KEN IGE/KIGE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Even though he has two Western Athletic Conference championship rings, Phil Matrin wants more.
’Bows get Two weeks and counting. And the Hawaii basketball team can't wait.
their bling
By Cindy Luis
cluis@starbulletin.comTwo weeks until Midnight Ohana on Oct. 11 at the Stan Sheriff Center and the first practice. Two weeks until the Rainbows officially kick off their run for a Western Athletic Conference title three-peat.
"We're definitely excited to get it started again," said Rainbow junior forward Phil Martin after he and the rest of the team received their WAC championship rings last night. "We're a lot stronger as a team, working in the weight room, running during the summer.
"We have new players, new talent and new rings."
The theme for this year's Midnight Ohana is the '70s. That theme is carried out on the roster with the addition of junior walk-on Ramsey Williams, the son of Charles Williams, a former Rainbow who played in 1971-72.
Ramsey Williams, a 1998 Moanalua graduate, played at Missouri Valley one season, sat out a redshirt year and played last season at College of the Desert. He'll have two seasons remaining.
Having four years of eligibility is another walk-on, freshman forward Ikaika Alama-Francis, an all-state player out of Kalaheo.
Also introduced during last night's reception were four new scholarship players in junior guard Jason Carter, junior guard Michael Kuebler, freshman forward Dane Dmitrovic and sophomore swingman Vaidotas Peciukas.
The Rainbows return four starters from last year's 27-6 team, including junior Carl English, one of 50 players named to the John Wooden Award preseason all-American team. Hawaii also received national hype this week when Street & Smith basketball magazine picked the Rainbows to repeat.
Hawaii opens the season Nov. 17 with an exhibition game against the EA Sports California All-Stars. The Rainbows put their 12-game home winning streak on the line against Arkansas-Little Rock in the Hawaiian Airlines Tip-Off Tournament Nov. 22.
Note: Season-ticket renewals were mailed out yesterday. The renewal deadline is Oct. 11. New season-ticket sales begin Oct. 28 with that deadline on Nov. 8 ... Redshirt freshman Milos Zivanovic, a 7-foot center, has been cleared to play. He participated in five games last season before being sidelined with an inflamed spleen.
UH Athletics
