Wednesday, February 25, 1998
A pair of road victories
By Cindy Luis
would improve Hawaii's standing
with the NCAA
Star-BulletinThe last road trip?
The last two weeks of the season?
Their fate is in their own hands.
The University of Hawaii men's basketball team is not overlooking tomorrow's Western Athletic Conference game with San Jose State. Even though the Rainbows are overwhelming favorites.
Consider that:
The Spartans (2-22) are winless in 12 WAC games this season and have lost 17 straight;
So why is Hawaii coach Riley Wallace worried?
"I told our team they (the Spartans) are bound to win one," Wallace said. "Even though it might appear they have a better chance against San Diego State (Saturday), we've got to come to play every game from now on. They played us tough at our place (a 68-62 UH victory Jan. 31).
"It was a tough enough ballgame that our guys know they can't overlook them," Wallace added. "It's a better reminder than if we had blown them out by 25 or 30."
The win over the Spartans came two days after Wallace had surgery to clear a blocked artery. Wallace didn't look good that night, but the Rainbows looked worse in losing their next three games.
Hawaii has rebounded with three straight wins, including last Saturday's 72-62 victory over Tulsa. The Rainbows have their confidence back and are back on the NCAA Tournament selection bubble.
"Tulsa was a huge win to take on the road and get our momentum going again," Hawaii senior forward Micah Kroeger said. "We haven't been playing our best basketball, but we've been playing hard together. When you do that, you're going to win. We've been together, fought hard, and if we can continue to fight and improve, it will take us to another level."
Sweeping this road trip -- or at least getting a victory tomorrow and a having a good showing against Fresno -- would greatly enhance Hawaii's resume. Wallace turns in his team update information soon, a capsule that includes an injury update and explanations for losses.
The loss to Arkansas State? The Rainbows' leading scorer -- Alika Smith -- missed the game with a sprained toe.
The three consecutive WAC losses? Wallace was recuperating from heart surgery, Erin Galloway was weak with the flu and Eric Ambrozich reinjured his shoulder.
Unlike last year -- when 7-foot center Seth Sundberg was out and the Rainbows lost two late -- Hawaii is healthy and making a late surge. Plus, the Rainbows still have a decent RPI (No. 43). Only four other teams in the WAC are ahead of them: New Mexico (9), TCU (18), Wyoming (34) and Utah (35).
"No question we're still on the NCAA bubble," Wallace said. "They can't take those big wins away from us: Kansas, Nebraska, Indiana.
"You look at the blowout by TCU (126-84), but then you see what happened to UCLA at Duke and Stanford at Connecticut, when they basically made the flight that is equivalent of us going to the mainland," Wallace added. "Michigan blows out Indiana (112-64). Blowouts have become prevalent so our blowout is not an isolated case. I think we've got some ammo if we continue to win."
The Rainbows could be playing those "what if" games, thinking they should have beaten San Diego State twice and won the game at Tulsa (a 64-63 loss). Hawaii would then be 9-3 and battling Fresno State for second place in the Pacific Division on Saturday. Instead, UH will finish between third and sixth.
But like the TCU blowout, the should have-could have-would have games are behind the Rainbows.
What hasn't changed is the plan to make another trip after the WAC Tournament.
NOTES: San Jose State played Fresno State twice last week, losing 89-81 and 95-70. It was the first time this season the Spartans scored at least 70 points in consecutive games . . . San Diego State and New Mexico each lost one of their top players for the season after injuries last weekend. The Aztecs' leading scorer, senior Jason Richey, tore a calf muscle against Rice, and Lobos' leading 3-point shooter, senior guard Royce Olney, tore the ligament in his right knee in the defeat to TCU.
The way to San Jose
1997-98 Rainbow Men's Basketball Schedule
http://uhathletics.hawaii.edu
