Hawaii made a big statement with a first-round win over Cal in the NCAA Tournament on Friday. It was a huge win for the program — their first ever in the NCAA Tournament. It obviously cements the coaching job by Eran Ganot, who is in his first year as head coach of the Warriors.
Ganot’s wife Barbea got a lot of attention from TV cameras throughout the game. Announcer Spero Dedes also explained the story of what makes Barbea a savior.
According to Dedes, Barbea’s younger sister died in 2012 in a car crash. Barbea Ganot then became the guardian for her sister’s daughter. The girl just turned five years old — you can see her in the videos shown by TBS:
Eran and Barbea were married in October and did so quietly.
“Just like the day I got hired and said at the press conference, it was something we knew was going to happen. The goal was to do it after the basketball season. And then, before you know it, I’m here and going through the transition and all that. We didn’t want to wait another year. We kind of made a small, private ceremony. Really private and something we’ll celebrate probably after the season. Obviously I have a great family and I’m very blessed. I’m a simple person. I’m a family guy, so if my family’s good, and our family being the team and their families and our coaches, I’m good. I don’t need much else,” Eran said of the wedding to the Star Advertiser.
Barbea Ganot is quite the cheerleader for her husband’s team. You can bet she’ll be going crazy during the team’s second-round game on Sunday.
The family of Hawaii's Eran Ganot also made the trip to Spokane. Talk about dedicated fans! @KREM2 #NCAATOURNAMENT pic.twitter.com/tQZQIfpYlY
— Kaitlin Loukides (@KREMKaitlinL) March 17, 2016
