Big West Tournament begins on Thursday

Now it really is a win-or-go-home situation for the University of Hawai’i basketball team … and every other team in the Big West Conference for that matter.

The Big West Conference Tournament begins with four quarterfinal games on Thursday at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. The single-elimination tournament continues on Friday and Saturday, and the one team that can win three games in three days will earn the conference’s automatic spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Russell Turner, head coach of a UC Irvine that is 27-5 and the No. 1 seed for the Big West Tournament, understands that all eight teams in this week’s tournament are playing for one NCAA bid. “I think it’s a shame that the powers…