The WAC crown and
an NCAA Tournament bid are
on the line as Hawaii battles Fresno State
By Mike FitzgeraldStar-Bulletin
Fresno State head coach Jerry Tarkanian told Hawaii guard Anthony Carter what a great season he has had.
Then UH head coach Riley Wallace chatted with Tarkanian.
Each coach tossed verbal bouquets to each other yesterday afternoon.
Tarkanian: "Hawaii winning at Wyoming and Colorado State is one of the biggest sports stories of the year. And they have a great pair of guards. Carter just does everything. He's such a good passer, he's unselfish - he's a big-time player."
Wallace: "They're loaded from top to bottom. You wouldn't be able to sleep at night if you worried about them. They're an NCAA tournament team as far as talent goes."
You can stuff the flowers in the trash once they tip it up tonight, though.
This is a huge showdown for both teams - and a sellout crowd of 10,225 will see both teams surging with intensity from wire-to-wire.
Hawaii is 19-5 overall and 11-3 in the WAC. The Rainbows are clinging to a one-game lead in the Pacific Division over Fresno State (18-10, 10-4).
But the Bulldogs beat the Rainbows, 80-74, in Fresno on Feb. 1, so they would have the tiebreaker if both teams finish at 12-4 in the conference.
Hawaii ends its regular season at home against San Jose State Saturday night, while Fresno State travels to San Diego State for its finale, also Saturday.
"We have to play a good basketball game against a good team," Tarkanian said. "We haven't shot the ball well on the road.
"We're capable of doing it. But the last time we really played well on the road was Dec. 14 when we won at UMass."
Fresno State is expected to start: 6-8, 220-pound Daymond Forney (13.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per game) and 6-5, 210-pound Darnell McCulloch (5.8 points and 5.1 rebounds) at forwards, and 6-10, 235-pound Rahsaan Smith (8.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game) at center.
The guards are 5-10, 170-pound Dominick Young (14.1 points and a WAC-leading 6.6 assists per game) and 6-5, 200-pound Kendric Brooks (10.9 points and 2.9 rebounds).
Off the Bulldogs bench is: 6-3, 190-pound guard Chris Herren (15.6 points and 4.5 assists per game); 6-7, 210-pound forward Terrance Roberson (9.7 points and 4.8 rebounds); 6-10, 285-pound center Khary Stanley (3.7 points and 4.2 rebounds) and 6-7, 210-pound forward Danyell Macklin (3.7 points and 4.7 rebounds).
"Dominick (Young) and Herren are a good guard tandem just like we have," Wallace said. "Brooks can get off on you - he's a good shooter. And their big guys have played well all year."
Hawaii will counter with a smaller lineup, especially without 7-1 senior center Seth Sundberg, who is out with a lacerated spleen.
The 6-2, 185-pound Carter (21.1 points and 6.6 assists per game) and 6-2, 185-pound Alika Smith (17.0 points and 3.8 assists) will be at the guards, with 6-6, 205-pound Micah Kroeger (11.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per game) and 6-8, 230-pound Michael Robinson (6.9 points and 5.5 rebounds) at forwards.
Eric Ambrozich, a 6-8, 195-pounder, has moved over from forward to center and is averaging 7.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Danny Furlong, a 6-11, 235-pounder will also come in at center.
"We've got to (run our) transition and our interior defense has to be good," said Wallace. "And we have to stay out of foul trouble."
Fresno State is averaging 81.4 points per game (second in the WAC), while giving up 76.0. Hawaii is scoring 75.1 points per game and allowing 67.2.
Both coaches agreed that a key factor might be the battle of the boards.
The Rainbows are grabbing 37.0 rebounds per game, while opponents are averaging 31.6. The Bulldogs are getting outrebounded 41.5 to 37.9 per game.
"We've been horrible (rebounding) all year," Tarkanian said. "We've been outrebounded almost every game."
"The games that we've rebounded well, we've won," Wallace said.
Finally, Wallace hopes the full arena will make the big difference in the big game.
"The guys have played before big crowds, so that won't be a problem," he said. "I just hope it's the game everybody is expecting."
To keep his mouth moist, Fresno State coach Jerry Tarkanian chews on a standard 20"x40" white towel that is watered down to make it moist and folded into sixteenths.He started this practice as a high school coach in California in 1960 and his team won the league championship game that day, he stuck with what works.
Actually, two towels are used by Tark: a wet one is for chewing, and a dry one is placed on the floor to keep the wet one from getting dirty.
Tickets: Sold out