 2010 to ’14 — are three years of probation, the loss of two scholarships for the next two seasons and vacated victories.
So if it seems like Hawaii is playing like there is no tomorrow, it’s because there isn’t.
Among the five juniors on the roster are reigning Big West Player of the Year Stefan Jankovic and fellow starters Aaron Valdes and Mike Thomas. This will be their last chance to dance. They could have transferred without penalty after the sanctions were handed out, but didn’t.
Instead of folding under the heavy-handed sanctions, Hawaii has flourished. Calling this run simply inspired would be an understatement.
“We still got a season to play and a NCAA tourney to make,” Valdes wrote on Twitter shortly after the penalties were announced. “This year we just have to stay focused. Either you’re with us or against us.”
It’s safe to say, right now Hawaii is firmly with the Rainbow Warriors.
