Former Hawaii Coach Faces Off Against Old Team in Tense Matchup

HONOLULU — When Chris Acker, the first-year head coach of Long Beach State, squared off against his former boss, Eran Ganot, and the University of Hawaii men’s basketball team in December, the reunion held a sense of familiarity. However, as Acker and assistant John Montgomery arrived at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport on Wednesday, the gravity of the situation hit them. “The only thing we said was, ‘man, this is about to be weird,’” Acker said in an interview.

Both teams are in a tight spot heading into their matchup at Stan Sheriff Center on Thursday night. Hawaii holds a record of 13-11 overall and sits in seventh place with five wins and eight losses in the Big West Conference. Long Beach State, meanwhile, has struggled with a 7-18 record and currently sits in 10th place, having lost eight straight games since starting the league 3-2. With only seven games left in the regular season, the pressure is on for both teams, as only the top eight qualify for the Big West championships in Henderson, Nevada, next month.

“I think we’re both in a challenging situation because we’re in a really good league,” Acker said. “Any given night, any team can beat you, as we’ve been on both sides of that.” Acker, who spent two years on Ganot’s staff that led the 2015-16 team to a program-record 28 wins and a Big West title, was previously the head coach at Boise State before landing in Long Beach.

Montgomery’s experience at Hawaii, where he served as associate head coach under Ganot before joining Acker at LBSU, is also crucial in this matchup. Acker reflects on his time in Hawaii, where he got his first Division I coaching job, recalling fond memories of team camaraderie and the challenges of implementing a new system.

“I’m looking forward to seeing a lot of the faces that I haven’t seen in a very long time,” Acker said. “To try to come out with a victory will be surreal for sure, just coaching on the other sideline.” The memories from his time at Hawaii continue to linger, especially the experiences of the initial open scrimmage when he first took the job.

Despite the emotional stakes, Ganot emphasized that once the game begins, the focus shifts entirely to the match itself. “You get a little more immune to it over the years,” he said. “When the ball gets tipped, you’re not really thinking about that.”

For Hawaii, minimizing turnovers will be essential, a challenge they have faced repeatedly throughout their recent struggles. In their earlier matchup this season against Long Beach State, guard Devin Askew delivered a standout performance with 28 points, seven assists, and seven steals, proving to be a key player for LBSU.

On the flip side, Hawaii’s scoring has been inconsistent, but center Tanner Christensen had a noteworthy performance recently, scoring 23 points and grabbing eight rebounds in a close match against UC Santa Barbara.

Ganot expressed optimism despite the recent setbacks, citing the team’s unity. “We just got to get better. We’ve had a couple of close losses in that stretch, too,” he said. Montgomery’s familiarity with Hawaii’s roster could play a significant role in shaping the game, adding to the added tension of facing off against former colleagues.

“I love Mont. He was one of my favorite coaches when he was here,” forward Harry Rouhliadeff commented. “That gives me a lot of motivation to prove them wrong.”