Bigger than Kansas?Hawaii hosts Texas Christian tonight in a crucial WAC game
By Cindy Luis
Star-BulletinKansas was huge. Texas Christian is humongous.
If No. 24 Hawaii wants to prove it's a Western Athletic Conference title contender, tonight's nationally televised game against its Pacific Division rival is a good time to do it.
The Horned Frogs are 3-0 in the WAC. They dropped out of the polls last month after their 94-78 loss at Kansas on Dec. 20.
"If I can stay up that late, I'll be watching," said Southern Methodist coach Mike Dement, whose Mustangs fell to Hawaii, 77-68, Saturday night at the Stan Sheriff Center. "It's going to be a fun game for everybody here to see because the guards are great. Hawaii's (Anthony) Carter and (Alika) Smith are great; TCU's (Malcom) Johnson and (Mike) Jones are great.
"No question that Hawaii and TCU are the two elite teams in our division. It's a big game for Hawaii because they (the Horned Frogs) are coming to you and it's the one you've got to win at home."
TCU already has won on the road, blasting San Diego State on Saturday, 105-61. The highest scoring team in the country (102.3 points per game) did it with one starter suspended and another being disciplined.
Leading scorer Lee Nailon, a 6-foot-9 junior center, was sitting out a one-game suspension after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor assault charge for hitting his girlfriend in a Jan. 6 dispute. Junior guard Prince Fowler didn't start after he was late for a team meeting before the game. He came off the bench to score nine points and had a team-high seven assists.
Both are expected to be back tonight, along with Jones and Johnson, who combined for 57 points against San Diego State.
Hawaii's guards put up similar numbers Saturday, with Smith scoring 25 points and Carter 22. The pair also accounted for 13 of the team's 20 assists and four of UH's six free throws in the final 75 seconds as it held off SMU.
The Rainbows, who committed 19 turnovers, can't afford to be that sloppy against TCU and its unrelenting full-court press. The Frogs lead the WAC in turnover margin (-5.9) and steals (11.9 per game).
During yesterday's practice, Hawaii spent considerable time on breaking the press. The five-man offense worked against a seven-man swarming defense.
"We have to be ready for TCU," Carter said. "The turnovers Saturday were frustrating and we can't have that (tonight). I think we'll do pretty good against their press. We need to give our big guys easy passes and get them to catch the ball."
The inside game will be critical. TCU's front line outweighs Hawaii's by some 30 pounds per player.
"I'm not concerned about it because it's been like that against everyone we've played," Rainbow coach Riley Wallace said. "TCU will be tough. They're as good as anyone we've played. To beat (TCU coach) Billy Tubbs is an accomplishment because he always has his team ready to go. What we have to do is play defense and not let them dictate the tempo of the game."
Junior center Erin Galloway, who had a career-high 12 rebounds against SMU, will again start instead of senior Mike Robinson. Robinson sprained his right index finger Saturday, but is expected to play tonight.
"We've got to make sure we block out and rebound," said Rainbow senior forward Eric Ambrozich, noting that TCU leads the WAC in rebounding (46 per game). "If we don't rebound with them, we don't have a chance. If we rebound with them, we'll be right there. It's going to take everything that everyone's got, but we can do it. We've got to play our game and not get caught up in theirs."
Rainbow basketball
Tonight: Texas Christian (14-4, 3-0) at No. 24 Hawaii (12-2, 1-1), 7:07 p.m.
