Luettgerodt putting some extra running in to help 'Bows

LAS CRUCES, NM » Having Utah State coming up on the schedule means a little more work for Riley Luettgerodt.

The junior has simulated Utah State guard Jaycee Carroll in Hawaii's practices leading up to its meetings with the Aggies this season. That calls for some extra running for Luettgerodt as he tries to imitate the energetic guard to prepare teammate Matt Lojeski for a tough defensive assignment.

"He's always moving, so I'm trying to do that, make hard cuts," Luettgerodt said after yesterday's practice. "A lot of times he comes off these handoffs going a hundred miles per hour. Lojo's a really good defender, I'm just trying to give him a good look.

"It's the third time we've played them so I kind of know a lot of their plays and I've seen Carroll play a couple of times so I try to simulate him as much as I can."

The Rainbow Warriors face Utah State tomorrow in the quarterfinals of the Western Athletic Conference tournament at the Pan American Center.

Carroll led the Western Athletic Conference in scoring at 21 points per game and hit for 44 in a win over New Mexico State earlier this season. He's shooting 53 percent from the field and led the WAC in 3-point shooting at 43 percent (73-for-169).

In Utah State's last four meetings with Hawaii, the 6-foot-6 Lojeski's height and his effort fighting through screens while chasing the 6-2 Carroll around the court, helped UH hold him to 13 points per game in his career against the Rainbows.

"You're not going to shut him out," Luettgerodt said. "They run a lot of their plays for him so you're not going to completely shut him down, but you try to make everything tough for him."

Carroll will be looking to rebound from a rough outing in the Aggies' loss to Fresno State last Saturday. He scored six points on 2-for-12 shooting, breaking a string of 31 consecutive games with double-figure scoring.

Milestones in reach

Hawaii coach Riley Wallace can tie UTEP great Don Haskins' record for WAC tournament wins with a victory tomorrow. Wallace enters the game with 20 wins in the tournament, one shy of Haskins' record. Wallace also ranks second in WAC history to Haskins in overall (334) and league victories (165).

A win would also push Wallace to the 600-game mark in his UH career. He owns a 334-264 mark in his first 598 games in 20 seasons as the Rainbows' coach.

History of success

Utah State has won at least 21 games in each of the last eight seasons, although this is the first year the Aggies have lost 10 games since 1998-99.

The Aggies have reached the postseason each of the past seven years.

Home away from home

With Hawaii occupying his gym for a couple of hours the last two days, Onate High School coach Richard Robinson will be pulling for the 'Bows this week -- unless they run up against the host team in the WAC tournament.

Robinson played for New Mexico State from 1973-77 and opened the school's gym to the Rainbows for practice this week.

The arrangement came about through UH associate coach Bob Nash's connection with Robinson's brother, Larry. Nash and Larry Robinson played together professionally in Sweden.

"It was just a joy to watch a Division I team practice and we brought some of our players over to watch just to get a look," Robinson said. "We watch the WAC and we're very impressed with Coach Wallace.

"I told Coach Nash, I got kind of attached to you guys now, so I'm going to sit behind the bench when you guys play and I want to see you guys in action," Robinson said. "But I'll still be pulling for the (NMSU) Aggies."