HONOLULU — The end of the wait for the Hawaii men's basketball team’s 2023-24 schedule revealed that another wait is in store.

When it put out its nonconference slate on Monday, UH was among the last handful of the 362 Division I teams in the country to do so. The delay was a result, in part, of its previously reported inability to put together a workable field for the four-team Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic.

What You Need To Know

  • The Hawaii men's basketball team put out its full 31-game schedule for the 2023-24 season on Monday, with 18 dates at the Stan Sheriff Center

  • Due to difficulties putting together the four-team Outrigger Rainbow Classic this year, the schedule experienced delays and, as of Monday, there is no opponent until more than a week after the rest of the country opens with games Nov. 6

  • The opener is currently slated to be Nov. 14 against Division II Hawaii Hilo, but there is a possibility UH could still add a game earlier in November

  • UH puts on its Tip-off Event funderaiser at the Stan Sheriff Center on Thursday, followed by its preseason fundraiser game for Maui against No. 23 Saint Mary's on Friday

As it stands, UH will lead off its 31-game schedule at home Nov. 14 against Division II sibling Hawaii Hilo, which would make the Rainbow Warriors the last in the country to play their first official game — more than a week after Nov. 6, when most teams will open.

There is, however, a chance that the ‘Bows add a stand-alone game closer to Nov. 6. Were it to transpire, it could be an away game.

“Having a dilemma with the Rainbow Classic and the void it left put us in a bit of a scramble, which we haven’t been in,” Ganot told Spectrum News. “But it’s a challenge when you don’t have that (resolved) late, especially when teams are further along.”

Ganot resolved the Rainbow Classic — a program staple that dates back to 1964 — will return next season to go with a previously announced Nov. 22, 2024, date with blue-blood North Carolina.

“We haven’t released a schedule at this point (on the calendar) and I don’t see that happening in the future,” he said.

The actual reveals Monday were just two Division II opponents — Hilo in the opener and Hawaii Pacific on Dec. 10. UH prefers to play one D-II in a single season; Ganot acknowledged that the Rainbow Classic situation contributed to scheduling a second.

Stand-alone nonconference opponents Northern Arizona (Nov. 21), Utah (Nov. 30), Central Arkansas (Dec. 3) and Nevada (Dec. 17) were already announced by those schools on their websites.

The Utah game will take place at the Utah Jazz’s Delta Center, for which UH will receive an undisclosed amount of guarantee-game money.

“How often do your teams get to play in an NBA arena, let alone practice there, against a good team in their backyard?” Ganot said. “I thought that was a great challenge for our guys.”

The ‘Bows will head straight there from the two-game Acrisure Invitational in Palm Springs, Calif., Nov. 24 and 25. There, they will play Texas-Rio Grande Valley on the first day and either San Diego or Arkansas State on the second.

The Nevada game is UH’s biggest stand-alone home date of the nonconference schedule. The Wolf Pack went 22-11 last season and lost in the First Four in the NCAA Tournament. The Mountain West team and former UH WAC opponent agreed to come for a game ahead of its participation in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic Dec. 21, 22 and 24.

The NAU game on Nov. 21 is scheduled for a late start, 8:30 p.m., after UH accommodates four games of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational that day. The Maui Invitational was relocated from the Valley Isle this year as the community of Lahaina recovers from the Aug. 8 wildfires.

The Associated Press preseason Top 25 poll was announced Monday. Maui Invitational teams Kansas (No. 1), Purdue (No. 3), Marquette (No. 5), Tennessee (No. 9) and Gonzaga (No. 11) make up an extremely stacked field along with UCLA, Syracuse and Chaminade.

“We’re trying to help the Maui Invitational (fundraising) for everybody on Maui. That made us move our game a lot later,” Ganot said. “I’m hopeful people appreciate that and come to our game. … When’s the last time you’ve seen five games in one day in one gym. Has it ever happened?”

The 20-game Big West schedule begins Dec. 30 against Cal State Fullerton. That is UH’s first Saturday home game of the season; the Central Arkansas, HPU and Nevada games take place on three successive Sundays in December.

Friday and Saturday timeslots that month were reserved for possible Rainbow Wahine volleyball NCAA hosting duties and UH-Manoa graduation.

The Acrisure Invitational and the Diamond Head Classic fields were previously announced. UH opens the DHC with Portland, a replacement team for Saint Mary’s, which withdrew in favor of another multi-team event.

However, the Gaels are coming to Honolulu this week instead. This is a big week of the preseason for UH, which puts on its annual Tip-off Event at the Stan Sheriff Center on Thursday, then hosts No. 23 Saint Mary’s on Friday in a fundraiser exhibition to benefit Maui wildfire victims.

Last year’s Tip-Off event raised more than $150,000 for the program.

“It’s going to be sold out, an incredible event. You’ll hear from every single player, our staff, silent auction, a live auction,” Ganot said. “It’s a great, positive event to start the year, and obviously having Neil Everett and Larry Beil host the event is a nice piece as well. Two legends in Hawaii who love Hawaii Athletics.”

The next night, UH gets an earlier-than-usual preseason test in a public forum. Ganot is a coaching tree disciple of Saint Marys coach Randy Bennett.

“On the floor, it’s an incredible challenge to have in October,” Ganot said. “It’s going to give us a better idea of where we’re at, but we all know why we’re doing it and it’s a one-of-a-kind event. … It’s an incredible cause.”

Brian McInnis covers the state's sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.