The NCAA selection committee had other travel plans, however, when announcing its tournament bids yesterday. Hawaii (21-8) was again shipped off to the Heartbreak Hotel after only two WAC teams were invited to the 64-team postseason tournament.
"We're very disappointed for a number of reasons," Wahine coach Vince Goo saidyesterday. "We felt we would get in if the WAC got more than two teams. What can we do when they take only two?
"And what does it say when San Diego State, which won our conference tournament, gets shipped out (to Tennessee) as an 11th seed. What's up with that?"
It would be an interesting question to ask WAC deputy commissioner Margie McDonald, a member of the NCAA selection committee. Last year, the eight-team WAC placed two teams into the tournament; the WAC expanded to 16 teams this season and still got just two tourney bids.
Goo again questioned the bias toward some of the big-name conferences, with the SEC getting five of 12 teams selected and the Pac-10 getting five. Washington (17-10), he pointed out, is not a 20-win team.
"I thought the WAC had six legitimate teams," said Goo. "Besides Utah and San Diego State, I thought SMU, Rice, Colorado State and our team belonged. It would have been nice to go two years in a row."
Two consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament has happened only once for Hawaii, in 1989 and '90. Last season, the
Wahine earned their berth as the Big West Tournament champion, falling to Auburn in the first round.
Hawaii marked a number of milestones in its first year in the WAC. The Wahine compiled their seventh 20-win season in Goo's 10 years, set a single-game attendance record (3,679) as well as gave their coach his 200th career win last week with the WAC Tournament quarterfinal win over Rice.
Hawaii was the only WAC team to defeat San Diego State and only one of two teams all season to win at The Pit, New Mexico's infamous home arena. The Wahine overcame an early-season slide to win 17 of 18 games and were in contention for the WAC's Pacific Division title until the last two weeks of the season.
Raylene Howard became the third Hawaii player in five years named as the conference Freshman of the Year. Senior center Kendis Leeburg finished her career as a member of the All-WAC and All-WAC Tournament teams and ranks in the UH career top 10 in five categories, including No. 3 in points (1,266) and eighth in rebounds (539).
Hawaii will lose Leeburg and guard Tiffany Fujimoto to graduation and expect to return its remaining 10 players, including All-American candidate Nani Cockett. Cockett will lead a strong senior class next season that includes guards Liisa Kotilainen and Michelle Macintyre and forwards Brandy Ashby and Destree Wautlet.
Returning for her junior season will be All-WAC guard BJ Itoman. First-year players expected back are guards Maj Forsberg and Kyla Evers and forwards Howard and Hedy Liu.
Wahine fans will also see 6-foot guard Kylie Page, a redshirt transfer from San Jose State where she was the 1995-96 Big West Freshman of the Year. Hawaii has signed two 5-11 wing players from Washington state -- incoming freshmen Crystal Lee and Kerena Greeny.
Goo has four scholarships to give and is looking at a post player from New Zealand. He and his assistants will also be at two junior college tournaments next week on the mainland.
"I like our recruits," said Goo. "Our concern is at the post. And we've been looking for another center to back up Kendis for the past three years and haven't found one yet. It will be hard to replace the leadership and heart of Kendis and Tiffany."
It will be up to Cockett and Itoman to run the team next year.
"I'm disappointed we didn't get picked but we still had a good season," said Itoman. "I'm happy with what we accomplished our first year in the WAC and it was good to see all the fans in Las Vegas supporting us.
"We lose two good players and it will especially be tough to replace Kendis in the post. But I feel really good about next season."
The Wahine can only hope it will come with a happier ending.