Rainbows stack up in WAC But succeeding in the wacky Pacific Division won't be easy
Cindy Luis
Star-BulletinWild And Crazy. The rest of the country knows the WAC as the Western Athletic Conference. The coaches and players who compete in the largest league in the country know better.
On any given night, there is the potential for at least one upset in men's basketball. Altitude and attitude make for dangerous traveling companions in the far-flung conference that includes nine states in four time zones.
The team that is most affected by that travel - Hawaii - seems to have its easiest flight plan ever. This season, there is no potential for a Pit-fall at New Mexico, no long bus ride between Colorado State and Wyoming, and no Rick Majerus until the WAC Tournament.
The Pacific Division is anything but calm this season. But with the alignment of the quadrants, No. 21 Hawaii is sitting in the cockpit, controlling its NCAA destiny.
"My feeling is we've got to win a minimum of nine games (out of 14) to get an automatic (NCAA) berth," said Hawaii coach Riley Wallace, who this week takes his 11-1 team on the road for the first time this season. "People are saying that the Mountain Division is tougher, with Utah, New Mexico, Colorado State and UTEP. But you know no one wants to play Fresno, they don't want to play TCU and they don't want to play us.
"Tulsa's dangerous and can beat anyone on a given night. Rice scares you, the way they nearly beat Utah. TCU is very good, they just didn't play smart in altitude (losing at New Mexico on Monday, 98-77). But you can see the talent there. We have our work cut out for us."
A look at the Pacific Division, with current records in parenthesis:
Hawaii (11-1): The high expectations from the end of last season are being met by the Rainbows, who head to San Diego State for their WAC opener Saturday. They take along some impressive baggage - their first ranking in 24 years and the nationally touted senior guard tandem of Alika Smith and Anthony Carter.
Carter, an honorable mention All-American as a junior, is on his way to first-team status as a John Wooden Award finalist. He is third in the nation in assists.
Smith, the Rainbows' scoring leader (18.0 points per game), is also being touted for All-America honors. The Kalaheo High School product is Hawaii's best pure shooter. The Rainbows' lone loss - to Arkansas State - came when Smith was sidelined with a sprained toe.
Hawaii's senior class is also loaded with capable role players in Eric Ambrozich, Micah Kroeger and Mike Robinson. Ambrozich leads the team in rebounds and loose-ball recoveries.
Juniors Erin Galloway, a forward, Brian Moeller, a center, and Casey Cartwright and Chad Hook, both guards, allow for a good rotation off the bench. All have had quality minutes, with the 6-8 Galloway drawing national attention for his monster block on 7-foot Eric Chenowith of Kansas.
Hawaii wins: If the front line stays out of foul trouble and Carter and Smith continue their outstanding and unselfish play.
Hawaii loses: If injuries catch up with the Rainbows. All five starters are nursing various aches and pains.
SMU's lone loss was a nonconference game with UTEP, an emotional night for the Miners, who gave coach Don Haskins his 700th career win, 66-64. It was only the second road game for the Mustangs, who spent the nonconference season in Dallas, beating up on the likes of Prairie View A&M and Harvard.
Coach Mike Dement has the Mustangs off to their best start in 10 years, boosted by what he called SMU's best recruiting class. Of SMU's three local freshman - Willie Davis, Chad Elsey and Jeryl Sasser - the 6-6 Sasser has had the biggest impact, leading the team in rebounds and assists.
SMU wins: If the Mustangs continue to play team ball and stay home, where attendance is up 60 percent.
SMU loses: If its young players show their age and get outmuscled under the boards.
Their run-and-gun style was shot down at New Mexico, 98-77, Monday. The Frogs are the highest-scoring team in the country, but were held to their lowest output of the season by the Lobos.
Billy Tubbs returns four starters from the 23-13 team that was eliminated in the second round of the NIT. Transfer Lee Nailon has ably filled the void left by center Damon Walker's transfer to New Mexico. The junior forward leads the WAC in scoring at 24.8.
Senior guard Mike Jones, second in the WAC in scoring (22.9 ppg) and first in steals, has the added experience of being on the U.S. 22-Under Team that competed in the World Championships. The three-guard offense is deep in talent with seniors Malcom Johnson (17.7 ppg) and point Prince Fowler (6.5 apg).
TCU leads the WAC in rebounding and a lot of those are offensive boards off missed shots. The Frogs are last in scoring defense, giving up more than 80 points a game.
Tough at home, TCU saw its 30-game nonconference home winning streak snapped by Oklahoma State.
TCU wins: If Jones & Co. can outrun the opposition and get quick transition baskets.
TCU losses: If it shows little patience and discipline when working out of a set offense, especially on the road.
Bill Self takes over the program from Steve Robinson (Florida State), but it might take a while for Self to get Tulsa back into the Top 25 . The departure of All-American Shea Seals and big man Rafael Maldonado left the Hurricane with no returning starters who averaged in double figures in points last season.
The best of the returnees are senior guard Rod Thompson (16.1 ppg this year) and senior forward Michael Ruffin (10.1 rpg). Ruffin holds the school record for blocked shots. He has 40 in 15 games this season.
Tulsa signed four outstanding freshmen, which bodes well for the future. But the present could be iffy.
Tulsa wins: If Ruffin can dominate the inside without getting into foul trouble and Thompson gets open for the shots he likes.
Tulsa losses: If the outside shooting goes cold (5-for-29 from 3-point range against BYU).
On paper, Jerry Tarkanian has the best team in the WAC. The problem has been keeping that talent on the court. Fresno players have run into legal and academic problems early this season.
Guard Chris Herren withdrew from school, entered a rehab program, and returned in time to score 11 points the 112-66 win over Hawaii-Hilo on Saturday. Seven Bulldogs scored in double figures against the Vulcans, with 44 of those points coming from players who sat out last season after transferring: Winfred Walton (Syracuse), Avondre Jones (Southern California) and Tremaine Fowlkes (California).
The most obvious holes on last year's 20-12 Fresno State team were at center and point guard. Dominick Young hit some key 3-pointers, but was unreliable at the point. Jones (6-11), the career block leader for the Trojans, and the 6-8 Fowlkes, the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year in 1996, should provide big-time help for senior forward Daymond Forney, the Bulldogs' leading rebounder last season.
Fresno State wins: If Tarkanian can keep his team on the court and out of court.
Fresno State loses: If egos get in the way of playing ball.
This could easily be coach Fred Trenkle's last year. His worries include having just seven scholarship players, and his son, Brady, who was penciled in as a starting guard, is fighting a serious heart viral infection.
Junior transfers Josko Visnjic and Matt Watts have provided immediate help. Visnjic scored 21 points and Watts 16 in Monday's nonconference win at Air Force. The Aztecs nearly blew a 22-point lead before holding on for an 84-81 win over the injury-plagued Falcons.
Senior guard Jason Richey leads the team in scoring for a second season (16.4), and senior forward Kevin Betts has found rebounding help from 6-10 freshman Marcelo Correa.
The Aztecs ended last year with six straight conference losses and continued their WAC losing string Saturday by dropping a 77-57 game at Tulsa.
San Diego State wins: When it plays San Jose State, and maybe Rice, at home.
San Diego State loses: When it plays anybody else.
Returning starters Jarvis Kelley Sanni (15.4 ppg), a 6-9 forward, and senior guard Bobby Crawford (15.2 ppg) have been the mainstays this season. But there has been little support from a roster full of freshmen and sophomores. Sophomore center Alex Bougaieff has shown promise, but not on a consistent basis, and junior forward T.J. Armstrong had perhaps his best showing (16 points) against Utah.
Rice could be the wild card in the division, with the potential for upsetting the power balance. The Owls took UNLV to overtime in last year's WAC Tournament opener and nearly beat the Utes last week, falling 73-65.
Rice wins: If the shots keep falling for Crawford and Armstrong, and Kelley Sanni stays strong on the boards.
Rice loses: If the Owls can't slow the pace of a game early - they average 61.2 points while giving up 66.6.
That might not happen again. When forward Olivier Saint-Jean left early for the pros, he didn't leave much behind.
The Spartans' offense IS senior guard Marmet Williams, the only returning starter and only player left from San Jose State's 1996 NCAA Tournament team. Williams leads the team in scoring, assists and rebounds.
San Jose State wins: If Williams gets any kind of help from his teammates, particularly some 3-point shooting from guard Michael Quinney.
San Jose State loses: If it can't shoot better than 34 percent from the field.
http://uhathletics.hawaii.edu
