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Friday, May 5, 2000

It’s show time
for Riley, UH
basketball

This month's appearance on a
'Baywatch Hawaii' episode is
expected to give the athletic
program a recruiting boost

By Pat Bigold
Star-Bulletin

The words are engraved on the brain of every player coached by Riley Wallace.

"Alright, guys, transition into G-game. Let's go!" Not exactly Emmy Award-winning dialogue.

But that's exactly what 5.7 billion viewers in 148 countries will hear in 41 languages when Wallace and his players make their network debut on "Baywatch Hawaii." The show will air locally May 13 at 5 p.m. on KHON-TV.

In a season that saw the basketball program shut out of national and regional game TV coverage, the exposure is considered invaluable by the athletic department.

Wallace has been teased by players, coaches and fans about his acting debut since the filming last Nov. 9. But he said he's grateful to "Baywatch Hawaii" executive producer Greg Bonnan and is hopeful the exposure will benefit recruiting.

Wallace, who played himself in the episode, did scenes inside the Stan Sheriff Center and at the Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex with "Baywatch" star Jason Brooks and Olympic hopeful swimmer Sabir Muhammad.

Muhammad plays a scholarship basketball player who asks Wallace to help him pursue his dream of swimming in the Olympics.

University officials said this is the first time that the school's athletic complex and a coach have been identified in a network series. The complex has been used in scenes shot for other network shows, but no person or facility has ever been identified.

Eleven Rainbow players, as well as associate head coach Bob Nash, and assistants Jackson Wheeler and Scott Rigot are also in the Stan Sheriff Center practice scene that introduces Wallace.

The camera moves in on the players as they work the ball around in a sequence that ends with Predrag Savovic two-handing a pass from the top of the key to Troy Ostler, who stuffs the ball.

Some of the players who assumed they would be just a backdrop were surprised to find out that they'll be easily recognizable in the show.

"I will be the first Lithuanian on 'Baywatch,' " said a grinning junior forward Nerijus Puida yesterday. "My parents will see it because it's a very popular show in my country."

But Puida said he was even more excited about the recognition the episode will bring to the Rainbows program.

"It will be a big advertisement for the school," he said.

Todd Fields, a 7-foot junior center also seen in the show, agreed.

"When we go on on the road next season, it will probably make people remember us," said Fields. "It's a whole lot of publicity for the program."

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UH Athletics
Ka Leo O Hawaii