Fullerton will come in cold against UH after a 12-day break
Mar. 9—Winner of seven of eight, including five in a row, the Cal State Fullerton basketball team was on a roll and then ...
HENDERSON, NEV.—Winner of seven of eight, including five in a row, the Cal State Fullerton basketball team was on a roll and then ...
"I never experienced this before, " CSUF coach Dedrique Taylor said of opponents opting out of two of the final three regular-season games because they did not have enough available players. ... The most disappointing thing is we had nothing to do with it. We were playing really well."
The Titans will have had a 12-day break between their Feb. 25 game against Cal State Bakersfield and today's quarterfinal against Hawaii in the Big West Tournament. Not playing games ahead of the tournament, Taylor said, has affected the Titans' preparation.
"When you haven't had a chance to get out under the lights with the whistle against an opponent and make some adjustments during some adversity and have some momentum, " Taylor said of the challenges of a hiatus. "The ebbs and flows of games, to be able to experience those, especially this late in the season. ... We're going to have to overcome all those things and do what we do at 2 :30 (Pacific time ) and fight for what we believe in and fight for the way we want to play and how we need to execute the details of the game."
The Big West ruled the Titans' games against UC Davis on Feb. 23 and UC San Diego as cancellations, not forfeits, and would not be rescheduled. The league also changed the seeding format for the tournament from records to winning percentages. The Titans finished the regular season 18-12 overall and 12-6 in the Big West.
Not making UC Davis and UC San Diego play the games is "such a disadvantage and super disappointing in today's time and age, " Taylor said. "Normally—normally !—the thing is a ship sinks from the water within. This wasn't the case. It was the water without. It's simply disappointing the situation played out the way it did."
Taylor said the ruling impacted his players.
"I feel bad for these kids, " Taylor said. "They worked so hard and put themselves in contention to win 20 (regular-season ) games, which is a monumental accomplishment in basketball, as we know. And to not have an opportunity to impact their future and their legacy, I think is super disappointing."
UH, which remained on the mainland after playing two road games last week, is seeking to rebound against a CSUF programthat won both meetings in the regular season. The'Bows also acknowledge their season will end with their next loss. Forward Kamaka Hepa said he is not ready to say goodbye to his teammates. "Absolutely not, " Hepa said. "They know how much they mean to me. I know how much I mean to them. The relationship is very strong. I'm excited to go to war with them. Any game could be our last. That's the mentality we have."
In particular, Hepa has enjoyed playing alongside fellow co-captain Samuta Avea. They first met at a basketball camp in 2015 "I remember he was at a Gonzaga camp, and everybody was talking about the "Hepa Polynesian " kid, " Avea recalled. "I was like, that's dope."
From that camp, they began following each other's careers.
Through his sophomore year of high school, Hepa, whose father is part Hawaiian and grew up on Kauai, lived in Utqiagvik, Alaska. As a junior, Hepa moved to Portland, where he further developed into a 6-foot-10, 4-star prospect. He eventually signed with Texas, where he played three seasons before entering the transfer portal in 2021 following a coaching change with the program.
At the time, Avea, who was preparing for his senior season, decided to pitch Hepa on the idea of transferring to UH.
"I played a lot of basketball in Hawaii growing up, " Hepa said of the extended trips, "and I remember seeing (Avea ) around, and staying in touch. I remember I was on Oahu in 2019, right after my freshman year, we got some work in together. He took me over to G2 (UH's practice gym ). That was the first time I went there."
Hepa committed to UH, but Avea missed the 2021-22 season because of a back ailment. But both planned for this farewell season. Last summer, Avea, Hepa and three teammates trained in Los Angeles.
"We do spend a lot of time with each other, " Hepa said. "I think it's important, being the leaders of the team, for us to talk about the environment of the team, the coaches, everything. It's a great relationship."
