The University of Hawaii men's basketball team wants to create one more Classic memory.

The only way to do that is for the Rainbow Warriors to win the 45th Annual Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic.

This is the last year that the tournament will feature eight teams. Next season, it will downsize to a four-team tournament to make way for the eight-team Diamond Head Classic.

"We know there's a lot of history in this tournament and a lot of people come to watch it," Hawaii junior center Petras Balocka said. "We don't want to let anybody down."

Before the 'Bows can ring in a happy new year, they have to get past an old rival. They will host Colorado State on the opening night of the tournament tonight at the Stan Sheriff Center.

George Washington and Vermont will open the Rainbow Classic at 5 p.m., and the Hawaii game will follow around 7:30.

"We have a couple of incentives to win this," Hawai'i junior forward Bill Amis said. "Last year, we lost it. We got eighth place. And then this is the last one (as an eight-team tournament), so we want to be the ones to end it by winning."

Last season, Hawaii got upset by Louisiana-Lafayette on the opening night of the Classic.

To prevent it this season, the 'Bows have to be ready for a Colorado State team that appears to have received a clean bill of health for Christmas.

"They had a lot of injuries, but it looks like they got everybody back, and that means they'll have good guard play — a lot of quickness — and a lot of size on the inside," Hawaii head coach Bob Nash said.

The 'Bows are 6-3, and have won six consecutive home games. The Rams are 3-8, and are on a six-game losing streak.

"I have to admit, I don't like our bracket," Colorado State head coach Tim Miles said with a laugh. "But if you want to win the tournament, you usually have to beat the home team anyway, so why not do it on the first day?"

Nash noted that Colorado State's record included single-digit losses against Boise State, Nevada, Minnesota and San Francisco.

"Records can be deceiving, so we're not even looking at that," Nash said. "They've been in every game, and for one reason or another, came up short. Just based on their personnel, it's a tough matchup for us."

Due to a variety of injuries, the Rams have used eight different starting lineups in their 11 games. Only four players have been able to play in all 11 games, and forward Andre McFarland is the only one to start every game.

"We're kind of an unknown quantity at this point," Miles said. "We started out the year all right, then we had a rash of injuries. Four different starters had to sit out games. We're slowly getting them back, but to be honest, none of those guys have responded and played the way they did before they got injured."

The best example is Marcus Walker, a 6-foot senior guard. He scored 31 points in a victory over Northern Colorado in the second game of the season, but has since suffered shoulder and ankle injuries.

Walker still leads the team with 15.8 points per game, but is averaging 10.7 points per game in his last three games.

"He's a kid who can really get it going, and that's what we'll need for him to do here," Miles said. "He's good in the open floor, so hopefully we can get our transition game going."

The game should feature a good battle on the boards.

Led by 6-foot-9 Amis, 6-8 Balocka, and 6-7 Roderick Flemings, Hawaii has out-rebounded its last eight opponents. UH is averaging 37.8 rebounds per game while allowing 29.2.

"I just read in the paper about Bob Nash holding the tournament record for rebounds," Miles said. "You can see that in his team now. They have guys with a nose for the ball, a real physical group."

The Rams have a similar style, led by their inside tandem of 6-9 Andy Ogide and 6-10 Darren Vandervieren.

"They have some good big men, and they're a good rebounding team," Amis said.

The Rams are averaging 37.8 rebounds per game while allowing 33.8.

Hawaii and Colorado State have met 43 times previously, with the Rams holding a 22-21 edge. Most of those games came when both were in the Western Athletic Conference.

Colorado State beat Hawaii in the semifinals of the 2005 Rainbow Classic. However, both teams have changed coaches since then, and no player from either current roster appeared in that game.

After losing last year's Classic opener, Hawaii was banished to the lonely consolation bracket in the afternoons.

The format was changed this season to assure that the 'Bows will play in the evening session regardless of tonight's outcome.

"It just made more financial sense for us to play in prime time and allow our fan base to show up," Nash said.

A victory tonight would make it a moot point.

"It takes three wins to take the championship," Amis said. "You can't get there without the first one."

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8101.