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Friday, November 24, 2000
Despite losing four of five starters from last year's team, Brigham Young University-Hawaii is favored to repeat as the champion in the eight-team Pacific Division of the Pacific West Conference. Seasiders try to
defend title without their
shooting starSMALL COLLEGE NOTEBOOK
By Brandon Lee
Special to the Star-BulletinHowever, the state's three other NCAA II Pacific Division basketball teams feel they can make some noise as well. Hawaii Pacific, Chaminade and the University of Hawaii at Hilo have also experienced significant personnel overhaul from last season -- all for the better -- according to their respective head coaches.
Here's a look at all four local teams, with last season's overall and conference record:
BYU-HAWAII (19-9, 11-3):
The Seasiders no longer have the services of swingman David Evans, the leading scorer in all of Division II last year at 27.9 points a game. However, Evans will continue to help head coach Ken Wagner in his quest to repeat as division champion as an assistant coach this season.BYUH's lone returning starter is 6-8 senior forward Isaac Turley, who averaged 4.6 points and 3.8 rebounds last season. Five other returning letter winners will help fill in the gaps around Turley, as well as two players returning from church missions who occasionally started for the Seasiders as freshmen three seasons ago.
Also expected to make major contributions are 6-4 senior wing Kerry Hendrickson, who transferred from Division I Buffalo after last season, and 5-6 redshirt freshman point guard Yuta Tabuse. Tabuse, a prep legend in Japan two seasons ago, is nursing a back injury. He is expected to return in January.
"We don't have anyone that can score 30 points every night like David did," Wagner said. "But we have a lot more depth than we've had in the past. If we play well together, we'll be tough to beat."
The Seasiders are 1-0 following their nonconference victory over Oakland City on Tuesday.
Hawaii Pacific (12-14, 6-8):
After Sea Warriors head coach Tony Sellitto suffered through his first losing campaign in 12 years at HPU last season, he secured nine new players for this year's roster to help put the Sea Warriors' ship back on course.Of the new recruits, two versatile European imports -- 6-5 juniors Dragan Karanovic and Nash Subotic -- are expected to make an immediate impact. Both can play the shooting guard or small forward positions, and both were also the leading 3-point shooters at their respective junior colleges last season.
Sellitto feels that his entire team can shoot the ball well. That was a key ingredient missing last season.
"We really wanted shooters and we went out and got them," Sellitto said. "We really only need a 10-second clock instead of the whole 35. We don't do anything real complicated on offense, but we run well, spot up and shoot."
Sellitto has one key holdover from last year's team -- 6-4 senior forward and team captain Kawika Smith. Sellitto believes that Smith is the most athletic player in the entire PacWest, an offensive and defensive force, and one with professional potential should he continue to develop.
Chaminade (13-13, 7-7):
The Silverswords are 0-3 after opening the season at their own Maui Invitational this week in Lahaina.However, first-year head coach Aaron Griess believes his players are right where he needs them to be to contend once the regular season starts. After being blown out by No. 1 Arizona in the tournament's opening game Monday, Chaminade was competitive in defeat against two other Division I powers -- No. 12 Connecticut and Nevada-Las Vegas -- in its final two contests.
"We said to each other at the start of this season that we needed to get better every time we step on the court, and so far we've done that," Griess said. "We still got some improving to do, but we stood up well against some of the toughest competition in the country."
Griess is working with eight new players this year to improve on last season's outing.
Of the newcomers, 6-1 senior shooting guard C.J. Cowgill, who transferred from Liberty (Va.), as well as 6-7 senior center Robert Watson have already made significant contributions as starters this year. Watson transferred from Division I Western Michigan.
Senior team captain and 5-11 point guard Kaweo Feeney, and 6-7 senior forward David Toya are the two returning starters for the Silverswords.
UH-Hilo (12-14, 6-8):
The Vulcans have the top returning scorer in the conference in 6-4 senior shooting guard Alan Thomas, who averaged 20.1 ppg last season.Head coach Jeff Law hopes that Thomas, as well as some other key returnees, can provide the necessary leadership to improve on last year's record, the Vulcans' sixth consecutive losing season.
UHH is loaded in the backcourt, with 5-11 junior Scott Prather returning as the starting point guard to complement Thomas. Returnee Stanley Ibia (6-2, senior) will spell Thomas, and returnee Jason Shumate (5-9, senior) will do likewise for Prather.
The Vulcans also have 6-2 sophomore transfer (Northern State) and former McDonald's All-America shooting guard David LaQua factoring into the mix.
The question mark for UHH will be in the front court, where they have just one experienced returnee in 6-5 senior forward B.J. Rogers. However, Rogers will be ineligible to play until the end of the fall semester.
"Until B.J. comes back, our newer guys will be thrown right into the fire with lots of on-the-job training," Law said.
The Vulcans open their season against Tulane tonight in the Big Island Invitational at Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium in Hilo.
Hawaii Pacific
BYU-Hawaii
Chaminade
U.H. Hilo
The Western Water Polo Association Tournament hosted by Chaminade went pretty much according to seeding last weekend at Kamehameha Schools pool. SMALL COLLEGE NOTEBOOK
Silverswords set
higher goalsAs winner of the eight-team tournament, top seed UC San Diego received the WWPA's lone bid to next month's NCAA championships.
There were only two minor upsets in the three days of competition. The eighth-seeded Silverswords defeated seventh seed UC Santa Cruz, 6-3, for seventh place.
Chaminade lost its other two tournament games, the first to eventual champion UCSD, the other in a consolation game to fifth-seeded UC Davis.
Under second-year coach Bruce Black, the Silverswords finished with a 9-9 record overall, up from 6-12 last season.
Considering that Chaminade doesn't have its own pool and has to play its entire regular season on the mainland, Black said that he was happy with the Silverswords' performance at the tournament and the improvement from his first season.
"The tournament went well, even though the teams pretty much played as they were ranked going in," Black said. "After not having a single home game all year, I think we showed what we can do when we play at home by pulling off an upset.
"I'm very happy with the outcome of our season, though we didn't quite reach our goal of having a winning year."
Black may have the talent he needs to have a winning season in 2001. The Silverswords lose four seniors to graduation, but have their top goal-scoring threats all returning.
Leading scorer and team captain sophomore Petar Samac will be back. So, too, will freshman standout and second-leading scorer Konstantinos "Deano" Haidemenahis.
Black said Chaminade has a way to go before it reaches the level of a UCSD and competes for a bid to the national championships. He said that he needs to be able to build his recruiting base in California -- the epicenter of U.S. water polo -- as well as convince some of the top local prep talent to remain home.
Chaminade is the lone men's intercollegiate water polo program in the state. Black predicts better things for the Silverswords and local water polo in the near future.
"I believe we can be a force in the WWPA within two to three years," Black said. "Hawaii is a water sports mecca, and it's only a matter of time before people realize the potential for water polo here."
Brandon Lee, Special to the Star-Bulletin
