As the final buzzer sounded at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, the No. 13-seeded University of Hawai‘i Rainbow Warriors walked off the floor having given it everything they had in their first March Madness appearance in ten years, falling 97–78 to the No. 4-seeded Arkansas Razorbacks.
For the first time in ten years, the University of Hawai‘i Rainbow Warrior basketball team has advanced to the NCAA postseason tournament, March Madness, debuting as a No. 13 seed in the West Region. They will face No. 4 seed and Southeastern Conference champion the University of Arkansas in Portland, Oregon.
The University of Hawai‘i men’s basketball team is going dancing for the first time in a decade.
The Rainbow Warriors defeated top-seeded UC Irvine 71-64 on Saturday night at Lee’s Family Forum in Henderson, Nev., to win the Credit Union 1 Big West Men’s Basketball Championship and secure the conference’s automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
The University of Hawai‘i men’s basketball team punched its ticket to the Big West Championship game with a convincing 78–63 win over Cal State Fullerton in the semifinals Friday night at Lee’s Family Forum in Henderson, Nevada.
The University of Hawai‘i men’s basketball team dropped an 84–75 decision to Long Beach State on Senior Night at the Stan Sheriff Center but still locked up the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Big West Tournament.
The Rainbow Warriors reached the 20-win mark Thursday night with a 77–73 road victory over UC Davis, holding off a late rally to remain tied atop the Big West standings. The win marked UH’s first victory in Davis in six tries and kept Hawaiʻi (20–7, 12–5) level with UC Irvine with three regular-season games remaining.
After dropping a game to the Cal Poly Mustangs two days prior, the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa men’s basketball team bounced back in a big way, outlasting the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos 78–75 in overtime on AC Carter Night. The win secured a three-way tie for first place in the Big West.
Nearly 8,000 fans packed the Stan Sheriff Center at Bank of Hawaiʻi Arena, creating a whiteout atmosphere to honor former Rainbow Warrior guard Anthony Carter. Carter’s No. 23 became just the second jersey retired in program history.
The University of Hawaiʻi Rainbow Warriors capped their weekend with another 20-plus-point win, rolling past Cal State Northridge 89–68 on Saturday night.
Hawaiʻi struggled to find its range from beyond the arc early, shooting just 1-for-12 from three in the first half. But the Rainbow Warriors caught fire late before the break, sparked by back-to-back threes from junior forward Ike Finlinson and a pop-out triple from senior center Isaac “Big Fish” Johnson to close the half.
With 19:35 left in the first half and the score tied at 0-0, graduate guard Dre Bullock took the inbounds pass as Cal State Bakersfield set up a full-court press, looking to force an early turnover against the University of Hawai‘i Rainbow Warriors.
Bullock read it instantly. He blew past the pressure with a speed dribble, leaving multiple Roadrunner defenders behind. Seeing a clear lane to the basket, Bullock attacked the paint and threw down a vicious tomahawk slam, igniting the crowd and opening the scoring for Hawai‘i.
After a central California road trip, the University of Hawaiʻi Rainbow Warriors return home to the Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center, where they will face the CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners and CSU Northridge Matadors in a weekend slate of Hawaiʻi Hoops.
The Rainbow Warriors went 1–1 on their second California road swing, opening with an 86–66 victory over Cal Poly before falling 77–62 to UC Santa Barbara.
After a slow first half, the University of Hawaiʻi Rainbow Warriors found themselves in a tight 55–52 battle with a gritty UTEP Miners squad late in the second half.
With 3:00 remaining, senior forward Gytis Nemeiksa launched a three from the right wing that rattled off the back iron. Senior forward and team captain Harry Rouhliadeff was there to clean it up, muscling through two Miner defenders for a putback layup to push Hawaiʻi’s lead to 57–52.
With 12 minutes left in the first half, senior starting center Isaac Johnson picked up two quick fouls, booking his ticket to the bench earlier than expected. The University of Hawai‘i Rainbow Warrior basketball team was clinging to a slim 17–14 lead despite a hot start, trying to hold off the UC Davis Aggies. Stepping in for Johnson was graduate forward and Seton Hall transfer Yacine Toumi, who typically plays in shorter spurts behind the senior center. But tonight, Toumi had to shoulder the load — and he delivered.
For the first time in 21 years, the University of Hawai‘i Rainbow Warriors have won back-to-back Rainbow Classic titles, defending their crown at the oldest-running tournament in the country.
Hawai‘i controlled the first two days of the tournament, routing Mississippi Valley State (1-5) 88–56 and Manhattan (3-2) 86–56. Senior center Isaac “Big Fish” Johnson posted 25 points and 11 rebounds in the win over Manhattan, setting up a championship matchup with Utah Tech.
After an illustrious 13-year NBA career, former University of Hawai‘i guard Anthony Carter returns to Mānoa, where his No. 23 jersey will be raised to the rafters of the Stan Sheriff Center.
Carter, one of the greatest players in Hawai‘i basketball history, led the Rainbow Warriors to their first Western Athletic Conference (WAC) regular season title and left UH as the program’s all-time leader in assists per game (6.9). He also ranks third all-time in total assists for a single season (212), a mark he set during the 1997–98 campaign.
Day one of the University of Hawai’i Rainbow Warrior Basketball team’s six-week fall camp tipped off this week at the Stan Sheriff Center, marking the official beginning of preparations for the 2025-26 season.
During the preseason period, Head Coach Eran Ganot and his squad were limited to just four hours per week of basketball activities. But with the NCAA's practice window now expanded to 20 hours, the energy in the gym was palpable.
The University of Hawaiʻi Rainbow Warriors capped their weekend with another 20-plus-point win, rolling past Cal State Northridge 89–68 on Saturday night.
Hawaiʻi struggled to find its range from beyond the arc early, shooting just 1-for-12 from three in the first half. But the Rainbow Warriors caught fire late before the break, sparked by back-to-back threes from junior forward Ike Finlinson and a pop-out triple from senior center Isaac “Big Fish” Johnson to close the half.