Ever since the University of Hawaii men's basketball team beat the Rebels last week, when a last-second UNLV shot rolled out, the roof has caved in.
First, 7-foot-1 center Seth Sundberg went down with a lacerated spleen and is probably out for the season. He remains in The Queen's Medical Center today, although surgery is now unlikely.
Dr. Andrew Nichols, UH team physician, said Sundberg cannot participate in any contact sports for six to eight weeks.
Then the charter bus taking the team from Denver to Laramie for UH's game against Wyoming crashed into a car Tuesday night.
The bus was traveling north on Interstate 25 approximately 45 miles from Laramie when it rear-ended a sedan and skidded about 100 yards while taking out two road signs. No one from the team was injured, although broken glass sprayed the fronts rows.
"It was scary," UH coach Riley Wallace said yesterday. "We stopped just short of hitting a big transformer and they had to use wire cutters to get us out."
To top it off, junior forward Michael Robinson had a 103-degree fever yesterday afternoon and was unable to practice with the team. It was aggravated by the long wait in the 10-degree weather after the bus crash.
"We didn't get in until 4 a.m. and we were due at 11-something," Wallace said. "We're not sure on Robinson right now. We're taking him to the doctor."
Wallace was planning to start Robinson in place of Sundberg, but will now go with senior center Danny Furlong, along with Anthony Carter and Alika Smith at guards, and Micah Kroeger and Eric Ambrozich at forwards.
"I'll have to bring Robinson in off the bench because he'll be weak," Wallace said. "But at least Danny has started before."
The latest bizarre incidents - along with the suspension of three players last week - couldn't have come at a worse time for the Rainbows, who are 16-4 overall and 8-2 in the WAC.
UH is tied with Fresno State for first place in the Pacific Division and is still hoping for an NCAA or NIT postseason bid. The Rainbows play at Colorado State on Saturday before returning home.
"We're basically down to 61/2 scholarship players," Wallace said. "And this trip is where you need depth the most.
"But this is a different bunch of guys. They don't let anything bother them. We had a real good practice today - their spirits were good."
Wyoming (10-11 overall, 6-4 in the WAC) will be tough, even without the pregame setbacks for UH. The Cowboys are 6-1 at home and have won two straight games.
They lost the WAC's leading scorer, LaDrell Whitehead, to a dislocated elbow - which he suffered in a 70-58 loss at Hawaii on Jan. 18. But the rest of the Cowboys have stepped up.
Jeron Roberts, a 6-3, 206-pound guard, replaced Whitehead and is averaging 15.7 points per game. Gregg Sawyer, a 6-2, 174-pound junior guard, is averaging 11.9 points per game and 6-7, 200-pound senior forward HL Coleman is averaging 13.8 points and 9.9 rebounds per game.
The two other starters are 6-0, 165-pound point guard Andy Young and 6-8, 245-pound center Derek Washington.
"They'll be tough," Wallace said. "But we'll be ready to go."
When: 4 p.m. today.