Things aren't going as smoothly for Hawaii senior forward Bill Amis as initially hoped at the start of this week. He was back in a boot during today's practice after experiencing some discomfort in his right foot midway through Tuesday's practice.

It's looking doubtful that he'll play against Chicago State on Maui on Friday. As for the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic? We'll see.

Coach Gib Arnold reiterated yesterday that the priority is getting Amis back for the start of Western Athletic Conference play on Dec. 29, at Utah State, so he's not going to rush him out there.

———

As promised, here's the transcript of my interview with guard Miah Ostrowski when he joined the team last week:

Q: Did you have hopes about joining the basketball team this season?
A: I really didn’t think I was going to play basketball this season, at all. Just this past weekend, I was talking to a lot of people, and they were asking like, 'You’re going to play basketball and stuff?' And I had no clue, not at all. We still got a bowl game, still got a month. I just figured that it’d be too late by the time the bowl ended. But Coach (Arnold called), and he told me he wanted to set up a meeting and stuff. So it happened just like that, you know what I mean?
Q: Was this the first time you met the guys on the team?
A: I mean, I seen them around a lot on the weight room, the training room. On campus and stuff. But I never really met them. I know some of the boys on the team, I’m cool with. But all this is new to me, you know. It’s different having 10 teammates compared to 120, you know what I mean?

Q: Have you played much hoops since Punahou?

A: I mean, we run around as a football team. Some of the boys get together, we run around. I played some outsides men’s leagues to run around, get some cardio, stay in shape for football, but that’s about it. This whole football season I haven’t played no basketball, you know. Yesterday (last Monday) was really the first day I shot a basketball, and I didn’t have shoes and all that, you know what I mean?

Q: What were your thoughts on the first drills and things Coach put you through?
A: It felt good to be competitive out here, you know. I did a couple of drills, just one or two, but while I was doing it, it felt good. It felt good to move around. You know, I played basketball my whole life, so it just felt good again to be out here and be able to do those things. I watch college basketball a lot. I see things. Feels good to be back though, that’s for sure.

Q: Did you see yourself as two-sport player out of high school?
A: Yeah, that’s what I was trying to do coming out of high school. Football wasn’t really my thing. I didn’t go to any combines or any of that stuff. I thought I was going to play basketball. And when I committed here, Coach (June) Jones told me that he’d love me to play basketball and stuff. So that’s one of the reasons I wanted to try and do it. So when the time came around, I got the call this past week. I was half put in a tough situation in a way because football, I was trying so hard, and I’m at a point in there where you know, I have a good chance to be playing and starting next year. It’s tough, because sometimes when you try to do something else, you lose focus of that. But I think basketball will help me for it, keep me focused and stay in shape and stuff.

Q: So you didn't want to come out for the basketball team the last two years?
A: Last year, my grandma passed away during our Wisconsin game and the basketball season had just begun. I had priorities into that, I spoke at the funeral and stuff. So I really wanted to focus on that, work hard and put all the time I needed to into the funeral. By the time the funeral ended, it was kind of too late to come out already. But I missed it though, you know, that’s for sure. Every time I saw it, I always wanted to be out here and I’m just glad the opportunity finally came. I’ll try to make the best of it.

Q: How long will it take you to get comfortable with hoops?
A: Ahh, it shouldn’t take me more than a week, to be honest. I feel alright with my ball-handling skills. My shot was feeling alright, but I know I could just repetition it. I can feel the release when I do miss. When I do hit it, I do feel like the release is good. So I just need to get repetition with my jumper. That’s the only thing I need to focus on. Everything else is intact for me, I feel like.

Interesting note on today's practice in Klum Gym: the session was observed by three coaches of Division III North Central College (Ill.). UH assistant coach Benjy Taylor was the head coach there from 2001 to 2004, a few years before he took the reins at Chicago State — UH's opponent at the Lahaina Civic Center on Maui on Friday.

North Central plays at Hawaii-Hilo on Friday, too.

———

Senior forward Bill Amis continues to progress in his return from a stress fracture in his right foot. Amis wasn't in on everything — he must gradually work his reps up as he recovers from being out almost a month.

———

Anyone still wondering about the Chicago State game, there will be NO television or live video streaming of the game. You'll have to listen on KKEA, 1420-AM, or watch the live stats on www.hawaiiathletics.com.

I will also be doing live twitter updates @Brian_McInnis.

———

Look for an expanded Q&A transcript of my first interview with new UH basketball player Miah Ostrowski coming tomorrow (Wednesday).

There was some encouraging information about Hawaii senior forward Bill Amis after last night's 72-50 win over Hawaii Pacific.

In the postgame press conference, UH coach Gib Arnold responded positively about Amis' status recovery from his stress fracture in his right foot — even that the tri-captain could play a few minutes against Chicago State on Friday.

"He had his best workout (Saturday) with our trainer. He got some shots up without the boot, felt pretty good, didn't have a lot of soreness," Arnold said. "We're even optimistic enough where maybe even (he plays against) Chicago State. That puts us at a month out (from the injury date), which was kind of the target date to begin with. If the doctors clear him, we'll probably give him a few minutes there, then have him a little more minutes in the Diamond Head (Classic), then have him ready by WAC."

However, Arnold was clear on what the priority was with Amis.

"Most importantly, we want him back by the WAC. So we're not going to do anything to jeopardize that. If it's close, we'll hold him out."

———

It was a day off from practice today as the team prepares for final exams. They'll then have four days of practice before flying to Maui on Thursday night and playing the Cougars at the Lahaina Civic Center on Friday.

Plenty of good vibes at today's Rainbow Warriors practice in preparation for tomorrow's game against Hawaii Pacific.

Morale was the highest it's been since the team went 0-2 on its nonconference road trip and lost two reserves who transferred out.

No coincidence that assistant coach Benjy Taylor was back from a recruiting trip and offering his usual positive feedback, when it's warranted.

"Good to be back," said Taylor, who said he was in frigid Connecticut for one of his stops.

After Zane Johnson threw down a double-clutch dunk on one of the Stan Sheriff Center rims, associate coach Walter Roese playfully told him, "You know that rim is low, right? That's got to be 5 inches too low."

"Yeah, right," replied Johnson.

———

Meanwhile, senior forward Bill Amis continues to progress toward a return to full action. Amis has been walking around at recent practices and is working on his shot and ball handling, but there's been no running or contact yet.

The earliest estimate of his return (by the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic on Dec. 22) continues to look a little optimistic, but Western Athletic Conference play (starting on the road Dec. 29) is still reasonable.

Indications of his recovery rate are positive. Remember, this isn't the first time Amis has dealt with an injured foot, and it's far less severe this time around.

———

Point guard Hiram Thompson might not be 100 percent against the Sea Warriors. He suffered a hurt left thumb in Thursday's practice and was still favoring it while dribbling and catching passes today.

———

Newcomer guard Miah Ostrowski had some bright spots today with his court vision. He's already shown himself to be one of the quickest guys on the team, though he's had to sit out the most physical parts of practice while he's still active for football, too.

Gib Arnold worked him out in a 1-on-1 session after Thursday's practice.

———

The scout team today for the Sea Warriors was Ostrowski, Trevor Wiseman, Dominick Brumfield, Pi‘i Minns and Davis Rozitis.

Here were the reactions of Joston Thomas and Bobby Miles to the player movement over the last couple of days. (For those who've been in a cave, on a mountaintop, or swimming between islands, UH guards Anthony Salter and Jordan Coleman left the team for a lack of playing time, and coach Gib Arnold brought UH football slotback Miah Ostrowski on board).

Joston Thomas:

Q: Were you surprised those two guys left?

A: I'm not surprised. I mean, stuff happens. You just gotta learn from it and build on it. Point blank.

Q: Is the team ready to move on?

A: You gotta be. One person, two people can't stop the show. There's five guys out there. That's how it is.

Q: On Salter and his decision to leave ...

A: Salt's my roommate. We talk every day. I don't talk to him about basketball; a lot of people talking to him about basketball right now. I'm not an agent, I'm not a sportswriter, I'm nothing like that. I'm just a basketball player, so I talked to him about regular people stuff. That's his decision, no matter who's talking to him.

Q: Did you try to dissuade him from leaving?

A: Yeah I did the first day I found out. But you know, people got their own mind-set. People listen to what they want to listen to. I'm not going to waste my breath.

Q: Are you guys happy to have Miah on board?

A: Of course. Anybody we have on the team, we're going to be happy to have. I think he's going to help us more than we can help him. We're going to see where it goes and build on it.

Bobby Miles:

Q: What are your thoughts about two teammates leaving after just seven games into the season?

A: They could have got through it, but hey, they made their choice to go on with life. We're just here working hard trying to get better.

Q: Did you know Miah before he first appeared at practice this week?

A: First time I met him was yesterday, but I've seen him around campus, and of course at the football games and stuff.

Q: Did you know he could play hoops?

A: I didn't even know until yesterday.

Q: What are your first impressions after seeing him on the court, and will he help the team?

A: Hey, he's coming in to be another guard, so he'll help us. He looks pretty quick so (laughs) we will see.

———

Besides shortened team depth for both games and practices, and the negative pub that comes with two players leaving midseason, another factor is the impact on the team's APR rating.

"It will affect our APR," Arnold said. "Possibly down the line, it can affect us with scholarships. I think that's unfortunate, that a player leaves the program on his own decision and it hurts the rest of us. But that's the rules we live by."

———

Arnold had the team do an interesting new drill for outlet passes this morning. Each player had to pivot behind the halfcourt line and fire the ball at a backboard. If a player missed, he had to run a suicide drill.

The players who hit the backboard the first time around had an extra challenge the second time — they had to hit the box painted just above and behind the rim.

And if anyone's curious, Ostrowski was one of the more accurate players.

Well, this certainly softens the blow.

Good timing by UH coach Gib Arnold and Co. to announce the addition of UH football player Miah Ostrowski to the basketball team just as the Rainbow Warriors lose guards Jordan Coleman and Anthony Salter.

It will be interesting to see how much of his basketball ability Ostrowski has kept from his Punahou days. Fans have been pining for this move for a long time.

Here is what I wrote for the breaking news section of our website:

UH coach Gib Arnold dubbed today's practice "Competition Tuesday" as he announced to his team he was re-opening starting jobs in the team's first action since the 0-2 road trip.

Junior point guard Anthony Salter was not there to compete, however, lengthening his absence which started to prior to the team's recent road trip. Also missing was freshman guard Jordan Coleman.

UPDATE: Arnold said he'd issue a statement about both players prior to Wednesday's practice. Not looking good on both counts. Both guys didn't get a whole lot of playing time, and it must have been tough for Coleman to be the only one of the four true freshman not to see much action.

Were both to leave the team (and it is certainly looking that way) UH would be down to nine active players for Saturday's game against HPU.

However, the Rainbows may have picked up another player just as they are losing two. More on this tomorrow.

———

The team's road loss streak is actually 12 games, not 13 as I wrote previously. That's because the BYU game technically counted as a neutral site. Yes, even though the crowd of around 13,300 was heavily slanted for the Cougars in Salt Lake City, it was "neutral."

If you're counting the total away-game losing streak for UH (including neutral sites) it's 14, including the team's last Western Athletic Conference tournament loss to Fresno State in 2008-09.

The UH men's basketball team got a well-deserved day off from practice today — they still had study hall — to recuperate from their two-game road trip. Up next for UH: Hawaii Pacific at the Stan Sheriff Center on Saturday.

Rainbow Warriors coach Gib Arnold threw everyone a major curveball against BYU on Saturday with his starting lineup of Bobby Miles at the point, Bo Barnes at shooting guard and Trevor Wiseman at small forward to join regulars Joston Thomas and Vander Joaquim.

The coach noted that while the three freshmen (Miles, Barnes and Wiseman) played similar minutes as usual starters Hiram Thompson and Zane Johnson, things could continue to change.

"Who's starting and who's not really doesn't matter to me, nor should it matter to any of my guys," Arnold said today. "Matchups play a big role in that. Guys who are giving it every day in practice, guys who are playing defense, showing tough stuff, that plays a big deal into who plays and who starts."

Be interesting to see who gets most of the time with the first team at practice tomorrow. I'll provide an update then — along with whether junior point guard Anthony Salter is back with the team following an expected meeting with Arnold.

Credit Gib Arnold's Rainbow Warriors for hanging around No. 21 BYU for as long as they did, especially while shooting such a poor percentage (30 percent).

In the end, it was still a 78-57 loss at EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City.

UH did a respectable job of not allowing the Cougars' star point guard, Jimmer Fredette, to dominate the game. But BYU's depth was just too much to overcome as Jimmer's teammates found themselves open from 3 far too many times.

Meanwhile, UH's normally reliable shooters, Bo Barnes and Zane Johnson, were blanked from beyond the arc.

Interesting tactic by Arnold to go with three true freshman — Bobby Miles,Barnes and Trevor Wiseman — in his starting lineup. It's possible this was a spontaneous move before tipoff, . In any case, the normal starters, Hiram Thompson and Johnson, were inserted before long.

Center Vander Joaquim had a good game, despite it all. He was a big reason UH outrebounded the Cougars, and he had his first career double-double with 12 points and 10 boards.

———

The UH women's basketball team (4-3) is looking to bounce back on the road against Portland (5-3).

They just tipped off. A free internet stream of the game is available, click here.

Was Chris O'Brien's putback at the buzzer good in Cal Poly's 54-53 win over Hawaii last night, or did the red light go off with the ball still in his hand?

You decide. This news footage from KSBY looks like the best we have to go on.

The referees were unable to consult any form of video replay. It'd be nice if they get some basic video monitors in there by the time Hawaii joins the Big West Conference — if indeed UH does.

Pretty amazing to outshoot a team 51.1 percent to 33.3 percent and outrebound them by 10, and still lose. But that's what 27 turnovers will do to you.

———

Whether the Rainbow Warriors got robbed of a win or not, they now head to Salt Lake City for Saturday's game against No. 21 BYU, which is 7-0 behind the play of preseason All-American Jimmer Fredette.

This will be easily UH's toughest game so far this season, and possibly all year. But after this road trip, the Rainbows don't play again until Dec. 11 against HPU.

———

The Anthony Salter situation may not be headed for a happy outcome.

Salter, who did not make the road trip, said yesterday he will talk to UH coach Gib Arnold upon the team's return. The junior point guard, whose court time has been extremely limited, said he's hopeful he can resolve his differences with his coach about his role on the team.

If not ... well, stay tuned.