It's such an obvious choice, right?

Jackson Wheeler.

Yes, UH assistant coach Jackson Wheeler.

Why? Because he successfully recruited Anthony Carter.

For a team that stressed teamwork over and over again, it was one main man who made the difference on the court: A.C.

That's the nice thing about college basketball - one player can make a huge impact. Never was it more evident than this season.

Without Carter, this simply would have been another .500 Hawaii team.

The junior transfer did it all. He ran the offense, he scored inside and out, he played great defense and made steal after steal.

His clutch performances were amazing - especially on the road. And Carter was rarely tired - even when he had so many reasons to be gassed after so many high-pressure minutes.

Perhaps most important, though, was how he made the other starters so much better. Especially fellow guard Alika Smith.

Suddenly, Smith was getting passes right at his chest instead of at his ankles. And the lefty-righty guard combination especially clicked on the fast break, which Carter ran as well as anyone in the nation.

Carter also managed to be the star of the team without acting like it. He continually involved the other players, physically and mentally, which is a rare trait these days.

Carter certainly deserved to be the Pacific Division MVP and should be seriously considered for All-American.

Riley Wallace and his coaching staff also did an outstanding job - especially after the team lost three players to suspension and Seth Sundberg to injury.

Wallace was certainly the correct choice for Pacific Division coach of the year.

It was absolutely unbelievable that the Rainbows won at Wyoming and Colorado State without their starting center - and after a scary team bus crash.

Wallace kept the team up throughout it all, even after getting pounded by New Mexico and Fresno State.

On the court, he had the sense to abandon the macho man-to-man defense and go to a zone more often - and it paid off right through the final regular-season victory over San Jose State.

Wallace's players were unselfish - and they had the thick skin to take his old-fashioned temper outbursts at practice and during the games.

While Carter and Smith were the keys on offense and defense, a few others deserve credit.

Micah Kroeger played bigger than he is most of the time and Danny Furlong did a nice job off the bench after Sundberg went down.

Michael Robinson and Eric Ambrozich struggled down the stretch, but each had some good minutes earlier in the season. Plus, they were often playing out of their regular forward positions while filling in for Sundberg.

The fans finally came out for the last two home games and showed what they could do. During the opening minutes of the Fresno State game Thursday night, the Special Events Arena was as loud as any I have ever heard, including such places as Selland Arena in Fresno, The Pit in Albuquerque and even the hallowed Phog Allen Field House in Kansas.

Overall, though, the support was lousy and late for such an exciting home team.

Assistant coach Jeff Law did an excellent scouting job game after game and Bob Nash provided the cool and calmness to balance Wallace's bluster.

Here's an unsung hero this season: administrative assistant Len Scaduto, who knows the game of basketball as well as anyone in the country. Art Woolaway also provided inspiration.

Unlike the up-and-down fans, the UH cheerleaders, band and Rainbows Dancers were great all season. People don't realize how much time and hard work the members and coaches of these squads put in to prepare for the games.

Still, it goes back to my MVP choice, Jackson Wheeler. How many teams would love to have Carter coming back right now?

Now the heat is on Wheeler once again. He has to come up with a good big man to replace Sundberg. This year's high-profile team should make it easier for him to recruit a good post player or two.

It looks like this year's UH team will be rewarded with postseason tournament play, most likely the the NIT, which is nothing to be ashamed of after being picked by the so-called experts to finish fifth in the division instead of tied for first.

And with four starters coming back next season, an NCAA tournament appearance could be a reality, instead of a distant dream.