Finally, the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team can enjoy the comforts of home.

After making three separate road trips in January, the Rainbow Warriors will be home for the next two weeks.

Hawai'i will begin a three-game homestand by hosting Fresno State tomorrow night at the Stan Sheriff Center.

"Hopefully, this can bring a little sanity back to our lives," Hawai'i head coach Bob Nash said. "Our guys can spend more time in the classroom, sleep in their own beds, and they don't have to worry about hopping on a plane every couple days."

The 'Bows are 10-11 overall and 2-7 in the Western Athletic Conference. They went 1-1 on the road last week, beating Louisiana Tech, 54-53, then losing at New Mexico State, 82-72.

"We would have liked to get two wins, but we're satisfied with how we played on that trip," Hawai'i junior forward Bill Amis said. "Now we get to be home for a while, so we have to take advantage of it."

Tomorrow's game will be key for positioning in the conference standings. Fresno State is 9-13 overall and 1-6 in the WAC. Hawai'i is tied for seventh; Fresno State is in ninth.

The eighth- and ninth-place teams in the final standings will meet in the dreaded "play-in" game of the WAC Tournament.

"Obviously, if you want to stay out of that play-in game, you have to beat the teams behind you," Nash said. "So we're treating this as a big game."

Tomorrow's game has been designated a "White-Out," and all fans are encouraged to wear white shirts.

'BOWS DRAW UC IRVINE

For the fourth consecutive season, Hawai'i was not selected for a television game in the ESPN BracketBusters Saturday event.

The 'Bows instead will host UC Irvine in a non-conference game on Feb. 21.

The Anteaters are 7-14 overall and 4-4 in the Big West Conference.

The BracketBusters pool features 102 so-called "mid-major" teams, but only 26 are selected for the 13 televised games on the ESPN networks.

Three WAC teams were selected for television games: Virginia Commonwealth at Nevada; Boise State at Portland State; Utah State at Saint Mary's.

"It's for those teams that are playing for a position in the NCAA Tournament, so I look at it as a good thing," Nash said. "Even for teams like us who don't get a TV game, it's still one less game we have to schedule next year."

As part of the "payback" agreement, Hawai'i will have to play a game at UC Irvine next season.

SATURDAY GAME AT 6:05

The starting time for Hawai'i's home game against Idaho on Saturday has been changed to 6:05 p.m. (an hour earlier than previously scheduled).

The time was changed to accommodate travel plans for Idaho.

"It's a tough weekend to get out because of the Pro Bowl," Nash said. "And this is a partnership — we're all in the WAC. So moving up the game one hour wasn't that big of a deal."