Watch the Rainbow Warriors vs Seattle U kickoff, with Kanoa Leahey on KFVE and Mountain West+

The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team opens its 2026-27 campaign on Monday, 2 November 2026, going head-to-head with Seattle U. The match kicks off at 05:00 UK time from the Bankoh Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center, as the Rainbow Warriors begin their season in Honolulu. It is the first of four straight home games to start the campaign, and it comes fresh from an NCAA Tournament appearance.

The play-by-play commentary will be delivered by Kanoa Leahey, broadcasting across the KFVE (K5) and Mountain West+ (MW+) channels. His reporting will be handled by Ciena Pilotin. The whole set-up is exactly the kind of home-opener the Rainbow Warriors like to run, and it gives fans a clean slate to see how the team performs before they head out to host bigger competitions later in the year.

Follow it on every channel

Fans following the match can tune into either of the two channels covering the game. Kanoa Leahey is the main play-by-play voice, while Ciena Pilotin provides the reporting. The match is logged in the latest commentator listings, where Seattle U @ Hawaii appears alongside KFVE (K5) and Mountain West+ (MW+) as the channels in play.

Kanoa Leahey's career

Kanoa Leahey is a play-by-play announcer for UH sports and high school sports, as well as for college basketball on the ESPN networks. He has been a men's college basketball play-by-play commentator and reporter for ESPN since 2013, making him a familiar face to fans of the circuit. He also hosts a weekday talk show, "Let's Talk Sports With Kanoa Leahey & Jordan Helle," which airs on Maui's ESPN 900 AM.

His career spans more than just the match commentary. He was a former sports reporter for KHON-TV, the Honolulu Fox affiliate, and a former co-host of Leahey & Leahey, a weekly talk show featured on PBS Hawaii with his father, Jim. As a third-generation sportscaster from Honolulu, he is well placed to bring his experience to the Rainbow Warriors' home opener.

Supporting roles

The reporting for the match comes from Ciena Pilotin, who is tracking the game across both KFVE and Mountain West+. He is listed in the commentator database as the contributor for this Seattle U @ Hawaii matchup, alongside his contributions to other matches in the system.

Also supporting the campaign is Johnny White, who begins his first season as video coordinator for the University of Hawai'i. In this role, he is in charge of video operations, equipment and daily administrative duties. Last season, the former Rainbow Warrior standalone served as a volunteer coach, so he is already familiar with the team's rhythm.

The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team is set to host the 60th Annual OUTRIGGER Rainbow Classic later this month, so this home opener is a chance to see the Rainbow Warriors in good form before they take on bigger crowds. For more on the team behind this campaign, fans can check the University of Hawai'i men's basketball athletics page.

Article generated: 2 November 2026, 17:08 GMT