New look Hawai'i hoops hold first practice of 2025-26 season

Описание: Six weeks out from its season opener at Oregon, the University of Hawai‘i men’s basketball team opened its first official practice Tuesday with a retooled roster and renewed expectations.

Head coach Eran Ganot enters his 11th season at the helm, looking to rebound from the toughest year of his tenure. The Rainbow Warriors went 7-13 in Big West play last season and failed to qualify for the conference tournament for the first time under Ganot.

The offseason brought a reset. Nine of 13 players are newcomers, including six Division I transfers. While experienced, the group will need time to build chemistry.

“I don’t take it for granted. I’m really fired up,” Ganot said. “We’ve got a lot of new faces … four returners, which isn’t a lot, but they’ve gotten better. There’s an excitement to the new and the unknown as we get to know this team.”

The 2025-26 campaign will mark Hawai‘i’s final season in the Big West before transitioning to the Mountain West in 2026-27.

Among the returnees are senior forward Gytis Nemeiksa and sophomore guard Aaron Hunkin-Claytor.

Newcomer Dre Bullock, a senior guard transferring from South Dakota, said the team is making progress both on and off the court.

“This is my last year, so I don’t want to end off on a bad note,” Bullock said. “Building our chemistry now means once game time comes, everybody knows how to play with each other. Coaches are pretty good with team bonding, so it’s been positive.”

Nemeiksa added that he hopes to deliver for the fans after last season’s struggles.

“Hawai‘i is a really good place,” he said. “I love this place. And I think the Hawai‘i people deserve way better seasons than last year. I want to bring it back and be a good team.”

The Rainbow Warriors tip off the season Nov. 10 in Eugene against Oregon of the Big Ten.

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