Enough hype already.

It's time to see what the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team can do when it counts.

The Rainbow Warriors will open their season tonight by hosting San Francisco in the Verizon Wireless Tip-Off Classic at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Cal State Fullerton will play Texas State in the first game at 5 p.m., followed by Hawai'i and San Francisco at 7:35.

"Have we done enough to prepare ourselves? How well can we execute our offense? How tough can we be on defense? Is our conditioning where it needs to be?" Hawai'i head coach Bob Nash said. "We'll find out (tonight). Having so many new faces, it's exciting to see how it turns out."

Hawai'i finished with an 11-19 record in Nash's first season as head coach last season.

"Last year, we would have that one mental error at the end of games, and it would cost us," Nash said. "We can't have that happen this year."

The 'Bows will carry over a seven-game losing streak into tonight's game, but they have a roster that went through a major makeover.

Seven seniors from last season's team are gone. This year's roster features no seniors, and a bunch of ballyhooed newcomers.

Most notable, Roderick Flemings will make his Hawai'i debut tonight. The 6-foot-7 junior forward was a junior college All-American last season at Weatherford College (Texas), and chose the 'Bows over Kentucky.

"I'm ready," he said. "If we want to get to the (NCAA) Tournament, it starts (tonight)."

Flemings is expected to be in the starting lineup tonight alongside point guard Kareem Nitoto, shooting guard Lasha Parghalava, power forward Bill Amis and center Petras Balocka.

Key reserves should be forwards Adhar Mayen and Brandon Adams, center Paul Campbell, and point guard Hiram Thompson.

Amis, a 6-9 junior, is the only returning starter from last season. In fact, he is the only returning player who played significant minutes last season.

"This is an entirely different team," he said. "We might not have as many shooters as we did last year, but I think we're a better defensive team, and a better rebounding team. Because of our defense, I think we'll be a better running team as well."

Nash is still employing the flex-motion offense — a staple during Riley Wallace's era as head coach — but wants to use it at a faster pace.

"We have a chance to be an exciting team," Nash said. "If this team plays defense the way we want them to, it could give opponents a lot of problems."

The 'Bows will be tested from the start.

San Francisco finished with a 10-21 record last season, but they have a new head coach, and two of the top players in the West Coast Conference.

Rex Walters, a former star player at Kansas in the early 1990s, is in his first season at the helm of the Dons after two seasons as head coach at Florida Atlantic.

Hawai'i assistant coach Eran Ganot said he had to review videos from both San Francisco and Florida Atlantic to help prepare the 'Bows for tonight's game.

"There's some guessing involved with a new staff," Ganot said. "What we do know is they will play hard and they will play tough and they have a couple of dynamic players."

Nash said the 'Bows could face a full-court pressure defense from the Dons.

"They like to press for 40 minutes," he said. "We'll have to be at our best to have a chance to beat them. We can't turn the ball over — that's what they try to get you to do."

The leader of the Dons is Dior Lowhorn, a 6-7, 230-pound junior forward. He averaged 20.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game as a sophomore last season, and was a first-team All-WCC selection.

The West Coast Conference includes Gonzaga and Saint Mary's, and Lowhorn led all players in scoring last season.

"He's a beast inside, real strong, but he can also step out and shoot it," Ganot said. "He's just a gifted scorer."

The Hawai'i low-post duo of Amis and Balocka will be matched up against Lowhorn and Hyman Taylor, a 6-9, 245-pound center.

"(Lowhorn) is a good player, he can shoot, pass, do it all," Amis said. "We just have to go out and stick to our plan and execute."

Flemings missed Hawai'i's two exhibition games against Hawai'i-Hilo and Chaminade while on a bereavement leave, and Amis and Balocka handled the scoring load in his absence.

Amis averaged 19 points and 13 rebounds in the two exhibitions, and Balocka averaged 15.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.

The Dons also have a veteran point guard in Manny Quezada, a 6-2 senior. This will be his third season as a starter at San Francisco.

"He has the potential to control the game from the point guard position," Ganot said. "He's quick and he can shoot it."

Hawai'i will counter with Nitoto, who started just one game as a true freshman last season. He is considered one of the team's best defenders, and is emerging as a vocal leader.

Thompson should be able to provide some help at the point. He returned to practice this week after sitting out most of the preseason with a hamstring injury.

"It's still sore, and there's some things I can't do," he said. "But I think it's good enough to go. I'll play hard if the coaches put me in there."

Nash said he hopes a good crowd turns out for tonight's season opener.

"We've got a lot of emotional players this year," he said. "These guys feed off the noise and I think a big crowd can really help this team."

Tonight is also the first of three games in a four-day stretch for the 'Bows. They will host Cal State Fullerton on Sunday, then Idaho State on Monday.

The Monday game is scheduled to start at 11 p.m. to accommodate ESPN's inaugural College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon.