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Friday, November 17, 2000

photo Illustration By Kip Aoki And Dennis Oda, Star-bulletin
University Of Hawaii Men's Basketball Coach Riley Wallace
Has Expanded His Recruiting Grounds To Far Off Lands, Including
Canada, Yugoslavia, Lithuania And Israel.

Can an unprecedented influx
of international talent take the
Rainbows to unworldly heights?

The shot's ... quellish?
Shimonovic out
Meet the players
Roster
Schedule

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By Dave Reardon
Star-Bulletin

The teleconference participants felt Riley Wallace's wrath, all the way from Honolulu to Texas.

Somebody asked the Hawaii basketball coach about recruiting so many foreign players, and the phone lines sizzled with Wallace's reply.

"Why should there be any backlash? We all came from some other place," Wallace said. "These kids are interested in education first, and they just happen to like to play basketball.

"I think we need to get back to academics. They're excellent students, and this is one of the best freshman classes we've had."

Like many schools, Hawaii has a sprinkling of imported players in its past. But never anything close to this many.

Foreign recruits Mindaugas Burneika (Lithuania), Bosko Radovic (Yugoslavia) and Haim Shimonovic (Israel) join holdovers Carl English (Canada), Phil Martin (Canada), Nerijus Puida (Lithuania) and Predrag Savovic (Yugoslavia).

They and nine Americans comprise the Rainbow roster as Hawaii opens its season tonight against Louisville at the Stan Sheriff Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m.

Three starters return from the team that went 17-12 last year: shooting guard Savovic, small forward Puida and power forward Troy Ostler.

Junior college transfer Ricky Terrell is expected to start at point guard, and 6-foot-10 Shimonovic was expected to start at center until a question arose yesterday regarding his immediate eligibility.

Before that news, Wallace sounded confident.

"We're as ready as we can be, probably more than in previous years," said Wallace, as he prepared to start his 14th season as UH head coach.

He said this could be one of his best shooting and passing teams, and depth will allow the Rainbows to run often.

"I think they have a chance to be really good," TCU coach Billy Tubbs said. "When we played them last year, they showed us how the fast break is supposed to be run."

Wallace said UH can put up points again, but wonders if the Rainbows will be better at stopping opponents from doing the same. Hawaii averaged 76.2 points last season, but allowed 73.3.

"We go to UCLA (Dec. 9) so we've got to get ourselves ready for some good tests early," Wallace said. "I think this team can score with anyone. But can our defense stop anyone? We're not going to win on the road unless we play good defense."

Another challenge is to mold so many diverse people into a functioning unit -- especially with a new point guard and center, two positions where leadership is important. Johnny White and leading scorer and rebounder Marquette Alexander started every game at those spots, and must be replaced.

Still, Wallace and some others say the Rainbows might have the talent to contend in the Western Athletic Conference.

"Everyone in the conference has improved. Hawaii has as much a chance to win it as anyone," UTEP coach Jason Rabedeaux said.

But most preseason prognosticators picked UH to finish around sixth in the WAC. Some say that is a low prediction because not enough was known about Hawaii's foreign-heavy recruiting class.

Burneika (who played junior college ball at Weatherford College in Texas) and Americans Terrell and David Hilton were known quantities in college basketball circles. The wild cards were freshmen Radovic and Shimonovic. They played in Europe last year and were out of the recruiting mainstream.

"It's easier (recruiting foreign players). The international kid looks at Hawaii as a chance of a lifetime, a great place to go. They tend to be computer literate, so they check us out ahead of time academically. Then we sell them on the basketball," Wallace said.

"Kids in America want to go play where they can be on television most often. We're on a more equal basis when we're recruiting foreign players. Also, there's a tendency for them to recruit each other," he added.

Hawaii isn't the only program to venture heavily into foreign recruiting.

Louisville coach Denny Crum is a contender for America's best talent every year, but said recruiting foreign players is less of a hassle.

"I never had them before (this year), but I like them," said Crum, who begins his 30th season as the Cardinals' coach tonight with three foreigners on his team. "They're not as skilled, but they're not as spoiled. They have great work ethics and they're good students. You don't have to worry about dealing with people with shoe companies and summer league coaches."

Wallace said the variety of playing styles is helping his team come together rather than splitting it apart.

"They stress offense in Europe. Americans are more about playing defense," Wallace said. "It's been pretty good. They've picked each others habits up quickly."

Puida thinks the mix can work.

"If we take the good from European basketball and combine it with the good from American basketball we could be an excellent team," he said.

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The shot’s up,
through the net
... quellish?

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By Dave Reardon
Star-Bulletin

Some things are universal.

"When we talk on the court in Israel, it's usually in English," Hawaii freshman center Haim Shimonovic said. "Like, 'Get that weak (bleep) out of here.' "

Like all sports, basketball has a language all its own that constantly evolves -- and revolves.

"A lot of old stuff keeps coming back," said junior guard Ricky Terrell, who hails from Los Angeles. "Like, 'Ice' (for a made shot)."

Still, there's a whole world out there of hoop dialects. And where better to learn some than at the Stan Sheriff Center, home to players from five different countries?

Well, maybe not.

Lithuanian Mindaugas Burneika was of no help. True to the junior forward's blue-collar approach, his response was, "Back home, we don't talk, we just play basketball."

But his friend and countryman, senior forward Nerijus Puida, offered up "stogas," which translates as "roof." Puida said "stogas" informs an opponent that he has just had his shot blocked.

Freshman forward Bosko Radovic has a strut to his game more common to a Chicago playground than his native Yugoslavia. He's a tremendous source of playground vernacular.

Radovic's offerings include "dobar sut" for after you drill a 3-pointer in a foe's face, "kucane" upon slamming over him, and "nemas pojma," to commemorate his missed layup.

Carl English, from Newfoundland, Canada, has the kind of leaping and shooting ability that can back up a little talk in pickup games.

But there's one problem.

"Sometimes the guys find it hard to understand my accent. It's a combination of Canadian, Irish and Newfie," he said.

"Back home, we basically use the same kind of jargon on the court they do in America. But sometimes you might say somebody made a 'keen' shot, meaning a good one."

Hmmm ... not quite the impact of "face."

Terrell claims to have known some Euro trash talk before he met his Old World teammates.

" 'Quellish' for a bucket," Terrell said. "I learned that in L.A. My friend told me it means 'cash' in Albanian."

New York is supposed to be the barometer of all style matters, so what does Big Apple native David Hilton bring to the linguistic table?

" 'All net' is 'aqua' there now," he said. "A good jumper is 'water' or 'wet.' "

He said the terms stem from "rain," as in a nice shot raining down on the opponent. How appropriate for the Rainbows.

It's a new one on Terrell, he of the Left Coast.

"That's a whole 'nother language over there," he said.

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Shimonovic ineligible
for tonight’s opener

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By Dave Reardon
Star-Bulletin

University of Hawaii basketball coach Riley Wallace said today Mindaugas Burneika will start for Haim Shimonovic in tonight's season-opening basketball game against Louisville.

Shimonovic, a 6-foot-10, 245-pound freshman center from Israel, will be held out for an indefinite period because of NCAA eligibility questions, Wallace said.

"It's precautionary," Wallace told the Star-Bulletin today. "We can't say yet how long (he will be out). Our compliance people are looking into it."

Shimonovic started UH's two exhibition games. He scored 7 points in 37 minutes and had 10 rebounds.

According to earlier printed reports, Shimonovic played in a pro league while in the Israeli army, but was not paid for basketball.

Lithuania native Burneika is a 6-7 junior transfer from Weatherford College in Texas.

Burneika averaged 8 points per game in UH's two exhibitions, shooting 6-of-7 from the field. He also averaged 2 rebounds and 13 minutes.

Two foreign Louisville players are ineligible for tonight's game.

Freshman center Muhammed Lasege from Nigeria was ruled permanently ineligible this week because of a stint he had with a pro team in Russia.

Also, freshman guard Simeon Naydenov of Bulgaria will miss the Cardinal's first three games because his club team played against pros.

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A player-by-player
look at the Rainbows

Mindaugas Burneika (6-7, 225, Jr. F): Sharp passer and excellent scorer with 3-point range adds depth up front. Shot 6-of-7 from floor in exhibitions. Should get more minutes as defense and knowledge of offenses continues to improve.

Carl English (6-4, 178, Fr. G): One of team's better athletes won dunk contest at Midnight Ohana. Seemed to press in exhibitions with 1-of-11 shooting, but could become contributor at either guard spot.

Todd Fields (7-0, 252, Sr. C): Decent shooter and passer and tough defender. Should get in rotation against more physical teams.

David "Jeep" Hilton (5-11, 145, Fr. G): Extremely quick, will shine in transition game, but needs to improve in half-court sets. He's 4-for-8 beyond the arc in exhibitions. If he can increase strength without losing speed, watch out.

Ryne Holliday (5-10, 145, Jr. G): Tenacious walk-on practice player with no fear of dirty work.

Kimo Keiter-Charles (5-10, 170, Fr. G): Walk-on must develop point guard mentality to have opportunity someday. Quickness a plus.

Phil Martin (6-7, 198, Fr. F): Energy athlete on offense and defense. Quick to glass and loose balls, grabbed 10 rebounds in 16 minutes against California All-Stars.

Mike McIntyre (6-3, 205, Jr. G): Will be asked to do almost everything except what he really wants: to start. But is unselfish and can handle third-guard role. Best 3-point shooter plays smart and is nasty defender.

 Lane O'Connor (6-7, 211, Sr. F): Scorer when he can release shot, which isn't often enough. Led UH with 27 points in loss at TCU last year -- 23.5 above his average.

Troy Ostler (6-10, 220, Sr. F): Oozes confidence after gaining muscle and developing shots over summer. Shot 17-of-23 from floor in exhibitions. All-WAC potential.

Nerijus Puida (6-5, 195, Sr. F/G): Does all little things right, excellent at setting up teammates. Good shooter, coaches want him to look for it more often.

Bosko Radovic (6-9, 220, Fr. F): Handles and shoots well enough to play on perimeter. Development depends on how quickly he absorbs systems and how hard he works on defense and weights.

Predrag Savovic (6-6, 225, Jr. G/F): Takes over games with frenetic energy and outside shooting. Size and strength creates matchup problems. Fan favorite is another potential all-WAC player.

Haim Shimonovic (6-10, 245, Fr. C/F): Good mobility for size, but out-quicked by smaller Hilo players. Must develop scoring moves. Ability to assert self on both ends a key to team success.

Lance Takaki (5-4, 135, So. G): The people's choice. High school baseball standout would probably get more PT on diamond, but followed his heart and walked on for hoops.

Ricky Terrell (6-3, 190, Jr. G): Takes point guard responsibilities seriously, but must develop timing in offensive sets. Good drive-and-dish moves. Needs to consistently hit mid-range and long shot to keep defenses honest. Strong and quick enough to be defensive asset.

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UH Men's Basketball Roster

No.	Name	Pos	Ht	Cl	Home	1999-2000
1	Predrag Savovic	G/F	6-6	Jr.	Herceg Novi, Yugoslavia	12.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg
2	Phil Martin	F	6-7	Fr.	Ontario, Canada	DNP (redshirt)
3	Mike McIntyre	G	6-3	Jr.	Long Beach, Calif.	5.2 ppg, 1.7 apg
4	Bosko Radovic	F	6-9	Fr.	Montenegro, Yugoslavia	Played in Yugoslavia
5	David Hilton	G	5-11	Fr.	New York City	30 ppg (prep)
10	Lance Takaki	G	5-4	So.	Honolulu	0.6 ppg
12	Ricky Terrell	G	6-3	Jr.	Los Angeles	16.8 ppg, 5.7 apg (JC)
14	Haim Shimonovic	F/C	6-10	Fr.	Rishon LeZion, Israel	Played in Israel
21	Mindaugas Burneika	F	6-7	Jr.	Kaunas, Lithuania	19.4 ppg, 8.1 rpg (JC)
22	Nerijus Puida	G/F	6-5	Sr.	Sakiu Raj, Lithuania	6.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 4.7 apg
23	Carl English	G	6-4	Fr.	Patrick’s Cove, Newfoundland	2.0 ppg (redshirt)
24	Troy Ostler	F	6-10	Sr.	West Valley City, Utah	12.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.3 bpg
25	Ryne Holliday	G	5-10	Jr.	Belleville, Ill.	0.3 ppg, 0.1 spg
30	Kimo Keiter-Charles	G	5-10	Fr.	Hilo	Prep all-stater
33	Lane O’Connor	F	6-7	Sr.	Vancouver, Wash.	3.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg
34	Todd Fields	C	7-0	Sr.	Mesquite, Texas	1.7 ppg, 1.3 rpg

Head Coach: Riley Wallace
Associate Head Coach: Bob Nash
Assistant Coaches: Jackson Wheeler, Scott Rigot
Administrative Assistants: Len Scaduto, Art Woolaway.

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The schedule

Date	Opponent	Time
Nov. 17	Louisville	8 p.m.

UNITED AIRLINES TIP-OFF TOURNAMENT

Nov. 24	Hawaii vs. SE La.	6 p.m.
	Elon College vs. San Diego	8 p.m.
Nov. 26	3rd Place Game	6 p.m.
	Championship Game	8 p.m.
Dec. 9	at UCLA, Los Angeles	3:30 p.m. HST
Dec. 16	Texas-Pan American	7 p.m.

NIKE FESTIVAL

Dec. 21	CS Northridge vs. Ala.-Birmingham	5 p.m.
	Hawaii vs. Georgia State	7:30 p.m.
Dec. 22	Ala.-Birmingham vs. Georgia St.	5 p.m.
	Hawaii vs. CS Northridge	7:30 p.m.
Dec. 23	CS Northridge vs. Georgia State	5 p.m.
	Hawaii vs. Alabama-Birmingham	7:30 p.m.

OUTRIGGER HOTELS RAINBOWS CLASSIC

Dec. 27	Saint Louis vs. Texas A&M	5 p.m.
	Hawaii vs. Manhattan	7:30 p.m.
Dec. 28	Iowa vs. Detroit Mercy	5 p.m.
	Tennessee vs. George Washington	7:30 p.m.
Dec. 29	Dec. 27 Losers	11 a.m.
	Dec. 28 Losers	1:30 p.m.
	Dec. 28 Winners	5 p.m.
	Dec. 27 Winners	7:30 p.m.
Dec. 30	7th Place Game	11 a.m.
	5th Place Game	1:30 p.m.
	3rd Place Game	5 p.m.
	Championship Game	7:30 p.m.

WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

Jan. 4	at TCU, Fort Worth	3:05 p.m. HST
Jan. 6	at SMU, Dallas	11 a.m. HST
Jan. 11	UTEP	7:05 p.m.
Jan. 13	Tulsa	7:05 p.m.
Jan. 20	San Jose State	7:05 p.m.
Jan. 25	at Rice, Houston	3 p.m.HST
Jan.28	at Tulsa	10 a.m. HST
Feb. 1	Fresno State	7:05 p.m.
Feb. 3	Nevada	7:05 p.m.
Feb. 8	at Nevada	5:05 p.m. HST
Feb.11	at Fresno State	10 a.m. HST
Feb.15	SMU	7:05 p.m.
Feb. 17	Rice	7:05 p.m.
Feb. 22	TCU	7:05 p.m.
March 1	at San Jose State	5:30 p.m. HST
March 3	at UTEP	11 a.m. HST
March 7-10	WAC Tournament	Tulsa, Okla.

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http://uhathletics.hawaii.edu