[ UH BASKETBALL ]
Polyester leisure suits, big hair and disco will invade the Stan Sheriff Center on Friday for the annual Midnight Ohana kickoff of the University of Hawaii men's and women's basketball seasons. Midnight Ohana
has a ’70s theme
By Cindy Luis
cluis@starbulletin.comRainbow associate head coach Bob Nash, a member of UH's Fab Five teams of 1970-72, won't reveal details of his costume for the free event. But there will definitely be some references to Afros and wild aloha print uniforms worn by Nash and his teammates during the "Disco Days" evening.
"Outta sight," was how head coach Riley Wallace described the night, which opens with a mini-carnival on the concourse at 8 p.m. Besides introductions of the teams, there will be a 3-point shootout between a Rainbow and Wahine player, a men's slam dunk contest and intrasquad scrimmage.
Yesterday, assistant coaches Jackson Wheeler and Bob Burke drafted their respective teams for the scrimmage. Wheeler selected junior shooting guard Carl English as the first pick for the Green team, with Burke choosing senior point guard Mark Campbell.
"We used to have 'Late Night with Bob' at Chowan," said Burke, who left the North Carolina school after 22 years to come to Hawaii. "It's a little difference with the media involved here and the enthusiasm just for the draft.
"Physically, we'll match up OK with the other team. Plus we have 'Elvis.' "
"Elvis" is the nickname for sophomore walk-on Dan Pickart, the final choice by the White team. Joining Pickart are junior transfer guard Michael Kuebler, junior forward Phil Martin, senior forward Paul Jesinskis, freshman center Milos Zivanovic, freshman forward Dane Dmitrovic and senior guards Lance Takaki and Ryne Holliday.
Jackson's Green team includes junior center Haim Shimonovich, sophomore swingman Vaidotas Pecuikas, junior point guard Jason Carter, sophomore forward Tony Akpan, freshman forward Ikaika Alama-Francis, junior guard Ramsey Williams and sophomore guard Gabe Lombard.
Assisting Burke will be Honolulu Star-Bulletin sports columnist Kalani Simpson and UH student Julia Harris. Wheeler's assistants are Honolulu Advertiser sports columnist Ferd Lewis and UH student Nick Masciangelo.
Wallace said he will appear as the "Fat Bastard" character from the Austin Powers movie "The Spy Who Shagged Me."
"I loved the '70s," said Wallace. "If I could find it, I'd wear my powder-blue leisure suit with my powder-blue aloha shirt.
"It's going to be a fun night. It's always fun to start the season and to watch the new players when they turn the lights on. We're excited with four starters back on a team projected to finish in the top two in the league."
The intrasquad scrimmage begins at 12:10 a.m. Saturday, the first day organized practice is allowed by the NCAA.
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