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Wednesday, January 31, 2001
Hawaii basketball coach Riley Wallace said Fresno State doesn't deserve its No. 19 national ranking. Hawaii has its hands
full with No. 19
Fresno StateRealAudio: 'Net broadcast Click Here
By Dave Reardon
Star-Bulletin"They're probably better," Wallace said. "That win over UTEP has got to scare you."
The Bulldogs (17-2, 8-0 WAC) blew the Miners out of their own gym, 108-56, last Saturday. It broke the all-time conference record for lopsidedness in a league game -- and UTEP is one of the WAC's better teams.
The Rainbows (8-10, 2-5), coming off road losses at Rice and Tulsa, host the Bulldogs tomorrow. Tip-off is 7 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center.
FSU has the statistical advantage in almost every area. If UH is to have a chance, it must win the post matchup of Hawaii's Troy Ostler and Fresno's Melvin Ely.
Ostler (6-foot-10, 215 pounds) has played well on offense lately, scoring 27 against Rice. But besides some timely shot blocking, his defense has been wanting.
"Troy needs to get more aggressive and strong in his post defense," Wallace said.
Ely (6-10, 256), projected by some as an NBA lottery pick, has become a go-to player. He averages 15.2 points and a team-leading 7.7 rebounds per game.
"Last year he was good, but now he's extended his shooting range," Ostler said.
Wallace was pleased with yesterday's practice, complimenting players much more than you might expect in the first workout after two consecutive losses.
"It was very good. We put in some new stuff," he said.
Still, beating FSU is a daunting task.
The Bulldogs' 13-game winning streak is tied for the longest in school history. FSU has not lost since point guard Tito Maddox joined the team 11 games ago.
Hawaii has not beaten Fresno State in the teams' last six meetings, including last season's WAC Tournament semifinal. FSU won, 103-100, in double-overtime.
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Ka Leo O Hawaii
