As with almost anything in life, there are good news/bad news scenarios. That holds true as well when you look at the 2019-20 Hawai`i Hilo men's basketball outlook.

The challenge for head coach GE Coleman is that he graduated four starters off his 2018-19 team, including two All-Pacific West Conference selections. Additionally, he has one of the toughest early-season schedules in recent memory, with eight legitimate recent or current conference title contenders in the NCAA West Region in his first eight games.

Nonetheless, hope springs eternal every Fall and Coleman has plenty of reasons to be optimistic heading into the Vulcans' openers this weekend at Concordia (Ore.) and Western Oregon.

Coleman has two returning starters that bring senior leadership in Kupaa Harrison and Jordan Graves. He has five other returning lettermen, to go with six transfers, all of which gives the eighth-year head coach cause for optimism.

"We are excited to get started and play someone this week," said Coleman, whose team has had two scrimmages but no exhibition games. "We are excited about this team. To have seven returnees, including two full-time starters back, is a plus. We have a good recruiting class, so for us it is about mixing those returners with our new guys and see what we can do."

Last year, the Vulcans finished 12-14 overall and 10-12 in the PacWest. They were in the hunt for a spot in the conference tournament right up until the final day, actually final hours, of the season. They had signature wins over Azusa Pacific, and they were one of the few teams in the country to defeat PacWest and west region champion Point Loma, who advanced all the way to the NCAA Championship game.

But gone from that near-miss team are All-PacWest picks James Griffin and Larry Bush, two of the most talented players in the league.  Also departed is Devin Johnson, a post player that started for two seasons before a knee injury ended his year, as well as starting inside player Denhym Brooke.

"To start the year with new pieces is always a challenge," Coleman admitted. "But in Graves and Harrison we have two guys that started 49 games between them last year. Jaylen Thompson had five starts as a true freshman, and Damani Whitlock was on his way to a terrific season before an injury cut short his year. Not having him in the last 22 games was a big loss for us."

Graves, a 6-1 guard, started every game last year and was second on the team to Bush in minutes played (29.5 per game). He led the Vulcans with 60 steals and 106 assists, while also averaging 8.2 points per game. He listed second in the PacWest in the steals category.

Harrison brings a complete-package game to the Vulcans. He averaged 11 points and nearly six rebounds a contest, along with listing second on his team in assists (68) while shooting 53 percent from the field.

"Having those two back is very important to what we do," Coleman confirmed. "Jordan is one of the top point guards returning in the PacWest, and Harrison is so efficient. His basketball IQ is so high. They have already been through the PacWest fire."

Last year, Thompson, a lefty sharpshooter, had the five starts and averaged just a shade under five points a game. He nailed 26 three-pointers and shot 83 percent from the free throw line. Whitlock is a lockdown defender who can also handle the basketball and provides leadership. Fellow freshman Tom Power (6-8) played in all 26 games and saw more minutes as the season developed. Dante Lewis (12 games) and Kaleb Gilmore (ten games) contributed as well.

The rest of the team will be new to Vulcan fans. All six are transfers (five juniors, one sophomore), all coming to Hilo with collegiate experience under their belts.

Elisha Duplechan brings the most developed pedigree. The 5-11 guard played one season at Division I Nebraska-Omaha and one at Yuba CC. At Yuba, he was the Bay Valley Conference MVP averaging almost 19 points and just over five rebounds a game. Elisha's twin brother Isaiah spent two years at Solano College (one as a redshirt). He averaged 13 points a game there.

6-foot-9 post Sasa Vuksanovic played at Sheridan College in Wyoming last year, averaging eight points and five rebounds a game. 6-foot-6 Greg Walter averaged 17 points and 9.4 rebounds a contest at Barstow College and guards Anthony Haskett (Diablo Valley) and Steven Hubbell (Glendale CC) add depth and long-range marksmanship in the backcourt. Haskett rained in 89 three-pointers last year and Hubbell had 51.

Coleman and the Vulcans will get a stern first couple of tests this weekend. Concordia is solid year in and out, while Western Oregon is one of the top programs in the west.

"We play a quality team on Friday (5 pm PT) in Concordia, and Western Oregon has been arguably the premier program in the GNAC (Great Northwest Athletic Conference) over the past four seasons."

And then there is the rest of the schedule. After the trip to Oregon, the Vulcans have two weeks off before opening Pacific West Conference play at home against Azusa Pacific (Dec. 2). Following that contest, they hit the road for league games at Concordia (Dec. 7), Biola (Dec. 10) and Point Loma (Dec. 12).

Azusa Pacific is No. 5 in the D2SIDA West Region Preseason poll, Concordia is No. 2 and Point Loma is, well, the defending conference and west region champ.

"Our opening to the PacWest schedule is a gauntlet," Coleman said. "I don't think you could possibly envision or play a tougher start anywhere in Division II basketball."

After those games, the Vulcans wrap up December with two more annual regional playoff contenders in Saint Martin's (Dec. 20) and Alaska Anchorage (Dec. 21) at the Hoops in Hawai`i D2 Power Invitational on Oahu.

The schedule turns to strictly PacWest play in January and February, with the goal of course to qualify for the conference tournament, March 5-7 in Azusa, Calif.

"We would love to be in a position to make the PacWest tournament," Coleman added. "But the only thing that we can control is trying to get better every day and be the best that we can be. If we do that consistently for four months, you would hope that we might have a chance at that.

"But looking that far ahead is a recipe for disaster when you play in the one of the best Division II conferences in the country. The grind of our December schedule alone puts everything in perspective."

First things first. The Vulcans games in Monmouth, Ore. this weekend will be broadcast on KPUA AM-670. Friday's game versus Concordia begins at 2:50 pm Hawaii time, and Saturday's broadcast against host Western Oregon will begin at 4:50 pm (Hawaii time).