Much of the hope for this 2017-18 University of Hawai’i men’s basketball team has been centered around having four returning starters and a fifth from two years ago.
But it actually was several newcomers who provided added hope Sunday afternoon in the Warriors’ annual Green & White Scrimmage, in which players rotated between the two teams over three 8-to-12 minute “segments,” or periods. Among the pleasant surprises were true freshman and Kahuku High School graduate Samuta Avea (14 points, six rebounds), sophomore transfer Brandon Thomas (12 points, four rebounds, four assists) and redshirt freshman Drew Buggs (11 points, six rebounds, five assists).