Nevada a rough "Wakin' Up in Reno" is a new movie playing in mainland theaters this week.
late-season
obstacle for UH
The Rainbows are in Reno
preparing for the improved Wolf PackBy Cindy Luis
cluis@starbulletin.comBut for the Hawaii basketball team, it's cinema verite. The Rainbows woke up in Reno this morning, having arrived last night in the Biggest Little City in the World.
Hawaii (23-4, 14-2) can clinch a share of the Western Athletic Conference title tomorrow with a victory over Nevada (15-11, 8-8). While the Rainbows hope to improve on last season's jet-lagged showing at the Lawlor Events Center -- a 73-60 loss -- the Wolf Pack hope to improve their chances for an NIT bid with a quality win over Hawaii.
Nevada coach Trent Johnson didn't want to speculate on his team's postseason chances. He wasn't looking beyond tomorrow's game, the first one back home after two road losses by a combined six points.
"Thoughts on Hawaii?" Johnson asked rhetorically. "I'd rather not have to play them. They are the best team in this league and have proved that on the court.
"It's a shame that people out there, and I mean people like the (NCAA) selection committee seem to be thinking that Hawaii has to keep winning in order to get into the tournament. Hawaii and Tulsa, too, should be locks.
"Louisiana Tech should be in as well."
Johnson has first-hand knowledge of how well LaTech is playing right now.
And how well his team is playing.
Last Saturday in Ruston, the host Bulldogs needed a free throw by Michael Wilder with two seconds left to secure an 86-83 overtime victory. Nevada freshman forward Sean Paul tied it at 72-72 in regulation with two free throws, and there were 17 lead changes in overtime before LaTech pulled away.
"We played hard," said Johnson, his team currently tied with Fresno State for fifth place. "The only thing we brought back from the loss is knowing that we have gotten better this season."
Kirk Snyder especially has gotten better for the Pack. The Dec. 29 game at the Stan Sheriff Center was only Snyder's second since becoming eligible in the second semester.
"When we played Hawaii, he had only two practices with us and the game at San Jose State," said Johnson. "I'm not sure if I'd say he has come into his own, but he has gotten better."
The Wolf Pack has also done better than most of the coaches expected. In the preseason poll, Nevada was picked to finish eighth in its second WAC season.
Nevada will finish no worse than fifth, having won the tie-breaker with Fresno State, and will avoid a play-in game when the WAC Tournament starts next Tuesday in Tulsa.
The Wolf Pack had won three straight before last week's road trip. They lost at SMU, 77-74, in the final minutes.
But that was last week and Johnson said the only focus is on tomorrow.
"Rebounding is always the key for us," he said. "That and taking care of the ball."
Nevada has the WAC's leading rebounder in senior forward Corey Jackson, the only player averaging in double figures on the boards (11.0 rpg). The Wolf Pack is second in team rebounds (40.2) and first in offensive rebounds (14.19).
In conference games only, four players are averaging double figures in scoring, led by Terrance Green's 17.5 points per game. The WAC's steal leader is sophomore guard Andre Hazel, who started the game against Hawaii in December but has since lost his starting spot to Paul as Johnson changed from a three-guard offense.
Tomorrow's contest matches the second highest scoring team in the WAC (Nevada is scoring 73.8 ppg) against the leading defensive team (Hawaii is yielding 61.9). In conference play alone, the Rainbows are No. 2 in scoring (74.3), ahead of the Wolf Pack (73.0).
When: 5:05 p.m. tomorrow GAMEDAY
Where: Lawlor Events Center (11,200), Reno, Nev.
TV: None
Radio: Live, 1420-AM
Internet: kccn1420am.com
"Hawaii creates problems for us at every position," said Johnson. "The player who creates the most problems is (sophomore guard) Carl English.
Everyone knows about Savo (senior guard Predrag Savovic), but English is a big problem."
In the last outing against the Wolf Pack, English tied his season low with five points in 29 minutes. He was 2 of 5 from the floor and 1 of 2 from 3-point range, scoring in single figures for only the fourth time this season.
Last week, English scored a combined 49 points, with 10 3-pointers, in the victories over Tulsa and Rice.
"Reno is a tough place to play and we'll have to look at this game as if they're in first place," said Hawaii coach Riley Wallace. "If Nevada beats us, it will be because they're the better team that night."
A good finish this week and next could be enough to get the Wolf Pack in the expanded NIT field. It's something that the Nevada coach is downplaying.
"What are our NIT chances?" he said. "The only chance we have is to get better Thursday."
Around the WAC: Eric Prisbell, the basketball beat writer for the Fresno Bee, moved Hawaii up a spot to No. 23 in his weekly poll. Comment: "An at-large bid might be on the line vs. Fresno State (Saturday)." ... The latest ESPN.com "Bracketology" has Hawaii moving up to a No. 9 seed in the West Regional, facing No. 8 Stanford in Chicago. Tulsa, a 13-seed, would face in-state rival Oklahoma in Dallas. Tulsa's seed had been on the rise in the Web site's NCAA Tournament predictions, until the one-point loss at Hawaii last week.
WAC STANDINGS
Conference Overall W L Pct. GB W L Hawaii 14 2 .875 -- 23 4 Tulsa 14 3 .824 1/2 23 5 La Tech 12 4 .750 2 18 8 SMU 9 7 .563 5 14 12 Fresno 8 8 .500 6 17 12 Nevada 8 8 .500 6 15 11 Boise St. 5 11 .313 9 11 15 Rice 5 12 .294 9 1/2 10 17 UTEP 3 13 .188 11 10 19 San Jose 3 13 .188 11 8 20 Tomorrow
Hawaii at Nevada, 5:05 p.m. HST
Louisiana Tech at Boise State
San Jose State at Fresno State
Tulsa at Rice
SMU at UTEPSaturday
Hawaii at Fresno State, 5 p.m., HST
SMU at Boise State
Louisiana Tech at UTEP
San Jose State at Nevada
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS
HAWAII (23-4, 14-2) Ht. Pts. Reb. Ast. G Predrag Savovic (Sr.) 6-6 20.1 4.5 2.5 G Carl English (So.) 6-5 15.2 4.8 3.8 G Mark Campbell (Jr.) 6-4 3.4 2.7 4.5 F Phil Martin (So.) 6-8 8.7 4.7 0.8 C H.Shimonovich (So.) 6-10 7.6 6.7 1.8 NEVADA (15-11, 8-8) Ht. Pts. Reb. Ast. G Terrance Green (Jr.) 6-2 16.3 4.0 2.5 G G. Hill-Thomas (So.) 6-2 16.2 4.0 1.5 F Kirk Snyder (Fr.) 6-4 13.7 4.8 1.4 F Corey Jackson (Sr.) 6-7 9.5 11.0 0.5 C Sean Paul (So.) 6-9 7.3 4.8 0.6 Notes: Hawaii leads the series, 5-4. The Rainbows won the earlier meeting with the Wolf Pack, 58-40, at the Stan Sheriff Center. In last year's meeting in Reno, Nevada won, 73-60. ... Hawaii coach Riley Wallace is in his 15th season (239-202). The Rainbows are one win away from clinching a share of the WAC title. Hawaii has never won the regular-season title outright, but tied for the Pacific Division title with Fresno State in 1996-97. ... Hawaii is coming off a 79-50 victory Saturday over Rice. It marked the first time the Rainbows ever finished the WAC home season unbeaten (9-0). Against the Owls, senior guard Predrag Savovic broke the school 3-point record, held by Alika Smith (161). Savovic has 162. The Rainbows are also building on a new single-season 3-point mark; they currently have 191. Hawaii has hit at least seven 3-pointers in each of its 14 WAC victories. ... Savovic is third in WAC scoring. He becomes eligible for listing in overall statistics following tomorrow's game at Nevada. ... Nevada coach Trent Johnson is in his third year (34-49). The Wolf Pack is coming off an overtime loss at Louisiana Tech Saturday, 88-85. ... Nevada's 15 wins is the most in the season since the 1997-98 team went 16-12. The Wolf Pack features the WAC's leading rebounder in senior Corey Jackson (11.0 rpg). Nevada has swept the WAC series this season with Fresno State, Rice and Boise State.
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