Hawaii director of basketball operations Kerry Rupp is leaving that position to take a full assistant job with Wayne Tinkle's staff at Montana, he confirmed on Friday.

This is unsurprising. Rupp as a DOBO was always a curious arrangement, to say the least. The former four-year LaTech head coach made the best of his reduced role — day-to-day and travel arrangements, primarily — and leaves with well wishes from Gib Arnold and the other UH coaches after a single year here.

"I'm very thankful for the opportunity I had here," Rupp said. "Coach Arnold, known him for a lot of years, and it was really an honor and a pleasure to work for him for a year. I really enjoyed the staff. Enjoyed the players. It couldn't have been a better opportunity for me at this point in my career. The experience was unbelievable, I'm just really indebted for that. But looking forward to getting back to an assistant (job) where I can get on the floor a little bit, and be a little bit more involved in that, which is what I'm more accustomed to. ... But to be the director and take a step back and kind of evaluate and look at things, I think in the long run it could be even more valuable."

It's believed strength coach Chris McMillian, who is on the verge of getting his masters degree at UH, is the likely successor as the DOBO.

Arnold couldn't yet comment on McMillian or who else would fill the position, but he glowed about Rupp's contributions in his relatively short time here.

"I think (Montana) is a great move for him. He he was well overqualified to be the director of basketball operations, and that gets him back to coaching, and back to recruiting, which is what he does best. Quite honestly, it was the goal we had coming in here. Coach is a really good friend, he was out of the business and wanted to have him come out here, help him out and keep him in the business. But help him find a place to go if there wasn't a role up here. He's a type of coach that needs to be on the floor and should be on the floor, so I support this and helped him get it. I think it's a great fit."

Montana (25-7) won the Big Sky Conference and was a 13 seed in the NCAA tournament, losing in the round of 64 to Wisconsin. The Grizzlies thumped UH 94-79 in an ESPNU BracketBusters game on Feb. 18 in Bozeman, Mont. UH will host Montana in two years for the mandated return game.

"I think they'll be picked to win the Big Sky next year, and he'll have a chance to really help out there," Arnold said. "We're going to see them."

Rupp is looking forward to it.

"I was very impressed with them when we played them up there, and I think Coach Tinkle is a very, very good coach. I think it's a special time to be at Montana. They won the league and have done extremely well there in all his years, and have a lot of players returning.

"(Coming back to play UH) will be like going back to play LaTech. Anytime you go back to somewhere else you coached, it becomes a big game for you. Definitely, I have a lot of fond memories of being here. I'll look forward to the opportunity come back. Hope it's a good game."

Lastly, Rupp thanked team secretary Bobbie Omoto for helping him get acclimated to the program. As for things he'll miss: "The aloha spirit, the family feeling you get here at the university. And I don't know about going back to wearing suits and ties to games. I kind of like the aloha shirt. And it's unbelievable to wake up every morning and it's 74, 75. You got those tradewinds blowing, window down every morning. I think I'll miss that come wintertime."

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Now that the paperwork of 6-foot-2, 170-pound Canadian guard Manroop Clair is official, Arnold could comment on his addition to next year's team. Here's a brief Q & A on Manroop.

Q: Overall, what does Manroop add to the team?

A: A player like him, he's exciting to watch, I think he's going to be exciting to coach. He's got great range and very, very good ball-handling skills. And, like I said, self-made player, that's one of those guys who spends a lot of time in the gym. I like guys like that, in fact I need guys like that. They want to get better and they're coachable, and they do nothing but keep getting better. I've always enjoyed coaching guys like that. I was pretty much a gym rat growing up, and really, really like guys who feel the same way about basketball as I do."

Q: He's on the younger side (17). Is he a redshirt candidate for you, or is that to be determined?

A: I don't think so at all. I think he's going to come in here and fight for major minutes.

Q: His shooting range is what seems to be his most notable attribute. Is it as legit as advertised?

A: I think it's legit. I think whether he's shooting it in Canada or shooting it here, the gym is still the same size. And he's hit a whole bunch of deep 3s. Obviously he's going to have to adapt to the college game and play against players who are older and bigger, but our goal here too is to work with him and help him get bigger and stronger and faster. And so that's our commitment to him, and we're definitely committed to that. I think he's as talented and as good as a shooter as was out there, at all this year. He's at an elite level of shooting.

Q: He's got some passing ability that would allow him to play the point, as well?

A: He is a point guard. He's played point his whole life. He has the ball-handling ability to play the point, and the shooting range to play shooting guard as well. He's a true combo guard in that sense, in that he can play both positions.

One out of four isn't bad, if it's the one you had your eye on all along.

The UH men's basketball team secured a commitment from only Indian Hills CC combo guard Brandon Spearman among the four recruits who visited the islands over the weekend. Indications are that two of the others — ex-Texas Tech guard Cameron Forte and Pasadena City College guard Givon Crump — are no longer in UH's sights. (Crump is believed to be bound for future Big West opponent Cal State Fullerton.)

The player believed to be UH's primary target at this point is Bullard High (Fresno, Calif.) 6-4 shooting guard Aaric Armstead. Armstead, another Chicago native, is on good terms with Spearman, and is a strong candidate to take a visit during the remaining weeks of the signing period.

The final player who visited, Pasadena High swingman Blake Hamilton, is apparently still a possibility to end up at UH. However, he also has Cal State Northridge and Northern Arizona as suitors, schools that likely offer a greater opportunity to play right away.

But, as UH coach Gib Arnold says below, Spearman was the primary target all along. He was the fourth UH signee overall for the 2012-13 season, and fifth new player if you include San Jose State guard Keith Shamburger, who is transferring and must redshirt a year. UH has one or two more scholarships to hand out for next year, depending on how Arnold assigns them to returning players.

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Here's what Arnold had to say once Spearman's paperwork came through:

Q: Coach, what can you say in general about adding Brandon?

A: Brandon, with that group that came in last week, was our top choice there. We were pretty happy with when he told us he wanted to come. I just felt that he's a combo guard, he gives us a lot in that position. He gives us great leadership, great character, and the kid can play. He's athletic, and he brings a lot to the table. So we were really pleased.

Q: What was it like having Spearman and the other recruits work out with the team during their visit?

A: There's a new NCAA rule that allows us to work them out, so we (did). All the (visiting) guys were able to play with our team. We got great feedback from all the guys, but it was unanimous that they felt that Brandon could help us the most. And we (the coaches) definitely listened.

We got a couple scholarships left, and the group of guys we have right now are high-character guys, hard-working guys. We want to make sure we bring in those caliber players, and we got one of those. ... The feedback was unanimous that Brandon was a great fit. It solidified what we thought coming in, and after those two days there was no doubt that he was the right one. When he told us he wanted to come, that was great news for us.

Q: What are your remaining needs for next season?

A: I still think ... there's a couple guys that we're still involved with who we really like, who fit that mold of being athletic shooters. I think Brandon's a guy who can play 2-1, and we're involved with a couple players who can move up the chain a little bit, to 2-3-4. Those are the guys we're involved with now, who can really shoot it and also have a little more size than Brandon at that guard spot. That's something I want to get deeper at the wing position. Brandon obviously really helps us with that.

Q: Coach, a lot of guys put up big numbers at the JUCO level. As for Brandon (JUCO statistics: 11.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.1 spg) no one thing jumps out. Was that a product of him being on a winning/championship-level team (33-4)?

A: The one stat that blew me away was 33 wins and 4 losses, which is the best stat you can have. He was a leader on the team that was ranked No. 1 in the country for three months. Was the leader and best player. You can go to any JUCO and put up big numbers, but I want guys who come out of programs that win, and (he played for) the No. 1 team in the country. That's the most important stat to me. He won a state championship in Chicago, kid played on a big (Simeon) team that was really good. ... To me, if you're trying to build championship teams, then you'd better have guys who've won championships, that know how to do that. We've had a few guys here who've been able to put up numbers, and there are times where you bring in guys like that. But you also need to look at guys who know how to win. So, you say he doesn't have any stats that stand out? I beg to differ. ... I think (33) speaks for itself.

Q: Will more recruits visit this weekend?

A: Not this weekend, we're not going to have any guys in this weekend. But we do have a couple other guys who we've been involved with for quite some time. And we're working on having them come out in the next little while. And then I was involved with some kids overseas as well, kind of waiting on academics and stuff with that too.

Q: Anything else you can add about the recruiting outlook?

A: The guys we're still involved with have great range and are all very good athletes.

And those are guys, if we do feel we need to use that last scholarship, and if not, if we don't find the right, perfect fit, we'll save it for next year or later on in the summer or something.

One of the main, main focuses is that we bring in high-character guys that fit into where we want to go with this group. And so we're going to be very, very specific in that and really take a look at that when we make a final decision on the use of this last scholarship.

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Oh, don't forget those of you who bought tickets, the UH basketball banquet is Wednesday starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Tapa Ballroom.

Three known basketball recruits are taking official visits to the University of Hawaii campus this weekend, in what could be a pivotal time in shaping next year's team.

The prospective Rainbow Warriors flying in are ex-Texas Tech small forward Cameron Forte, Pasadena (Calif.) High senior swingman Blake Hamilton, and Indian Hills Community College sophomore guard Brandon Spearman.

A fourth player, Bishop Alemany (Calif.) high senior point guard Max Guercy, was originally slated for an official visit this weekend as well but is no longer, according to messages on his Twitter account.

It appears by targeting Forte (6-7) and Hamilton (6-5), UH is looking to get considerably more dynamic at the swingman spot — an element missing over the last couple of years. Forte is unproven at the college level, but still has four years of eligibility and could provide an immediate scoring punch (he averaged 30-plus points as a high school senior at McClintock high in Tempe, Ariz.). Hamilton is lean but could provide that lanky athletic presence UH missed out on last season in Dillon Biggs.

The 6-3 Spearman has a solid build and could bolster what UH lost in the backcourt.

That's three that are known — there might be more, and others on future weekends. UH coach Gib Arnold has been in Europe since the Big West Conference meetings last week, and is expected to be back in time to show the recruits around this weekend.

Will provide updates on the recruits when I can.

Former San Jose State point guard Keith Shamburger was looking for a change, that much was clear. Now he explains why.

A few days after news broke that he'd be transferring to UH, the one-time UH recruit answered a few questions about his impending move to Manoa. He averaged 13.1 points and 5.2 assists per game in 2011-12.

Q: What happened after your sophomore season at SJSU?

A: A couple days after the season, I asked for my release. I really didn't know which school I wanted to go to. I just wanted to sit down and just worry about school for a couple weeks. ... I just wanted basically to get away. To go as far as possible. I mean, Hawaii's a good fit, Hawaii has good coaches.

Q: That's interesting, because when you picked SJSU over UH, a lot of it had to do with being closer to your family, right? Now it sounds like you want some space?

A: I think it's best for me to get away, and I want to get away. I'm still going to be able to play at home (Los Angeles), with the Big West schedule that we have.

Q: What was it like being on the other side of things and playing UH from that standpoint for two years?

A: Being on the other side, I always talked about, when I came to Hawaii, how good the fan base was. How they support the team, and how Coach Arnold wants his players to fight. He wants to win games. I like that. I want a coach that's going to push me, make me work. And I feel Coach Arnold and his staff there will do that, and make me into a better player. All that came into consideration. When I was being recruited out of high school, I knew he could do that out of high school for me. But I was just too scared to go all the way to Hawaii for college when I was 17. Now I'm matured and ready to go out there on the island, play basketball and go to school.

Q: How do you think you'll handle sitting out games during the redshirt/transfer year?

A: I'm not worried about that. Pepperdine called me up a couple times, asked me to come back home ... Pepperdine was going to try to get me to play (immediately) because my grandma had just died, and move me back closer to home. I could have tried to get a year (exemption) to play next year right after I transferred. But I'm not worried about it. I'm looking forward to sitting out this year. I'm going to practice with the team, get used to the system that they have. I'm going to get used to playing with the players. This year is going to be a good year for me to just sit out, and watch, and learn and get better.

Q: When do you expect to get into the UH system and arrive here?

A: I'm going to be out there for summer school in July.

Q: How would you sum up this past season at SJSU?

A: It was real frustrating. I'd never been on a losing season like this before. I really felt a lot of things, being on the other side of the losing. I'm glad I saw it now and it's not too late to make a change. I don't even know what to say, why we had the losing season (9-22, 1-13 WAC) that we had. I know last year I played through a back injury the whole season. I'm not going to use that as an excuse why I had my low numbers and shooting percentage (33.7) and all, but I know I can do better at my shooting percentage. I'm working on getting my back checked on now. I'm going through that, and everything should be good.

To the surprise of few, sophomore point guard Bobby Miles became the second early departure from the UH men's basketball team this spring, after Joston Thomas.

There was speculation about this going around for the last few weeks, but it was tough to nail down 100 percent until tonight. It might have even been accurate to report it sooner, but in this line of work you're not supposed to take that chance until you know with total certainty. And that moment didn't happen until Wednesday night, when coach Gib Arnold gave the go-ahead for a UH press release.

Miles had the occasional bright spot in his two-year UH career, including the 10-assist game against Chicago State as a true freshman. He was lauded by Arnold as one of the most consistent and dependable players on the "Warriors to Asia" tour in August, leaving the possibility that Miles would start in the backcourt for the regular season.

He did get the starting nod in seven games this season, but the progression in D-I play the UH coaches hoped for didn't translate over. Ultimately, Miles' playing time was generally capped at about 10 minutes in any given game. Once he fell out of favor late in the season, his PT disappeared entirely.

He had his limits — shooting and speed among them — but he could still contribute, particularly on the defensive end, where he was underrated. He also generally took care of the ball, boasting an effective, if limited, assist-to-turnover ratio.

Miles has an affable personality that should help him blend in wherever he lands. If he is truly interested in finding a program closer to home (L.A.), a Big West school would make a lot of sense. We may not have seen the last of him in the islands.

Arnold now should have three scholarships to work with for the spring signing period. Picking up another point guard with one of those slots would seem to be a must now. Going into UH's first season of Big West play with just two point guards — Shaquille Stokes and Jace Tavita — would be dicey.

First, that was an impressive effort by New Mexico State last night in their 82-57 demolition of Louisiana Tech to win the 2012 WAC championship, and automatic NCAA Tournament berth. Congratulations to them and coach Marvin Menzies.

It turned out that Hawaii gave the Aggies their biggest test of the tournament, even after falling behind 17-0 and 22-2 in a 92-81 loss.

You could rightly say that the Rainbow Warriors lost their last six of seven games of the season. Or that this season was a disappointment for not achieving a winning record or making a postseason tournament.

But the team did something no UH squad had done since 2003, reached a WAC semifinal, and was a few minutes shy of making the championship game. And there won't be a summer of bemoaning why the team quit — there shouldn't be, anyway — because what was seen in Vegas was inspiring, especially under the circumstances.

As Shaq Stokes said, "We found our mojo, but it was too late."

There's plenty to repair and improve over the summer, most notably the team's rep as a defense-first outfit that Gib Arnold established in Year 1.

Player movement is likely, if the last two offseasons under Arnold is any guide. Stay tuned.

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I left the tournament most impressed with Louisiana Tech coach Michael White.

In his first year at LaTech coming over as an assistant in the SEC, White returned the Bulldogs to respectability, and with little more than what was already there when he arrived.

Also, class move by UH director of operations Kerry Rupp, the former LaTech coach. He stayed to high-five his former players after their championship game.

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Women's basketball associate coach Gavin Petersen is the first confirmed applicant for the Rainbow Wahine head coaching job.

He should have a strong candidacy. His place on staff this year was an important one, even if it didn't result in more wins than the previous year.

Petersen carries himself like a head coach. He should get a hard look, as he received three years ago when he was a finalist for the job that went to Dana Takahara-Dias.

Hawaii very well might lose to second-seeded New Mexico State on Friday, and  have its season come to a close at 16-16.

Even if that happens — though a berth in the pay-for-play CIT can't be ruled out, even with a would-be .500 record — the Rainbow Warriors will leave Las Vegas with a measure of pride.

Another win, well, and you're getting into the stuff of UH lore. A final WAC hurrah, if you will. The game starts at 4 p.m. (Hawaii time) and will be televised on KFVE to go along with the usual feed on KKEA, 1420-AM.

That's what Thursday's 72-70 quarterfinal win, minus Zane Johnson, accomplished for the 'Bows. And now, with another upstart effort, UH can taste its first WAC final in a decade. Which is amazing to say, given all that transpired over the last month.

NMSU and top-seeded Nevada certainly looked beatable in the first round; both got sucked into grind-it-out games against Fresno State and San Jose State. And UH can be better than either of those lower-seeded teams.

If UH can keep Wendell McKines in check, like it did at the Stan Sheriff Center, and not allow freshman guard Daniel Mullings to go for another triple-double (as he did in the 42-point blowout loss at Las Cruces), UH has a puncher's chance.

Will also be interesting to see if more transplanted UH fans show up for the semis. There were about 400 in house for the first round.

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It was strange to interview Dana Takahara-Dias as the UH women's coach for the last times on Wednesday.

From a media standpoint, she was always accessible and was almost always ready with a quote — that was always appreciated. Even if the given subject matter wasn't positive for her or her team.

Unfortunately for her, that was more often than not the case. That's why UH athletic director Jim Donovan felt he had to make a move, and not waste any time doing it after Wednesday's season-ending loss to Louisiana Tech.

Now somebody else gets a chance to restore the program to the success it enjoyed under Vince Goo.

I will provide updates on the state of Wahine affairs — the coaching search, etc. — once I return from the WAC tournament.

So it's come to this. If the Hawaii men's basketball team wants to entertain thoughts of any postseason at this point (and we're talking the CIT, too) the Rainbow Warriors basically must run the table in the WAC tournament this week in Las Vegas.

There might be an off chance to qualify for Riley Wallace's pay-for-play tournament if UH gets to the WAC final, but a five-game losing streak has put a serious damper on that kind of optimism.

Getting past the first opponent, Idaho, will be a monumental task unto itself. Consider that the Vandals spanked the 'Bows by 19 in Honolulu on Thursday, and Don Verlin's team is riding some serious momentum  (wins in last seven of eight) going into the tourney.

Then there's UH's own issues of fatigue and desire at this late stage. We saw the 'Bows play with more heart against USU on senior night, but late-game execution was average at best and the Aggies made UH pay.

And yet, if all three of its top three scorers (Vander Joaquim, Zane Johnson, and Joston Thomas) come to play at the same time — granted, this hasn't happened since the first half of WAC — they have the capacity to be one of the better teams in the league. Getting one win means UH won't have a losing season overall.

They've been written off by many. Championed by few. But maybe, just maybe, the roll of the die will go UH's way for a day or two in the City of Sin.

Now we find out what the level of resolve of the Hawaii men's basketball team really is.

After getting hammered on their 10-day, three-game road trip to Montana, New Mexico State and Louisiana Tech — showing only fleeting moments of competitiveness in each — the Rainbow Warriors have a chance to make things right at home before the WAC tournament.

UH can finish anywhere from third to sixth after the final two games this week against Idaho and Utah State on Thursday and Saturday. The Vandals (7-5) and Aggies (6-6) are right there with UH (6-6).

Was it just tired legs that killed the 'Bows on that trip, or deeper issues? Prior to it, they were 3-2 on the road in the WAC.

The 'Bows' top three scorers — Zane Johnson, Joston Thomas, and Vander Joaquim — haven't been clicking all at once. Johnson in particular has struggled of late, though he showed signs of snapping out of it with 11 points and a few 3s against the Bulldogs. Thomas barely played in the second half of that game and was ejected/fouled out of the previous two on the trip. Joaquim has been the team's best player, but his temper has also flared up at inconvenient times, particularly during the pivotal LaTech five-point play that killed UH's chances of a comeback.

The team is surely glad to be home and could realistically sweep these games and finish its last WAC run at 8-6. But if recent struggles are not put to rest, those numbers could easily be swapped heading to Las Vegas.

It's been a while since any thoughts were offered up here about the Hawaii women's basketball team, so perhaps today's pivotal game at New Mexico State is a good time.

UH (8-15, 3-5 Western Athletic Conference) heads into its longest road trip of the season on a four-game losing streak — one that's seen the Rainbow Wahine tumble out of a tie for second to their current position in fifth.

"Second half of WAC gives you a chance to see where you're at, and a road win is much needed for our program," UH coach Dana Takahara-Dias said from Las Cruces, N.M., on Wednesday. "But a win here will also help us move up in the standings heading into the WAC tournament.

"We had three home games in a row, and disappointingly were unable to get a win off of that. But we are optimistic about our road trip. None of us hung our heads and we are excited to get a chance to get on the court again and play. Hopefully reverse our fate (tonight)."

Either way, it's on to Ruston, La., to play Louisiana Tech on Saturday, and that's a tough place to get a win even with the Lady Techsters having a down year by their lofty standards.

Today's tipoff is at 3:30 Hawaii Time.

You can check out the game for yourself on OC 12, which is picking up AggieVision's local call of the game in Las Cruces.

If you're watching, a player to keep your eye on is the Aggies' senior forward, Tabytha Wampler. She torched UH for 24 points and nine boards in UH's 51-48 win in the first half of WAC play.

The Wahine will have to get Kamilah Jackson going early; she struggled last time out in the home loss to San Jose State. It's been a while since the main scoring threats on the team — Jackson, Vicky Tagalicod, Breanna Arbuckle and Alissa Campanero — were all rolling at the same time.

UH picked up a road breakthrough win there last season, and NMSU (5-19, 2-7) is having a rough go of it under first-year coach Mark Trakh. The Wahine already notched a road win at Nevada, so ending the losing streak here is possible.