It’s sometimes a little bit of a mystery as to the sports that thrive in Hawaii, but the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors basketball team is a big part of the sports scene on the islands. Cheap Hawaii basketball tickets have long been hard to find because it’s the only game in town. But the Rainbow Warriors have managed to leave their mark on the game over the years, finding success in multiple conferences, getting to the NCAA Tournament on occasion, and even putting a few players in the NBA. It’s been more than enough success to keep last-minute Hawaii basketball tickets in high demand.

Getting Riled Up

While Hawaii has over a century of basketball history, the program didn’t come alive until after Riley Wallace took over in 1987. He was the first coach to truly put his stamp on the program, staying with the Rainbow Warriors for 20 years. In those 20 seasons, Wallace won 334 games, including two regular-season WAC titles and three WAC Tournament titles in 1994, 2001, and 2002 that sent the Rainbow Warriors to the NCAA Tournament. For much of his tenure, Wallace made Hawaii one of the more competitive teams in the WAC while also leading the Rainbow Warriors to four NIT appearances, helping the program gain national recognition and credibility.

The Next Step

In 2015, Hawaii took a chance by naming Eran Ganot as its new head coach. The move paid immediate dividends, as Ganot guided the Rainbow Warriors to the Big West regular-season and tournament titles in his first season, getting Hawaii back to the Big Dance for the first time since 2002. In the 2016 NCAA Tournament, the Rainbow Warriors upset Cal to win their first-ever tournament game. It was a massive step for Hawaii basketball and a sign that the Rainbow Warriors are capable of great things on the basketball court.