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Wednesday, November 15, 2000
For Crum, it’s Paradise hasn't always been kind to Denny Crum and his Louisville Cardinals.
paradise found
The Louisville basketball coach
always looks forward to bringing
his team to play in HawaiiBy Dave Reardon
Star-BulletinMention Chaminade -- which Louisville lost to twice in the early 1980s -- at your own risk.
But Hawaii has grown on Crum.
Maybe it's because the Cardinals have won their past eight games here and are 16-8 overall in the islands.
Maybe it's because it's a great place to be in November.
"We always look forward to it," Crum said yesterday in a phone interview from Kentucky. "It's getting cold here, supposed to be down to 32 degrees tonight. When you can go to Hawaii and play basketball, there's no downside."
Crum, beginning his 30th season in a legendary career as the Cardinals' coach, was scheduled to arrive with his team and several hundred of its closest friends this afternoon.
Louisville plays Hawaii on Friday at the Stan Sheriff Center at 7:30 p.m. in the season-opener for both teams. Then the Cardinals leave Oahu for next week's Maui Classic.
"Playing Hawaii and the tournament will be good for us, win or lose," Crum said. "We've got a completely new front line. They've only played against other freshmen, so there's no way to judge how good they are. We need to find out where we stand."
Freshmen forwards Ellis Myles (6-8) and Luke Whitehead (6-7) shined in high school, but obviously are unproven in college. So is 6-8 junior center Hajj Turner, who averaged 1 point and less than 1 rebound per game last year.
Crum hopes Louisville's experience and talent at guard can help make up for the youth down low.
Sophomore Reece Gaines is 6-6. He averaged 9.1 points and 3.3 rebounds a year ago.
Senior Marques Maybin is the Cardinals' marquee player. He scored 14.7 a game in 1999-2000, and is a preseason All-Conference USA choice.
The Hawaii coaches mentioned Maybin's name numerous times yesterday at practice as the Rainbows worked on schemes to stop the Cardinals' top offensive threat.
Hawaii also takes on the mystique of a program that has won two NCAA championships and been to the Final Four six times with Crum as coach.
The only active collegiate coach in the Basketball Hall of Fame said none of that matters.
"We'll be at a disadvantage because of the time difference," Crum said.
Hawaii is a tough place in which to play, but Louisville has beaten Hawaii in two meetings -- both here. And two charter jets of fans are coming to support their beloved Cardinals this time.
"The last time we had four or five hundred (fans)," Crum said. "Our people love to travel. Especially this time of year."
TIP-INS:
Riley Wallace's next win will be his 200th at Hawaii. Denny Crum's next victory will be his 664th and will tie him with his mentor, John Wooden, for 14th on the all-time list. ... The mother of UH's Predrag Savovic is visiting from Yugoslavia. ... UH is tied for 64th in the first USA Today/ESPN coaches poll, with one point. Louisville is tied for 50th with six points. Neither team received votes in the latest Associated Press media poll. Louisville is 31st in the Sagarin computer rankings and Hawaii is 137th.
UH Athletics
Ka Leo O Hawaii