Aloha!
The men’s basketball team of San Francisco State University will go on a week-long trip to the island of Hawaii, including three games during their stay.
The Big Island Holiday Classic will take place in the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium in Hilo, Hawaii from Dec. 15-19. Three back-to-back games are in store for the SFSU men’s basketball team.
Vince Inglima, the team’s head coach, stated that the games played could impact the team’s postseason future.
“Obviously, we want to go out there and play well. Two of the three games we have out there are regional opponents. Hawaii, Hilo. And Alaska Fairbanks is coming down so they are potentially games that have influence and impact on the postseason if and when we get to that stage,” Inglima said.
Finding the balance between on-the-court success and off-the-court activities is something Inglima is trying to do.
“So obviously, on the court, we want to go out there and perform well and continue to improve with the group. But on top of that, we’re trying to, you know, have a little bit of a cultural experience for these guys” Inglima said. “It’s a great opportunity just to see something new and experience something different and see the sights.”
The trip time allows the team to come closer both on and off the court.
“When you go on the road with the team, that’s where I think the bonds are really made, and getting a six-hour flight to an island is only gonna enhance that,” senior forward Jonah Roth said. “I’m looking forward to just hanging out with the guys, rooming with them, going into a new spot and just exploring. That only brings the guys closer together and hopefully, that translates on the court.”
With three games in three days, Alex Gilat, junior guard, said small activities could make the brotherhood of the team even stronger.
“The little things, sitting in the lobby together if we want to go and get some food, we’ll all go and grab a bite to eat together, go for a walk to a gas station and get snacks, anything, just anything we can do that we spend some time together, that’s how we will achieve that extra bit of bonding,” Gilat said. “It’s not enough just to practice and train and then go and do your own thing. That bond is developed on the outside.”
The team looks to bounce back after their most recent defeat against no.4-ranked Cal State San Bernardino.
“On the court, expectations are always to win. We want to go there. I think we play three games. We want to leave there 3-0 and to continue developing as a team,” Gilat said. “We are still learning how to play together and how to thrive as a team and with each game; we’re learning more and more and that’s what we want to continue doing.”
With opportunities for exciting activities in Hawaii, the team has scheduled trips to some sites.
“So along the way, is kind of planned a couple of stops, there’s a pretty cool lava flow in one of the areas,” Inglima said. “There’s one beach that we saw that we’re trying to stop that has the giant turtles, the ones that are just like 250 pounds on their beach.”
According to Inglima, this will be the first time the majority of the team is going to Hawaii.
“We didn’t do anything like this last year. This is my third different college that I’ve played at, so I’ve been able to go to places like Florida before looking back to that trip, that was probably the one that stood out the most and I think that this has a chance to like rival that and hopefully overtake it as my number one,” Roth said. “I’m really looking forward to it.”
Inglima also stated that even though the team has been together for a few months, they are still fairly new but these are also times when the team gets to spend more time with each other. Inglima also mentioned that this is a time for the team to not only see the side of them being teammates, but to see them as people and not only as their teammates.
Playing in Hawaii is something that many people might not have checked off their to-do list, but Roth is pleased to do it.
“I think I’m most excited about just playing in a place that I’ve never played before. because I’ve been to Hawaii before but you know, getting to say you played a basketball game there is, you know, not a lot of people can say that so I’m excited for that,” Roth said.
