Manoa, Hawaii—The Howard University men's basketball team faces yet another tough road test when it takes on the Rainbow Warrior of the University of Hawaii at the Stan Sheriff Center on Saturday at 10:30 p.m. Eastern time.  The game will be live streamed on www.bigwest.tv.
        
The Bison (7-7) will have to deal with adversity again.  In addition to having two of their key starters (guard James "JT" Miller and center Marcel Boyd) still out with injuries and one key reserve (center Oliver Ellison), Howard will have to deal with the time difference and jet lag.
        
In their last game, the Bison were able to get another one of those outstanding performances from their guard James "J-Byrd" Daniel, III, who poured in a game-high 36 points.  But the talented guard, who leads the nation in scoring with 29 points per game, faced all kinds of special defenses that resulted in him taking 29 shots while also being the primary ballhandler.  In addition, he got little help as the rest of the team made only seven field goals out of 27 attempts in a 72-59 defeat at Columbia.
        
"There is no question we have to get more help for Byrd," said Howard head coach Kevin Nickelberry.  "It is tough when you have to play that many minutes (36) and see all those different defenses thrown at you.  We just have to have other people step up and make it a little easier on him."
        
Nickelberry adds that despite the loss at Columbia, he was pleased at the team's overall effort.
        
"I thought that we were not as physical and focused in the Central Michigan game," he said.  "I challenged them to be more aggressive and more physical.  I thought that they showed improvement in that area against Columbia."
        
In the Rainbow Warriors (10-2), the Bison face a team that is having its best start since 2004.  They are coming off an impressive 77-48 win over Mississippi Valley State and have won four of their last five, their only loss coming in a three-point loss to third ranked Oklahoma in the semifinal of the Hawaii Airlines Diamond Head Classic.
        
"They have one of the best skilled big men in their conference," noted Nickelberry of Stefan Jankovic.  "Then they have two guards, one of which was the defensive player of the year (Roderick Bobbitt) in the Big West last year.  It is going to be a physical game.  We just have to be to match their physical play by being strong mentally for the challenge."

GAME NOTES: Daniel not only leads the nation in scoring, he is also number 1 in free throws attempted, free throws made and field goals attempted…the junior guard is third in steals and steals per game…individually, he ranks among the nation's leaders in free throw shooting percentage at 89 percent, having connected on 59 of his last 61…as a team, the Bison lead the country in free throws attempted and made and are 15^th in free throw shooting percentage (74 percent as a team).

INJURY UPDATE: Miller and Boyd, who average almost 25 points and 14 rebounds between them, could be back by the Cornell game.

NEXT UP:  Howard returns home to host Cornell University on January 6 at 7 pm.
 
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