HONOLULU – Fans will get their first glimpse of the 2026-27 University of Hawai'i men's basketball team when the Rainbow Warriors take on Hawaii Pacific in an exhibition game on Sunday, Oct. 25. Tipoff is 5:00 p.m. at the Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center and the game is free to the public. Free parking will also be available.
The 'Bows enter this season with a 15-player roster that features two returnees and 13 newcomers. UH, coming off an NCAA Tournament appearance, enters the Mountain West conference this year. UH opens the regular-season at home versus Seattle on Monday, Nov. 2.
PROMOTIONS
Fans will enjoy free admission and free parking for Saturday's Our Team, Hawai'i's Team exhibition game. Fans will also have an opportunity to meet the team with an autograph session following the game.
NEWS & NOTES
- The Rainbow Warriors return just two players and one letterwinner from last year's squad that went 24-9 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
- Among the returnees is senior guard Isaiah Kerr who averaged 6.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game in 31 contests off the bench and graduate transfer point guard Tanner Cuff who missed the entirety of last season after suffering a preseason injury.
- All five starters and 11 total letterwinners departed. Seven players exhausted their eligibility, while four transferred. Among the departures was senior center Isaac "Big Fish" Johnson who earned all-conference and NABC all-district honors after averaging 14.1 ppg and 5.8 rpg. Johnson has since latched on to the Philadelphia 76ers summer league roster.
- UH welcomes 13 newcomers this year - seven Division I transfers, a Division II transfer, two prep players and three foreign imports. The Division I transfers have a combined 322 games of Division I playing experience.
- All but three of the UH's 15 players on the roster are 21 years or older with the oldest player being Tanner Cuff at 26. Cuff's younger brother Tiger is one of the youngest players at 20.
- UH has six international players in Lueth Awan (Australia), Houran Dan (China), Bol Dengdit (Australia), Maidy Douglas (France), Aloïs Leyrolles (Switzerland), and Manie Joses (England). Dengdit has played in nearly 100 career collegiate in his combined three previous seasons at Portland and UC San Diego.
- UH is led by Eran Ganot who enters his 12th year at the helm of the Rainbow Warriors. Ganot ranks second all-time at UH in career wins (195) and has led UH to a pair of NCAA appearances (2015, '26).
- After 14 seasons in the Big West, UH moves to the Mountain West starting in the 2026-27 season. The 'Bows will rekindle rivalries with former Western Athletic Conference opponents Air Force, Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State, UNLV, UTEP and Wyoming and will be joined in the MW by fellow former BW member UC Davis.
- Hawai'i placed second in the regular-season (14-6) and claimed the Big West Tournament title in its final season in the league. UH had just one losing mark (2024-25) in the conference regular-season during its 14 years in the Big West.
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