Thursday, March 5, 1998

Sifting through
the ‘ifs’

Despite Tuesday's defeat,
Wallace says UH belongs in the
NCAA Tournament

By Cindy Luis
Star-Bulletin

LAS VEGAS -- Who needs a VCR when you have instant replay rewinding through your mind all night long?

Such is a coach's mental state after a tough loss. Such was the case for Riley Wallace yesterday. He woke to the sobering reality that his basketball team's NCAA Tournament hopes could not be rewound.

No matter how many times he replayed Tuesday's 64-59 Western Athletic Conference Tournament loss to UNLV in his mind, the Hawaii men's coach couldn't splice in enough points to change the outcome.

"I couldn't sleep at all," he said yesterday after sending his players back to Hawaii much earlier than expected. "I could get it to 64-63, but never could get us ahead at 65-64. You keep going back to certain plays, all the ifs.

"If (Micah) Kroeger had shot it instead of trying to triple fake. If (Erin) Galloway didn't try to dribble through their defense and the ball gets stripped. If AC (Anthony Carter) doesn't have his back go out. It was just one of those nights."

Wallace revisited the scene of the crime yesterday afternoon, only to have a flashback at the Thomas & Mack Center. Less than 24 hours after the Rainbows likely played themselves into the NIT, Wallace watched as the No. 16 Wahine played themselves into an NCAA Tournament road trip with a 79-65 loss to New Mexico.

Wallace commiserated with Wahine coach Vince Goo, then went looking for some consolation of his own. Whether his pleas to WAC commissioner Karl Benson did any good, Wallace -- and the Rainbows -- will find out on Sunday.

"I still believe that we're the fourth team in the WAC, if the NCAA takes four teams," Wallace said. "That is, unless someone like Tulsa gets to the tournament and pushes us out.

"The NCAA has never taken four teams, but the league this year is the best it's ever been from top to bottom. Plus, the Big Ten is down again, the Big East is weak again. The NCAA has to look somewhere else."

If the national media gurus are right, the NCAA will look past Hawaii, despite its strong preseason record, big wins over Kansas, Nebraska and Fresno State, and a top-50 RPI.

Tuesday, faxes went out to members of the selection committee, pleading UH's case. That didn't keep the then 20-7 team from an NIT fate last season, and Wallace doesn't know if a 19-8 record with quality wins will change anything.

New Mexico athletic director Rudy Davalos is on the committee.

"I chewed him out last summer over us not getting in last year," Wallace said. "Our team deserved to go last year and we especially deserve to go this year.

"These kids have fought through so much adversity, fought through injuries and brought basketball back to the streets of Hawaii, blowing away all the attendance records in the dome. No matter what happens, we've had a great year."

The UH season will continue somewhere next week, either in the NCAAs for the first time since 1994, or the NIT for a second straight year. The Rainbows will know Sunday afternoon.

"I have a feeling," Wallace said. "It's not a good one, but I have a feeling, which means it's not dead in my mind.

"I told the guys we're still going for four letters (NCAA), but if we don't, the goal is to get to Madison Square Garden (site of the NIT final four). I think we'll get two (NIT) games at home. Win another on the road and we'll be in Madison Square Garden. That would be a thrill."

This season has put much into perspective for the 56-year-old Wallace. He has changed his lifestyle following an angioplasty in late January, eating healthier, exercising more and thinking more about himself.

"I'm going to take my break after this season, but am I stepping down? Hell no," Wallace said. "I'm a coach and that's all I know how to do. I love the game. It's my life.

"Am I stepping somewhere else? There hasn't been any calls. The only thing that would get me out of Hawaii is more money. I've got a good contract now, but I know because of the down Hawaii economy there's no way to get any more there."

Rainbow rewind

Some of the numbers that haunted Hawaii in Tuesday's loss to UNLV:

No freebies: Hawaii attempted only 10 free throws, making seven, and couldn't take advantage of UNLV's futility from the line (12-for-23).
Beaten on the boards: UNLV outrebounded Hawaii, 38-31.
Carter's aching back: Anthony Carter was only 3-for-11 from the field (0-for-4 on 3-pointers) while playing only 32 minutes with a bad back.
Treys go astray: UH was only 4-for-18 from long range.
Foul play: Four UH players were saddled with four fouls apiece. No UNLV player had more than three fouls.

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1997-98 Rainbow Men's Basketball Schedule

http://uhathletics.hawaii.edu