UH will play basketball game in Lahaina

By Fred Guzman

The Lahaina Civic Center will be the site of some Division-I basketball, and we’re not just talking about the EA Sports Maui Invitational, which begins a three-day run on Monday morning.

Fans on Maui will also get a chance to check out the University of Hawaii in a regular-season game on Dec. 17, facing Chicago State.

The event will be formally announced this afternoon during a live press conference originating from the ESPN 550 studio and starting at 12:30 p.m.

Among those taking part will be UH athletic director Jim Donovan, first-year basketball coach Gib Arnold and State Sen. Shan Tsutsui, who played a key role in securing the upcoming game.

Arnold has guided his overhauled squad to a 3-0 start. That’s a highly impressive turnaround for a team that struggled through a dismal 10-20 mark last season, prompting Arnold’s selection to replace the fired Bob Nash.

In a sense, this is a replacement for a UH men’s volleyball match against BYU that had to be cancelled because of a tsunami watch.

Meantime, preparations continue for the Maui Invitational, which again features an outstanding field led by nationally second-ranked Michigan State. Also entered are No. 12 Kentucky and No. 17 Washington.

Wichita State and Connecticut also received votes in the AP media poll. Oklahoma, Virginia and host Chaminate round out the field.

All 12 games will be aired live on ESPN 550.