Now we know why University of Hawai'i men's basketball coach Bob Nash so enthusiastically "guaranteed" an 18-win (or better) season at the team's postseason banquet three months ago.

To look at the Rainbow Warriors' 2009-10 schedule is to see Nash's "guarantee" as very attainable.

No venturing out on long limbs there.

Eighteen became the "magic" number because 18 victories — or a postseason tournament appearance — is the bottom line on a contract rollover, according to UH. Nash has two seasons, 2009-10 and 2010-11, in which to achieve it. But with the most significant performers, including the top three scorers, back as seniors, this is, as they are calling it in Manoa, the "payoff" year.

So, if you, perhaps, expected a regular season schedule opening with North Carolina, Pittsburgh and UCLA instead of Southern Utah, McNeese State and Northern Colorado, well ... you shouldn't have.

It isn't a bad schedule — or one to particularly write home about. It is, from a coach's standpoint, at least, a practical one. Something that can challenge, yet is manageable.

If the 'Bows can't get to the postseason somewhere with this one — and, remember there were four tournaments taking a total of 129 teams last year — then it definitely isn't the fault of the schedule. Nor should it hurt that one of the tournaments, Collegeinsider.com, has former UH head coach Riley Wallace listed on its selection committee.

Eighteen wins, too, is achievable, especially when you play 20 games at home. The non-conference portion that UH has control over booking has eight opponents, three of whom, Brigham Young (25-8), Chicago State (19-13) and New Mexico (22-12), had winning records last season.

Five other games are booked by ESPN, two as part of its Bracket Buster series, and three for the inaugural Diamond Head Classic. All but one of those are home games.

So, if UH goes even 9-7 in the conference and 9-4 in its non-league games, it gets those 18 wins before the conference tournament. At 16 or 17 victories, it might still crack the postseason.

There were reasons Nash issued the "guarantee" at the basketball banquet. Looking at the 'Bows' schedule, there should be little wondering about some of them.