Court Sense

Michele Nagamine gives 2020 the old college try

Hawaii soccer head coach Michele Nagamine attempts to balance optimism and realism as the prospect of NCAA fall sports grows more fraught by the day amid the national coronavirus surge. Will there be a 2020 season at all? Recorded on the 21st anniversary of the 1999 Women's World Cup final, "Coach Bud" recalls watching her old college teammate Brandi Chastain pull off an iconic moment.

Sarah Toeaina lets the pronunciation slide

Former Rainbow Wahine basketball standout Sarah Toeaina readily agreed to a podcast request during her recent, mandatory two-week COVID-19 visitor quarantine in the islands. The overseas hoops pro opens up on Scandinavian living and language barriers, her special rapport with her father, and what she misses about her time in Hawaii. Plus, the host has some career news.

Aaron Valdes learns dunking is a universal language

Former Hawaii high-flying hoops wing Aaron Valdes comes back to earth to share his thoughts of recent social strife, how things might've been different had he pursued his love of water polo, and if he'd just stayed for that final year at UH. The two-time Mexico league champion explains how his old 7-foot-6 UC Irvine nemesis Mamadou Ndiaye dunked a franchise into oblivion (and did Valdes a favor).

Eran Ganot processes a unique basketball season

Hawaii men's basketball head coach Eran Ganot makes some time to unpack what his team experienced during the abbreviated 2019-20 college basketball season, and how the diverse 'Bows have been impacted by current social upheaval. He explains what gives him hope for the coming season and shares how his twin brother helped prepare him for coaching.

Artie Wilson has seen all this before

Spectrum Sports basketball analyst and commentator Artie Wilson, a former Rainbow Warriors guard in the early 1970s, gives his take on the social unrest in America following the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. He compares the current discussion of racism and brutality to the Civil Rights era, weaving in his own upbringing and how he made it out to his adopted home of Hawaii.

Laura Beeman cut her teeth coaching softball

The first coach guest on the pod is Laura Beeman, head of the women's basketball program at the University of Hawaii. She tells it like it is regarding the limbo of the college landscape, player transfers, the origins of her coaching style, and her tenure of eight years (and counting) in Manoa.

Billy Hull rolls with the punches

Two erstwhile sportswriters attempt to find their footing amid a shifting media landscape. Billy Hull, like the podcast host, is now a member of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser web team and provides perspective on adapting to life in the coronavirus age. Hull recalls his best memories in a 15-year career covering MMA, UH baseball and building Hawaii Prep World — all while maintaining a rabid fandom for all things Seattle.

Bill Duffy doesn't think coronavirus is the NBA's last dance

The week of the final episodes of The Last Dance Michael Jordan documentary, basketball superagent Bill Duffy makes a little time to talk the state of the Association amid the coronavirus shutdown. Will there be a return to action in time to save the 2019-20 NBA season? He touches on a range of experiences as a lifelong globe traveler tapping top overseas talent like Luka Doncic and Yao Ming.

Drew Buggs bids Hawaii aloha

Now-former Hawaii basketball point guard Drew Buggs explains why he sought a fresh start elsewhere in deciding to transfer to the University of Missouri for his final year of college basketball. The all-time assist leader for the Rainbow Warriors played through a lot — heartache, fatigue, injury — until 2019-20 came to a halt on the cusp of postseason play.

Isaac Fotu is still eligible for poke bowls

Isaac Fotu, one of the biggest "what-if" stories in Hawaii basketball history, clears out his schedule to talk about what happened leading up to his sudden departure from the islands back in 2014, his side of the infamous iPad saga, what could've happened had he stayed, and more.

Stefan Jankovic investigates his time at Hawaii (Part II of II)

Former University of Hawaii stretch 5 man Stefan Jankovic gives a blunt assessment of the NCAA, UH's coaching changes, and how the "IncrediBows" got through one of the most volatile periods of Rainbow Warrior hoops history to become one of the program's greatest teams.

Stefan Jankovic unearths his Serbian roots (Part I of II)

2016 Big West Player of the Year Stefan Jankovic emerges from quarantine in Toronto to share what the sudden shutdown of the G League season was like, how he embraced his Serbian heritage as a war refugee in Canada, and he sells the host on attending a Redstar-Partizan grudge match among the hooligans in Belgrade.

Kanoa Leahey calls it like he sees it

In this pilot episode of the podcast, Spectrum Sports and University of Hawaii play-by-play man Kanoa Leahey pays a visit from quarantine land to recall his origins in the sports broadcasting business, what it was like to follow in his father's footsteps, and gives his favorite UH basketball calls to date.