The University of Hawai'i women's basketball team won't have much time for Thanksgiving leftovers this weekend. The Rainbow Wahine will have their hands full as they host the six-team Waikiki Beach Marriott Classic.

The field includes last year's national runner-up and current No. 5 Stanford, No. 19 Purdue and No. 25 Iowa State. Prairie View and San Diego State complete the field.

Hawai'i will be playing its first home game at the Stan Sheriff Center at 3:20 p.m. tomorrow against Prairie View. The Rainbow Wahine went 0-3 at a tournament they hosted in Hilo two weeks ago.

"We got better with each game, but it wasn't good enough to get a win," Hawai'i coach Jim Bolla said. "It wasn't fun in Hilo, but these teams are going to be a step above what we saw there."

UH plays Purdue Saturday and Stanford Sunday.

"We want to play the good teams. We'll only get better by playing teams that are good," Bolla said. "We're young and naive enough to not know who Stanford or Purdue or Iowa State is, but they'll see it first hand and I think it's just a great experience for them."

The team has just three seniors, but only one will play this weekend. Forward Ebony Jones is out with a virus and the other — Tara Hittle — is still playing volleyball.

"Hopefully, we don't have Tara for a long time (as the volleyball playoffs continue). But without her we have zero Division 1 experience in the post," Bolla said.

Freshman Rebecca Dew, a 6-3 center from New Zealand, and Sarah Ilic, a junior college transfer originally from Australia, will see lots of time in the paint.

"I think (Dew is) going to be a good player but it will take time for her to settle down and develop. She runs the floor better than anyone we've had," Bolla said.

Another freshman, Breanna Arbuckle, could play but is day-to-day after undergoing oral surgery.

"She's the most talented athletically, if she's available to play," Bolla said. "She was an honorable mention McDonald's All-American out of high school in Arizona, but she's finding this is a whole new level and she can't be the dominant person all the time anymore."

Center Katie Wilson and wing Allie Patterson are coming off redshirt seasons.

Keisha Kanekoa, Leilani Galdones and Megan Tinnin will be the starting guards. Dita Liepkalne and Ilic will start at the post positions.

Tinnin leads the team with 10.7 points per game and Kanekoa averages 9.7. Liepkalne averages a team-high eight rebounds per game.

But the Rainbow Wahine have shot just 33 percent (59 of 176) from the field and 57 percent (25 of 44) at the free-throw line.

"We're just not shooting the ball well right now," Bolla said, "but we're a young team and they're going to get better throughout the season."