Rainbows must LAS VEGAS >> Call it the City of Distractions.
block out Vegas
distractions
There's plenty to keep Hawaii
from focusing on its NIT gameBy Jason Kaneshiro
jkaneshiro@starbulletin.comAs if the neon blazing along the Strip or the allure of the Las Vegas nightlife weren't enough, there's the inescapable talk of impending war overseas.
Somewhere in the midst of it all, the Hawaii basketball team is trying to focus on a game. Namely, its National Invitation Tournament matchup with Nevada-Las Vegas tonight at the Thomas & Mack Center.
"There's no distractions," UH forward Phil Martin said. "Everybody keeps each other on track and coach instills that one-track mind in us anyway."
About a mile away from the glitzy New York, New York resort, UH will begin its trek to the real Big Apple against the host Runnin' Rebels in a nationally televised contest on ESPN2. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. (Hawaii time).
The winner advances to a second-round game against either Minnesota or Saint Louis next week.
Whether the Rainbows (18-10) can keep their season alive will depend on how they bounce back from a dizzying 48-hour span in which they flew from Tulsa, Okla., to Honolulu on Sunday and hopped a flight to Las Vegas the following day.
The road wear was evident during yesterday's practice at the Thomas & Mack Center. It was the team's first workout since last Friday's loss to Tulsa in the semifinals of the Western Athletic Conference tournament.
"They looked like they had just traveled 10,000 miles or whatever it was," UH coach Riley Wallace said.
They arrived in a town that hasn't been particularly kind to UH over the years. Hawaii is 1-8 against the Rebels in Las Vegas, the lone win coming in February 1997 when UNLV was still a member of the WAC.
Wallace's last trip here in September was a harrowing one as well. He underwent surgery to remove two subdural hematomas, leaving him with scars on his scalp.
"I haven't thought about it," Wallace said. "It's all over and I feel good so I'm not concerned about it other than when I see myself on TV and see the holes."
History aside, the Rainbows enter tonight's game in search of more firepower on offense. In Hawaii's 66-56 loss to Tulsa, Martin and guard Carl English accounted for all but 10 of the team's points.
English is coming off a 33-point performance against Tulsa, while Martin is averaging 15.6 points over the last 10 games.
Michael Kuebler has struggled with his shot of late, scoring seven points in Hawaii's last two games. Junior guard Jason Carter practiced for the first time since suffering a knee injury against UTEP on March 8 and could be ready to contribute off the bench. Wallace said junior forward Vaidotas Peciukas will also see more minutes.
The Rainbows will face a UNLV squad still rubbing away the sting of a 62-61 loss to Colorado State in the Mountain West Conference tournament championship game on their home floor last Saturday.
UNLV (21-10) appeared ready to claim an NCAA Tournament berth before Colorado State went on a 14-3 run to end the game. UNLV didn't score in the final 4:16 of the contest.
"They're worried that they'll be down a little bit, so we have to make sure we hit them early and get after them," Wallace said.
But UNLV, under veteran coach Charlie Spoonhour, remains an explosive club.
UNLV posted the top scoring offense in the MWC at 75.6 points per game. Senior guard Marcus Banks sparks the Rebels on both ends of the floor with 20.2 points and an MWC-best 2.84 steals per contest.
Rebels forward Dalron Johnson (6-foot-10) provides offensive punch inside with 15.4 points and 6.4 rebounds.
The Rainbows expect the Rebels will try to test their legs by turning up the pace of the game.
"We worked on our transition defense and we have to get down the floor," Martin said. "We just have to help each other out."
The NIT got into full swing yesterday, and the NCAA Tournament will go on as scheduled even if war breaks out in the Middle East. Wallace said the Rainbows haven't discussed the subject as a team, but said the games will help maintain normalcy for the country.
"They had said some of our military guys were concerned that they might not get to see the games, and they wanted us to continue to be normal here," Wallace said.
Short shots: While Carter's return could bolster the UH rotation, the Rainbows' scout team took a hit when senior guard Lance Takaki sprained his ankle early in yesterday's practice. Takaki is closing out a four-year career at UH, during which he's become a leader of the Lizards, as the scout team is known. ... UH and UNLV are appearing in the NIT for the seventh time each. Hawaii is 7-6 while UNLV is 7-7 in NIT play. ... The Rebels are 274-50 in 20 seasons at the Thomas & Mack Center (capacity 18,500).
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