Monday, March 19, 2001
DAYTON, Ohio >> Arriving at The Big Dance is one thing. Learning the steps is another. UH’s success could be
By Dave Reardon
start of winning era
Star-BulletinNot that the University of Hawaii men's basketball team was intimidated at its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1994, which ended abruptly with Friday's 79-69 first-round loss to Syracuse here at the Midwest Regional. Overall, the Rainbows were focused but loose and ready to play.
"We started out slow," Hawaii coach Riley Wallace said. "But we played physical and got enough things going that I thought we looked pretty good."
But UH went up against a team in the Orangemen for which the NCAA first round is basically just another game. Under coach Jim Boeheim since 1987, Syracuse is 17-3 in NCAA openers.
Hawaii has not won in three appearances, the other two being a 63-55 loss to Weber State in 1972, and a 92-78 defeat in 1994, also inflicted by Syracuse.
The difference between the earlier losses and Friday's is that the 1972 and 1994 Rainbows were senior-dominated teams and this time Hawaii returns six of eight players in Wallace's season-end rotation.
Post Troy Ostler (UH's leading rebounder) and forward Nerijus Puida (top assist man) will certainly be missed, and forward Lane O'Connor and center Todd Fields added to UH's chemistry through their personalities and hard work on the scout team.
But the six coming back --who played 73 percent of the minutes and produced 70 percent of the points, 77 percent of the rebounds and 80 percent of the assists on Friday -- have a combined 12 years of eligibility remaining.
Guards Predrag Savovic, Mike McIntyre and Carl English and frontcourt players Haim Shimonovich, Mindaugas Burneika and Phil Martin make UH an instant contender for a repeat WAC championship next season.
In addition, forward Bosko Radovic and guards Jeep Hilton and Ricky Terrell also started at various points of the season and depending on what they do over the summer, could find themselves back in the mix.
So it's not crazy to think March Madness could have a little more Rainbow fever next year and even further down the line.
"I hope so," Wallace said. "This is a young team. And we have a lot of potential to recruit and add some guys who will help."
With enough capable sharpshooters coming back to stock a rifle platoon, Wallace said he will use the four scholarships available to sign point guards and big men next month.
Although he had a rough day against Kansas yesterday, Syracuse point Allen Griffin's 15-point, 6-assist, 1-turnover performance Friday amplified one of Hawaii's weaknesses: lack of an experienced, slashing, ballhandling court leader. English and McIntyre filled the role at the end of this season, but both are better suited for shooting guard, where Savovic starts. Hilton remains a project, and Terrell didn't meet expectations.
And although Shimonovich should continue to blossom as UH's presence in the middle, the Rainbows need some help down low, too. Martin made the All-WAC newcomer team, but he and Radovic are finesse players. Burneika is developing into a banger, but has limitations at 6-foot-7.
"We're already working at how we're going to put things together for next year," Wallace said yesterday, as he re-packed his suitcase to head to Hutchinson, Kansas, for this week's JUCO national tournament.
Assistant coach Scott Rigot, meanwhile, has been checking on local prospects in Ohio, and assistant Jackson Wheeler made it to Dayton in time for Friday's game after taking a four-state recruiting swing out west.
Tip-ins: The UH basketball awards banquet is April 5 at the Hale Koa hotel. Call 956-7523 for information.
UH Athletics
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