Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.

Sports Watch

By Bill Kwon

Tuesday, March 13, 2001

’Bows incoming to
NCAA; Kwon outgoing

COLOR the Rainbows' trip down the yellow-brick road in the NCAA basketball tournament orange.

As in the Syracuse Orangemen.

What is it about the University of Hawaii when it makes a far-too infrequent-trip to the NCAA Dance? Like clockwork orange, it always seems to be Syracuse.

After their dizzying performance in winning the Western Athletic Conference Tournament in Tulsa, Okla., last Saturday, the Rainbows suddenly find themselves in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1994 and only the third time ever.

Their first-round opponent then? Syracuse (24-8), who else?

I don't know what could have been a worse prize: Drawing the boys from Syracuse or spending a week in Dayton, Ohio.

Actually, the Rainbows -- to a man -- are simply glad that their season is still going ... and playing a school that's a brand name in college basketball, especially when it comes to NCAA postseason play.

After all, the 'Bows were practically given up for dead a month ago when they had a 10-12 record and were hoping they didn't have to be involved in a play-in game just to get into the WAC tournament.

And their record on the road? Even Napoleon's army had a better one.

Now, the Rainbows have won seven of their last eight games, and they've been on the road since March 1.

If anything, all that traveling has bonded the team even closer.

"Having the two psychologists earlier on the trip helped," said coach Riley Wallace. "People smiled and laughed about it, but it really helped the players."

So much so, according to Wallace, that the Rainbows are very loose and confident right now.

"They think they can beat anybody. They don't know any better," Wallace added.

CERTAINLY, the Rainbows have nothing to lose. It's as if they've been living on borrowed time anyway.

They knew before sweeping Texas Christian, Fresno State and Tulsa on its own home court to win the WAC and gain an automatic berth to the NCAA tournament that it was the NCAA or bust.

"It was all or nothing," Wallace said. "We knew we didn't have enough wins to make the NIT."

At 17-13, only Georgia (16-14) has a worse record than Hawaii in the 65-team field.

"Our record is deceiving," Wallace said.

And, if Carl English, Predrag Savovic and Mike McIntyre start popping 3-pointers, who knows what can happen.

For now, Wallace says the team's goal is to become the first from Hawaii to advance to the second round of the NCAA. The Fabulous Five fizzled against Weber State in the first round at Idaho in 1972. Syracuse beat Hawaii, 92-78, in 1994 at Ogden, Utah.

Wallace is hoping the third time's the charm.

"This is our third time now. Our goal is to win, to advance," Wallace said. "And beating a school from the East with a great tradition and a great coach will get a lot of attention, which helps in recruiting."

It'll be a tall order. Since 1985, Syracuse has played in every NCAA tournament except for two (1993 and '97). And the Orangemen are 16-2 in first-round games. An added incentive is their coach, Jim Boeheim, can win his career 600th game Friday, at UH's expense.

Still, as Wallace said, his players don't know any better. They don't know that they're supposed to lose.

ALOHA 'OE: After writing about sports in Hawaii for the last 42 years, this is my final column for the Star-Bulletin. Go 'Bows.