RAINBOW WARRIOR BASKETBALL
UH runs into hot NMSU in Las Cruces
The Aggies beat the 'Bows in the WAC tourney last season
So much for easing into the new year.
For the Hawaii basketball team, the first week of 2007 brings with it the start of its Western Athletic Conference run, beginning with a road game against a team expected to contend for the league championship.
New Mexico State enters tomorrow's WAC opener with the Rainbow Warriors on a nine-game winning streak, undefeated at the Pan American Center and as the highest scoring team in the conference.
"They're a very good team," UH senior Matt Lojeski said. "We're going to have to go in there and play real well, we'll have to handle pressure, handle the crowd, everything like that."
HAWAII AT NEW MEXICO STATE
When: Tomorrow, 4:05 p.m.
Where: Pan American Center
TV: None
Pay-Per-View: wac.tv
Radio: 1420-AM
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The Rainbows (9-4) and Aggies (10-3) tip off the WAC season at 4:05 p.m., Hawaii time.
A 5-1 homestand sent Hawaii into the Western Athletic Conference season with needed doses of momentum and confidence ... and a bit of a head start.
With classes out for the winter break, the Rainbows departed Honolulu on Monday morning, giving them a couple of days to acclimate in Las Cruces before tomorrow's game. New Mexico State, meanwhile, was in Chicago on New Year's Day, picking up an 88-78 nonconference win over Chicago State.
The Rainbows' steadily improving execution helped them build their current five-game winning streak and will be critical as they encounter defenses familiar with their schemes in conference play.
"Now the second and third options of your offense come into play, because they'll play your first stuff," Hawaii coach Riley Wallace said.
The Rainbows and Aggies last
The Rainbows and Aggies last met in the quarterfinals of the WAC tournament last March in Reno, Nev., with NMSU hanging on for a 58-57 win to end Hawaii's season.
Although NMSU returned four starters off last year's 16-14 team, the Aggies have a decidedly different look. Four Division I transfers who sat out last season are now eligible, adding firepower to a team that leads the WAC in scoring with 84 points per game and hasn't lost since starting 1-3.
Forward Justin Hawkins, a transfer from Utah, leads the Aggies with 17.5 points and eight rebounds per game. Guard Fred Peete (Kansas State) was voted the WAC's preseason newcomer of the year and averages 10.3 points and 3.4 assists. Center Hatila Passos was the MVP of the NJCAA National Tournament last year.
NMSU's additions have given the Aggies enough depth that their top two players last year -- guard Elijah Ingram (10.3 ppg this season) and forward Tyrone Nelson (11 ppg) -- now come off the bench.
The Aggies' starting front line of Hawkins (6-7), Passos (6-9) and David Fisher (6-6) along with the athletic Nelson (6-9) will present a sizable challenge for the Rainbows.
"They've got big bodies, they're going to bang and it's going to be a big test to see where we are," said Hawaii forward Bobby Nash.
With the altitude in Las Cruces (elevation 3,896 feet), Wallace will likely adjust the rotations and substitute more frequently.
While the Rainbows look to score in transition when available, controlling the tempo of the game will be a key.
"We can't get in a running game," Wallace said. "That's where we got it last year (when UH lost 87-84 in Las Cruces)."
Notes: Tomorrow's game will not be televised locally, but can be viewed online at wac.tv on a pay-per-view basis. ... This will be the first of two visits to Las Cruces for the Rainbows. They'll return in March for the WAC tournament. ... After tomorrow's game, the Rainbows travel to Ruston, La., to face Louisiana Tech on Saturday. They open the WAC home schedule next week against Fresno State (Jan. 11) and Nevada (Jan. 13