Rainbow Playbook
vs. Loyola-Chicago
Tomorrow & Friday: Loyola-Chicago (0-1) vs. No. 6 Hawaii (0-0), 7 p.m.,
Coaches-Hawaii: Mike Wilton (8th season, 138-62). Loyola-Chicago: Gordon Mayforth (5th season, 76-44).
Series: First meeting.
Probable Starters-Hawaii: Clay Stanley (6-9 Jr. OH), Torry Tukuafu (6-5 Jr. MB), Brenton Davis (6-5 Jr. MB), Russell Lockwood (6-0 Sr. Lib), Stefan Krejci (6-2 So. S), Eyal Zimet (6-2 Fr. OH), Costas Theocharidis (6-2 Fr. OH). Loyola-Chicago: Ted Groves (6-8 Sr. OH), Rick Sullivan (6-7 Jr. MH), Shane Davis (6-3 Fr. S), Chris Steponaitis (6-3 Sr. OH), Justin Schnor (6-4 Fr. OH), Dan Haas (6-10 Jr. MH), Ben Wilson (6-4 Sr. Lib).
About the Rainbows: Hawaii returns five veterans from a team that finished 19-10, losing in the semifinal of the MPSF Tournament at BYU. Three newcomers are expect to make an immediate impact -- Zimet, Theocharidis and Krejci. Tukuafu and Davis have moved to middle while Stanley, who spent part of the summer with the U.S. national team, will move from opposite and hit from all three attack positions... The Rainbows are young but athletic. Wilton expects to use just eight players most nights, looking for a spot to put freshman hitter Tony Ching ... Hawaii is 18-3 in season openers, and has won the last nine straight. When opening the year at home, Hawaii is 13-2...The Rainbows yesterday lost freshman outside hitter K.C. Steed, who has decided to return to his native Texas, citing homesickness. Redshirt freshman Hunter Haliniak has also left the team, and has transferred to New Jersey Tech in hopes of more playing time... All-MPSF middle Dejan Miladinovich had off-season shoulder surgery and is expected to redshirt.
About the Ramblers: Loyola-Chicago opened the year with a 3-1 loss at defending national champion BYU. The Ramblers were led by Schnor, who had 36 kills and .342. Groves, one of three seniors on the team, added 26 kills. Loyola-Chicago is in its fifth season as a collegiate program. The Ramblers lost five starters from a team that finished 19-9 last season and ranked No. 15. Steponaitis, the lone returning starter, led the MIVA in aces last year. The team was picked to finish fifth in the conference preseason poll while Groves is a preseason MIVA first-team pick.
Something new: A red, white and blue ball and the use of the libero (floating defensive specialist).
On the air: Live on KFVE (Channel 5) both nights.
Tickets: $5-$9.
Next up: The Rainbows will host defending NCAA champion BYU Friday, Jan. 14, at 7 p.m.
End quote: "A lot of people would disagree because we have so many new players but I think that it can be done this year,'' said Wilton. "We can contend for the national title.''
By Cindy Luis
Rainbow Playbook
vs. SMU MUSTANGS
Coaches: Hawaii, Riley Wallace, 13th year (208-202 career). SMU, Mike Dement, 5th year (192-182 career)
Season record: Hawaii (0-1 WAC, 11-3); SMU (1-0 WAC; 13-2).
Top players: Hawaii, 6-8 Sr. C. Marquette Alexander (13.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg), 6-6 So. G Predrag Savovic (11.3 ppg, 41 percent 3-point shooter, 77 percent free throw shooter), 6-1 Sr. G Johnny White (8.2 ppg, 3.2 apg), 6-9 Jr. F Troy Ostler (12.4 ppg, 58 percent from the floor, 7.4 rpg, 1.7 bpg), 6-5 Jr. F Nerijus Puida (7.1 ppg, 5.0 apg, 1.8 steals per game). SMU, 6-6 Jr. F. Willie Davis (17.3 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 2.1 spg), 6-6 Jr. G Jeryl Sasser (17.2 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 4.7 apg), 6-0 Sr. G Stephen Woods (14.2 ppg, 3.4 apg, 2.2 spg), 6-6 Fr. G Quinton Ross (8.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg,), 6-4 So. G Damon Hancock (9.8 ppg).
Interesting facts: The Rainbows are on a 10-game home court win streak...Predrag Savovic has led the Rainbows in scoring for three straight games with 20 points or more...Savovic is shooting 71 percent from 3-point range in the last three games (10-for-14)...The Mustangs have won nine of their last 10 games...SMU leads the WAC in rebounding margin (+6.6), is second in scoring margin (+13.8) and steal margin (+9.73)...SMU has the third and fourth best rebounders in the WAC in Davis and Sasser while Hawaii has the sixth and seventh best in Alexander and Ostler...Puida is second in assists in the WAC while Sasser is third...Hawaii is outrebounding opponents (385-328), have almost three times as many blocks (184-116), and fewer turnovers (174-190)
Coaches' Quotes Wallace, on the fact that 62 percent of SMU's offense comes from Davis, Sasser and Woods: "They all create off the dribble, they're good jump shooters, and they go to the offensive boards. They want to get transitions, quick baskets and create one-on-one situations." Dement, on what benefit the Rainbows derive from their home crowd: "Obviously the trip and the crowd are worth a lot of points for them. We came here a couple of years ago and lost by 12 or 14 and I thought we played well. So maybe it's worth that many points. To come in and beat them, you have to play a very good game."
Ticket prices: $14 lower, $10 upper, $7 student, $10 wheelchair adult, $7 wheelchair student.
Tipoff: Today, 7:05 p.m., Stan Sheriff Center.
On the air: KFVE TV Channel 5 and KCCN radio (1420 AM).
By Pat Bigold
Wahine Playbook
at SMU Mustangs
Coaches: Southern Methodist (7-5 overall, 0-0 WAC), Rhonda Rompola, 9th season (162-87, .651), Hawaii (9-4, 1-0), Vince Goo, 13th season (250-111, .693).
Series record: Hawaii's leads the series, 5-0. In the last meeting, Feb. 14, 1999, the Wahine defeated the Mustangs, 73-69, at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Top players: Southern Methodist, senior forward Karlin Kennedy, who became SMU's all-time leading scorer last week and was named WAC Player of the Week. She averages 15.9 points and 9.6 rebounds a game and makes 55 percent of her field goal attempts. Also, junior guard Deidra Rucker (15.6 ppg) and junior guard Anika Calvert (9.9 ppg) ... Hawaii, senior guard Raylene Howard (17.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg); junior forward Kylie Galloway (15.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg); senior guard Kyla Evers (10.9 ppg, 4.1 assists a game, 2.4 steals a game), junior center Dainora Puida (9.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg); senior forward Hedy Liu (7.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg).
Interesting facts: SMU is coming off back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time in school history. The Mustangs have advanced to the NCAA tournament five of the past six years. SMU brings a four-game winning streak into the game and is 5-1 at home this season ... Kylie Galloway remains second in the national in free throw percentage (.958) hitting 46-of-48. Wahine assistant coach Jon Newlee, who came to UH after eight years at SMU, recruited most of the Mustangs. "It's going to be weird sitting on the other bench, using the other locker room," Newlee said ... In Collegiate Basketball News' latest RPI rankings, SMU is No. 33, UH is No. 57.
Game keys: Hawaii presented head coach Vince Goo with his 250th career victory last Saturday. Adding No. 251 to the list tomorrow would go a long way toward defining this Wahine team ... The Mustangs are defending WAC champs, but were not picked to repeat in the coaches preseason poll, finishing second in the voting to UH. They won't be lacking for motivation in their home opener ... The Wahine need to keep Karlin Kennedy, one of the top players in the WAC, if not the country, in check. Deidra Rucker and Anika Calvert are steak shooters who get very hot if not defended well. SMU doesn't have a good 3-point shooting percentage, but has the capability of getting on a good roll from beyond the arc ... Hawaii needs to rebound effectively, eliminating second and third shots on the defensive end. The Wahine need to play with composure, consistency and intensity for 40 minutes without the luxury of frequent substitutions (as in the UTEP game) ... Both teams can go inside or outside. UH will have to handle SMU's full-court pressure. The Mustangs work hard at denying the ball to the wings. It's a key early-season showdown.
Tipoff: Tomorrow, 3 p.m., Moody Coliseum, Dallas, Texas.
On the air: Live on KCCN radio (1420 AM), also available on the internet at http//uhathletics.hawaii.edu/Sportslive/listen.html.
By Al Chase
