Backup guard English
might not redshirt

It's looking more like freshman point guard Carl English will play the season, rather than become a medical redshirt.

Hawaii head coach Riley Wallace suggested earlier that he might redshirt the 6-foot-4 English due to severely stretched ankle ligaments requiring surgery.

But English's progress in the two exhibition games has encouraged Wallace.

"If he doesn't get hurt, he's going to play," he said.

Wallace, who recruited English because he wants to give starting senior Johnny White a break once in a while, said he gave English a grade of "C" for his 14-minute performance running the team Sunday against the California Midwest All-Stars.

English was inserted for White for seven-minute stretches in the first and second halves.

In the first half, he scored a 3-pointer (his first collegiate field goal), had two assists and two turnovers.

In the second half, when White sat with four fouls, English committed three fouls and turned the ball over three times.

In half the time against the Northwest All-Stars on Nov. 7, English had a free throw, three assists and three turnovers.

"Obviously, he gets overwhelmed in the game, but he has all the skills that he needs to play," said Wallace. "He just has to learn situations, and how to handle them. He's trying to do too much."

Wallace said he's not surprised that it's taking English a while to adjust to the competition level.

"He came out of a small town (Patrick's Cove, Newfoundland, pop. 50), no doubt about that, but a lot of kids come out of small towns with great skills," he said.

"He has a lot of confidence. He's not a shy kid and that's a big plus."

English is only the second Newfoundlander ever to make it to a Division I basketball program.

Wallace said he has not made a final decision on English yet. He said he will wait as long as he can before resorting to redshirting him.

Few turnovers

Lane O'Connor has yet to commit a turnover in 37 minutes of play in the two exhibition games.

Sophomore guard Predrag Savovic, who has played 61 minutes in the exhibitions, has committed only three turnovers.

Wallace said he continues to be impressed with Geremy Robinson, who has committed only one turnover in 22 minutes coming off the bench.

"He's creating things," Wallace said. "He's penetrating and helping his teammates out. He can get more minutes as time goes because we're going to play our best players."

Robinson played 10 minutes and scored five points Sunday.

Not worried about O'Connor

Despite O'Connor's zero point production in 10 minutes Sunday, Wallace said he's not concerned.

"He never really got in the flow of the game," Wallace said.

O'Connor, who remains in contention to start at the "3" position Friday against Tennessee-Martin in the Pepsi One/Nextel Challenge, gave way to Nerijus Puida's Rainbow debut.

Puida, the former JUCO All-American returning from a bicycle injury, got 27 minutes and scored six points. He had five assists.

Wallace has three talented players at small forward, including Robinson.

Alexander OK

Wallace said team captain and center Marquette Alexander suffered no ill effects from his Fosbury Flop to the floor after hurdling Sean Pryor in Sunday's game.

"He came down pretty flat so that helped him," Wallace said.

Wallace has been happy with Alexander's hustle this season.

"He's got quick on his feet, but I think he's even quicker this year than last because of the lost weight," he said.

Ostler gives UH a jump start

One reason why 6-9 Troy Ostler might continue to start at the "4" spot is that Wallace said he likes to open the game by gaining possession of the ball.

"Ostler's a good jump man," he said. "He gets the tip and we score right off of it. Always sets the pace for us."

But Wallace said Ostler won't be playing much more than 20 minutes because of his light frame (205 pounds) and limited strength.

Because of his depth in the frontcourt, all four of Wallace's big men played less than 30 minutes Sunday.

Alexander had 27 minutes, Bernard McIntosh had 22, Ostler had 20 and Todd Fields had 9.

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By Pat Bigold