In a new challenge that debuted in the University of Hawai‘i men's basketball team's recent homestand, full-time UH-Mānoa students now have the chance to greatly reduce their spring tuition costs.
Students will have 25 seconds to make a layup, free throw, 3-pointer and half-court shot. Make all four within the 25 seconds allotted, and students will have the cost of in-state tuition trimmed. One student will have the opportunity per remaining UH basketball home game.
"There's been talks for a while about trying to do more of these activities where we can offer bigger prizes towards students to get them engaged with what we're doing at games," UH-Mānoa director of marketing and fan experience Eric Mathews told Aloha State Daily.
UH announced the four-shot challenge last week, using former men's basketball player and current player Juan Munoz as the template.
Munoz says he warmed up three times off camera before completing the first try on camera.
"My time (playing) is done, but I like being around basketball so much that (not playing) is the hardest part to stay away from," Munoz told ASD.
The four-shot challenge debuted during halftime of the UH men's basketball team's Jan. 22 home game against Cal State Bakersfield. A student from Idaho was selected for the first attempt but couldn't get past his 3-point try. The same applied for Saturday's contestant, who celebrated after making his free throw attempt toward the end of the 25 seconds.
Additional rules for the four-shot challenge include the fact that participants must grab their own rebounds. The free throw, 3-pointer and half-court shot must be behind their respective lines to ensure winning the prize.
UH-Mānoa's website lists the cost of in-state tuition for full-time students as $5,760 for the 2026 semester. Mathews confirmed that out-of-state students can compete in the challenge as long as they're enrolled on a full-time basis. Were an out-of-state student to win, they would get the cost of in-state tuition trimmed off their out-of-state tuition rate.
A combined 11 home games remain between the UH men's and women's basketball teams. One student will participate in the four-shot challenge for each game. Mathews says the challenge will continue even if multiple students win.
"This is something that means a lot to us. It means a lot to (UH athletics director) Matt (Elliott), and we've talked about it. If it happens in multiple times, it happens multiple times," Mathews said. "We do it because we want students to be involved, and we want them there, and we know that this is important to them."
Mathews also clarified that the only rule relating to the order of the four shots is that the half-court shot has to be last. That means students can begin with any of the three other shots.
"My only advice I would give is go for the 3 first. Get that out of the way. Get the 3 first, because if you get the 3, you get the rebound, you can hit the layup," Mathews said. "If you make them, that gives you 20 seconds to play with to hit a free throw and then the half-court shot. Try for the hardest shot first that isn't the half-court, go for the 3, and then if you hit it in the very beginning, then you're playing with time.
"Everybody has a different method, but that's my method. I mean, Juan does it 20 seconds in the order of layup, free throw, 3 and half-court. Maybe my advice doesn't work for everybody, but that'd be my advice."
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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
