Thursday, January 6, 2000
After a humiliating 85-56 loss at USC on Dec. 8 and the apparent defection of their sixth man, things couldn't have looked bleaker for the University of Hawaii men's basketball team.
But the Rainbows defied fate.
Junior forward Bernard McIntosh returned to the team and Hawaii won six games in 11 nights to suddenly look like the university's next miracle turnaround team.
After a sweep of the Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic last week, the Rainbows are 11-2 and have already received votes in both major polls. They stand a chance to break into the top 25 if they can keep winning.
But they begin play this weekend in a scaled down Western Athletic Conference, which is shaping up tougher than expected.Five of the conference teams are ranked in the top 100 of CollegeRPI.com, the Collegiate Basketball News RPI and the Sagarin ratings.
The WAC is ranked 10th among the NCAA's 32 conferences by CollegeRPI.com and ninth by Sagarin.
Its teams are a combined 75-32 in nonconference play and only one team has a losing record.
The Rainbows, 6-20 last season, were picked to finish seventh among the remaining eight WAC teams. But they're now running in the top three, having cooled off red-hot Creighton and delayed Oregon's entry into the top 25.
To remain in consideration for the polls, head coach Riley Wallace's Rainbows have a formidable task ahead on Saturday.
They must defeat a surprisingly strong Miners team at UTEP's Don Haskins Center.
UTEP is the WAC team with the highest CollegeRPI.com ranking (45) and SMU is at 46. No. 22-ranked Tulsa is at 50.
Fresno State is 74th and the Rainbows are 75th.
Team-by-team analysis
HAWAII
SEASON RECORD 11-2
Although the Rainbows have the third highest scoring margin among WAC teams (11.1 points), it's their defense that has really pleased Riley Wallace this season. He sees it as the difference between a .500 team and a WAC contender.
Hawaii is second among WAC teams and 20th in the nation in percentage of field goals allowed at 37.5 percent.
The Rainbows are tops going into WAC play in defense against 3-point shooters (allowing 25 percent per game), third in scoring defense (allowing only 61.7 points per game) and fifth in steals (7.31 per game).
Offensively, Hawaii is third in scoring margin (11.1 points) and third in field goal percentage (47).
One of the characteristics of this UH team is that it's difficult for an opponent to focus on any one player. Five different 'Bows have led the team in scoring over 13 games, and even backup Geremy Robinson has won a tournament MVP trophy.
"Somebody can afford to have a bad night and come right back the next night," said Wallace.
Marquette Alexander, a 6-8 senior center, leads the team in scoring (13.4 ppg), while 6-9 junior Troy Ostler is second (11.8) and sophomore Pregrad Savovic third (10.5).
Both Alexander (7.7) and Ostler (6.8) are in the top 10 in rebounding among WAC teams. Nerijus Puida is second in assists, averaging 4.92 per game.
TULSA
"They have a great shooting club but they're in the stats defensively too," said Wallace of the Golden Hurricane.
Tulsa has the best record (135-56) of any WAC team over the past six seasons.
The Golden Hurricane, who return three starters, lead the WAC teams going into the season in scoring margin (19.7) and steals per game (13.43).
They have the conference's leading pickpocket in 6-5 senior forward Eric Coley, who's averaging 3.79 steals. Coley is also second among WAC teams in assist-turnover ratio (3.7-1.7).
Tulsa is also third in scoring average (83.5), second in field-goal percentage (47), and third in 3-pointers made per game (7.5).
Sophomore guard Greg Harrington leads WAC shooters in 3-point percentage (48).
The Golden Hurricane have a strong inside presence with 6-10, 245-pound senior Brandon Kurtz (11.2 ppg and 5.3 rpg). He's averaging 1.67 blocks per game.
"They're only seventh in rebounding margin but then their shooting percentage doesn't produce too many rebounds," said Wallace.
"They're just a solid team and they lost only to their cross-town rival, Oral Roberts, on a last-second shot."
Oral Roberts lost to VMI in the first game of the United Airlines Tipoff Tournament here on Nov. 26.
FRESNO STATE
Early injuries to 6-5 Courtney Alexander, a predicted NBA first-round pick, and 6-9, 240-pound junior center Melvin Ely were making the Bulldogs look like Dachsunds.
But since the return of Ely and Alexander, the team picked to top the WAC this season is barking and biting again.
After Alexander scored 43 points in a Dec. 11 loss (103-99) to Alabama-Birmingham that made the team 4-5, the Bulldogs have won five of their last six games.
Fresno State is second in scoring offense among WAC teams, averaging 84.1 points, and shooting 46 percent from the field.
Alexander is averaging 24.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2 steals. Terrance Roberson, a 6-7 senior forward, is averaging 17.3 points and 5.9 rebounds. Demetrius Porter, a 6-0 junior guard, is averaging 13.1 points and Ely is averaging 11.3 points. Larry Abney, a 6-8 senior forward/center, contributes 10.4 per game.
Travis Robinson, a 6-6 sophomore guard/forward, doesn't average many minutes but is scoring at a 14.3 rate.
Wallace has said all along he thinks Fresno State is the conference favorite.
"I still like them," he said. "You have Selland Arena and those people rocking in there. And Alexander, Ely and Roberson are all big-time players."
The WAC tournament will be held at Selland Arena March 9-11.
SMU
The Mustangs have lost only twice -- at Missouri (63-60) and Tulane (75-70). They're averaging 78.3 points and are second in scoring margin (14.1 points) going into WAC play.
The Mustangs have three of the WAC's top 10 scorers. But when you talk about SMU, you have to talk about 6-6 junior guard and NBA prospect Jeryl Sasser.
Sasser is averaging 17.7 points (third in the conference), 4.57 assists, 1.64 steals and is shooting 71 percent from the free-throw line.
Willie Davis, a 6-6 junior forward, is averaging 17.1 points. Stephen Woods, a 6-0 senior guard, averages 14.5 points.
The Mustangs are third in rebounding among teams in the WAC with two players in the conference's top five off -- Davis (9.5 rpg) and Sasser (9.2 rpg).
UTEP
The Miners were always a good fundamental defensive team under retired head coach Don Haskins. But now they've added a wrinkle.
"They have a new coach from Oklahoma and he's put in his system to go with Haskins' teachings," said Wallace. "He's changed the offense to where they're playing with a lot of confidence and uptempoing it, pushing the ball, shooting more 3s."
UTEP is the leader among WAC teams in field goal percentage (49) and is second in 3-point percentage (35).
The Miners also have the second leading scorer in the WAC -- 6-9, 230-pound junior forward Brandon Wolfram.
Wolfram is averaging 20.8 points per game, shooting 61 percent from the floor and averaging 6.2 rebounds. Jarvis Mullahon is a 47 percent 3-point shooter.
"We're scoring more and a lot of it is generated off our defense," said Rabedeaux.
"We didn't want to outrun opponents, but when transition opportunities present themselves, we take them."
The Miners also have a talented freshman in 6-6 Roy Smallwood, who's shooting 57 percent, averages 6.2 rebounds and 1.42 blocks.
Point guard Eggie McRae is a careful ballhandler who committed only 64 turnovers last season and was named to the WAC all-defensive team.
TCU
TCU leads the nation in average points scored per game with 94 and is the leader among WAC teams in 3-point shooting at 37 percent.
The Horned Frogs are led by 6-9, 230-pound Marquise Gainous, who is averaging 19.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.73 blocks.
Derrick Davenport, a 6-10, 210-pound junior center, is averaging 13.8 points and 7.5 rebounds. Estell Laster, a 6-2, 185-pound junior guard, is averaging 13.1 points.
TCU is not a team you want to send to the line.
The Horned Frogs are the leading WAC team in free throw percentage (77 percent) and have three of the WAC's top five free throw shooters: Laster (87 percent), Gainous (83 percent), Davenport (80 percent).
There's also Larry Allaway, a 5-11, 185-pound junior guard who is 12th in the conference, shooting 70 percent.
SAN JOSE STATE
The Spartans have the best scoring defense among WAC teams, allowing only 54.1 points per game.
"They're averaging only 57.1 a game, so that means he's (coach Steve Barnes) playing good defense and uses the clock," said Wallace.
"If you go there and take them lightly, they'll beat you up. I predict they can be a spoiler."
Billy Landram, a 6-7 junior forward, leads San Jose State in scoring (13.9 ppg).
Darnell Williams, a 6-8 junior forward, leads the team in rebounding with 10.1 per game.
But the Spartans recently lost two of their three returning starters to indefinite suspensions. Senior guard Ben Sanders (5.7 ppg) and senior forward Eric Griffin (5.9) were arrested on New Year's Eve and faces disciplinary action as a result.
RICE
The Owls have had their share of injuries this season.
Only one of their four top returnees, 5-11 junior point guard Mike Wilks, has played more than eight games. Wilks is scoring at a 14.6 per game clip and ranks seventh among shooters in the WAC.
Brandon Evans, a 6-9 freshman, is the Owls' leading rebounder (7.1 rpg).
Going into league competition, Rice is seventh in scoring offense (58.9 points per game) but second in scoring defense (61.4 points per game).
Rice isn't doing too badly shooting from the floor, hitting 39 percent of its shots to rank third in that department.
"Willis Wilson is one of the better coaches in the league and he'll get people playing as time goes on," said Wallace.
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