It was nearly 18 hours after Hawaii had clinched its first NCAA Tournament berth in a decade and forward Harry Rouhliadeff still hadn’t removed the Lee’s Family Forum net from around his neck.
It may stay there until the 13th-seeded Rainbow Warriors take the floor Thursday in Portland for a 1:25 p.m. first-round NCAA Tournament game against fourth-seeded Arkansas.
“It’s been my dream since I was a little kid,” the Australia native said Sunday during the team’s selection show party at Main Street Station. “I grew up watching college basketball my whole life. To be able to play on the biggest stage in college sports, there are no words. I’m just so excited.”
‘Ninth Island’
There will be a few more eyeballs on Rouhliadeff for that game than there were for the Big West championship game when he had 15 points and 12 rebounds in a 71-64 win over UC Irvine on Saturday night, though the building was rocking with Hawaii supporters converging on the so-called Ninth Island.
They showed up at the downtown Las Vegas party to celebrate the win and learn their fate, too.
“It’s awesome,” said Rouhliadeff, who has learned all about the connection between Las Vegas and Hawaii in his four years on the Island. “It’s called the Ninth Island for a reason and it’s so evident. You can see it here today. We have so many supporters and all this community. It’s meant the world to us and it feels like a home game every time we play here. So thankful for all the support over the years.”
It was evident in how the crowds swelled each day during the run in Henderson, with the crowds growing each day both through the school’s marketing department and word of mouth in the Hawaiian community.
All of those connections also helped to make it possible for Hawaii to remain on the mainland after clinching their tournament berth, avoiding a taxing journey back to the Islands only to make a quick turnaround upon learning their next destination. It was especially helpful considering the storms in Hawaii that are wreaking havoc on travel.
Basketball staffers immediately started calling around to secure potential court time for practices and athletic director Matt Elliott connected with corporate partners at Boyd Gaming to find a space to hold such a function on just a few hours’ notice.
“I was talking to them at almost midnight to see if we could get something together so our players can be with our fans for this moment and you can see the turn out,” he said. “We always feel so at home here.”
That connection could grow even stronger moving forward with Hawaii preparing to join UNLV as full-time Mountain West members next year and the conference relocating its offices to Las Vegas.
‘This is what it’s about’
Conference shuffling, the influx of money and professionals into college sports and even ongoing athletic department controversies that Elliott has done a great job of calming have impacted the program, just like every other school in America.
But those things all seem unimportant on days like Sunday.
“This is what it’s about,” Elliott said. “At its core, it’s all about the student-athletes and these guys have worked so hard. They came together in June and have been working nonstop every day. Team bonding, practice, study sessions, workouts and traveling. All of it. The ability to see the benefits of all that come together in a moment like this, I couldn’t be happier for them.
“Incredible job for the players and the coaches who have been here for so long and worked so hard for this. And it just means so much for our community. We want to celebrate excellence at the University of Hawaii and this is a great example of that. It’s awesome.”
That same emotion was evident on the face of coach Eran Ganot, who led the Rainbow Warriors to a tournament bid in his first season in 2016 and hasn’t been back since.
He broke down in tears as he hugged friends and family on the sideline about 10 minutes after his team had finished off the Big West title game.
“It meant a lot,” he reflected the next day. “I always tell people when that moment happens, you experience a flood of emotions about the entire journey.
“Over the years, with all these great kids and then the ups and downs of this year, how could you not be emotional? I couldn’t be more proud of this group so for me to be able to take it all in and see how happy they all were, I said it after the game, nothing can beat that.”
He encouraged his team to soak it all in on Sunday, but to be ready to go to work on Monday. The Warriors believe they have a chance to replicate what they did in their last appearance when they won a game as a 13 seed.
“Enjoy it for a second and get back to work,” he said. “If it’s something tough, let it hurt for a second and then get back to work. It’s OK to be human. Obviously, we told them this is their day. As a staff, we have to get to work on calling coaches, gathering film, working on logistics and the rest. So we enjoyed it for a second, but we’ve already shifted our mindset.”
‘So fortunate’
It certainly helps that they are in Las Vegas with so many connections for things like courts and meeting rooms and food.
“I wish everyone could be so fortunate,” he said. “We have a great contingency here and it feels like we’re at home. It allows us to figure things out while we’re here.
“Whether we have to practice here for a day or two and move from there, we have a lot of family and friends and people who are helping us through.”
That may include a laundromat. Rouhliadeff said he planned ahead expecting to be on the road for a long time, but admitted that may not have been the case for everyone.
“I’m sure someone has brought some laundry detergent with them or we can buy some,” he said. “As long as we’re away, it means we’re winning. We will be fine.”
He probably won’t be washing the net any time soon. That would require taking it off his neck.
But it’s also just a symbol of finally achieving the goal Rouhliadeff has dreamed at since he was a kid in Australia.
“It was surreal,” he said of seeing Hawaii on the bracket. “It really was. I’ve been wanting this. To see the name up there was amazing. I’m so proud of this team. We deserved this. We earned it.
“Today, we’ll enjoy it. For just one day. It will be a chance to just be around the team and celebrate all the hard work. We’ll have fun. But there’s a bigger task at hand.”
Rouhliadeff is hoping he and his teammates can write a storybook ending.
If they do, Las Vegas will be the setting for several chapters.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.
