|
Same old ’Bows DALLAS >> The practice routine hasn't changed in six months.
get ready
The stakes have changed, but
Savo learns of honor
Hawaii's game remains the sameBy Cindy Luis
cluis@starbulletin.comPredrag Savovic is in the middle of the circle at center court, leading warm-up exercises. When the stretching is done, the Hawaii basketball players gather in the middle, clapping then joining hands in an extended high-five.
"Together" is the team yell. And then it's down to business.
It's been the same in every practice since Midnight Ohana last October. The routine has been the same, the goal has been the same.
Get to the NCAA Tournament. Get a win. Keep it going.
The Rainbows knew they had arrived at the Big Dance in Big D when a bus picked them up at the hotel yesterday ... even though the driver had misspelled "Hawaii" as "Hawii" on the placard. During last week's Western Athletic Conference tournament, Hawaii was one of the few teams who rode to and from the Reynolds Center in vans.
Yesterday and today, the Rainbows had a new home practice court: SMU's Moody Coliseum. The American Airlines Center, just a few miles down the road on I-75, isn't available until tomorrow afternoon.
On Friday, No. 25 Hawaii faces No. 22 Xavier in the second game of the West Region's first round. It is one of just two first-round matchups between two ranked teams; the other is between No. 19 Western Kentucky and No. 24 Stanford.
In tomorrow's opener at 7:30 a.m. Hawaii time, fourth-ranked Oklahoma meets Illinois-Chicago.
Yesterday, there was a comfort in the familiarity of the routine. At one end, assistant coach Jackson Wheeler threw the ball into Haim Shimonovich, yelling, "Go, Big Daddy!"
Down at the other basket, associate head coach Bob Nash worked with the gray shirts -- the scout team -- walking through the plays that Xavier will run.
Head coach Riley Wallace roamed the sidelines, finding the flaws when the starters and the scout team battled 5-on-5. And there are flaws, ones that sometimes only Wallace will see. This team can never be too patient to suit him.
As always, it's a good cop-bad cop monologue in coachspeak. "Good job. Nice!" alternates with "No! No! No!"
Yesterday was the first workout for Hawaii since Saturday's pregame shootaround. It was the first full practice since last Wednesday at Tulsa's Hale High School. There was a little rust and some unfair matchups, such as the 6-foot-10 Shimonovich against 5-4 Lance Takaki.
Xavier (25-5) is a balanced team, much like Hawaii (27-5). The focus yesterday was how to play 6-9 junior forward David West, the two-time Atlantic 10 Player of the Year who was also voted the league's top defensive player.
"West is a very good post player who can step outside and shoot," said Nash. "They also have a very quick point guard in Lionel Chalmers and I'm very impressed with their guard (Romain) Sato, who can score when he needs to. He's a heck of a player.
"They have a good team. They play in a tough league. They were 9-3 on the road. They'll have to bring their 'A' game and we'll have to bring ours and see what happens."
The Rainbows practiced assuming Xavier swingman Dave Young will play despite a hairline fracture in his left wrist. And he will, as he practiced yesterday and expects to play because it is not his shooting hand.
It was a good workout, shorter than some, longer than others. When Shimonovich made five straight free throws and Campbell hit 3 of 5, there were just three suicide runs to do, instead of 10.
The Rainbows came back to the hotel in a collectively good mood. The bus ride had even encouraged some group singing.
The song of the moment? "Oh, Happy Day."
Droppin' in: At practice yesterday were former Hawaii assistant Cal Smith, now a business man living in Plano, Texas, and former Rainbow guard Rodney Washington (1991-93), who lives in Dallas.
Coming in during the middle of practice to watch was former Santa Clara star Steve Nash, now playing for the Dallas Mavericks. Nash had met with fellow Canadians Carl English and Phil Martin after the Dallas-Seattle NBA game at the American Airlines Center on Monday.
"We had a little Canadian bonding going on," said sophomore forward Martin. "We invited him to practice and he was nice enough to come down. That was pretty cool. Every time we get a chance, we try to say hello."
Martin and sophomore guard English know Nash and talked to him when the Canadian National Team stopped in Hawaii. After Monday's game, the two Rainbows went down to the court and had one of the managers tell Nash that they wanted to say hello.
"He took us in the back and it was cool," Martin said. "The arena is big-time and the locker rooms are state-of-the-art. We're looking forward to playing in there."
Added junior guard Mark Campbell: "It's an amazing arena. The nicest I've ever been in. It's got a really good atmosphere and I'm really excited to play there.
"We're ready. But we have to keep thinking it's just another game. It is. But with higher stakes."
What they're saying: The Dallas Morning News has an impressive panel of four tournament prognosticators who had their brackets published in yesterday's paper. Former SMU great Jon Koncak, former Kansas all-American Danny Manning, ex-Texas coach Tom Penders and the newspaper's national college basketball writer Steve Richardson all picked Hawaii over Xavier in the first round.
Also yesterday, the newspaper named Hawaii's Carl English as one of the four "sleepers" in the West. "The tireless English is the heartbeat of the Hawaii team."
In Monday's editions, the Morning News named Predrag Savovic and David West of Xavier as the two top players who will be in the American Airlines Center this week.
"Savovic's been a menace to opponents in the WAC the past two years," said Rick Alonzo, who covered the Hawaii-SMU games this season. "His ability to nail 3-pointers and slash to the basket are what will make him a handful for Xavier."
Savovic, heavily scouted by NBA team representatives the past two weeks, was mentioned in USA Today this week. But the newspaper's "Did you know" line on the Rainbows is sure to keep Savovic humble.
"Did you know: Savovic's brother Slovodan, played on the Ohio State squad that reached the Final Four in 1999."
Savovic's young brother, who goes by Boban, was named the MVP of the Big Ten tournament less than 24 hours after Predrag won MVP honors at the WAC tournament. Boban Savovic and the Buckeyes are in the West bracket being held in Albuquerque.
Predrag Savovic had his right shooting hand taped yesterday. He and Tulsa's Kevin Johnson got tangled up during Saturday's game and Savovic jammed his ring finger and pinkie.
"It's fine," he said. "There's a little pain and it bothers me a little. But it will be fine when we play."
Savovic said he's not tired of being on the mainland. Today is Day 16 for the road Warriors.
"I never get tired of the road," he said. "I always feel good. We have good food, good places to sleep at night."
He was also impressed with the AA Center, which was built within the last year. When asked if he could see playing there for money some day, Savovic replied, "I would love to do that."
BACK TO TOP
|
DALLAS >> It was a good day for Predrag Savovic. Savo learns of AP honor
while relaxing in hot tubStar-Bulletin staff
A good practice. A good time at the mall with his Hawaii teammates. A relaxing time in the hotel hot tub.
The senior guard topped it off with quite a nightcap while the water jets streamed. Savovic learned he was named as an honorable mention All-American by the Associated Press.
"That's nice to hear," said the Rainbows' leading scorer.
Savovic is just the fourth Hawaii player to earn an All-American honor from the AP, and the first since Anthony Carter doubled up as an AP honorable mention in 1997 and 1998.
"It's nice for him and he deserves it," said Hawaii coach Riley Wallace. "He earns everything he gets."
Xavier junior forward David West was named to the second team. Xavier and Hawaii meet Friday in a West Region first-round game at the American Airlines Center.
For a complete list of this year's All-Americans, please see page B7.
BACK TO TOP
|
1971-72: Bob Nash, honorable mention, AP, UPI and Universal Sports; third team, Basketball News. Hawaii's All-Americans
1972-73: Tom Henderson, honorable mention, Sporting News, Basketball Weekly and NBA Coaches.
1973-74: Tom Henderson, first team, Sporting News, NBACoaches, Street & Smith's Basketball Yearbook and Citizens Savings Athletic Foundation; second team, Basketball Weekly and Universal Sports; third team, AP; honorable mention, UPI.
1986-87: Chris Gaines, fourth team freshman, Basketball Weekly.
1995-96: Anthony Harris, honorable mention, Basketball Weekly.
1996-97: Anthony Carter, honorable mention, AP.
1997-98: Anthony Carter, honorable mention, AP.
2001-02: Predrag Savovic, honorable mention, AP.
UH Athletics