Hello, bye. Perfect timing for bye
Basketball notebook By Dave Reardon
dreardon@starbulletin.comThe Hawaii football team welcomed its second bye week of the season with an entertaining young-guys scrimmage Monday and a no-pads afternoon practice yesterday. The off-week came just in time for coach June Jones.
"Nice timing," Jones said after yesterday's one-hour session for the offense and hour-and-a-half for defense. "We get two weeks to prepare for a difficult offense (Rice's option) and we have some injuries, so we have a chance to get well."
One of those injured players is sophomore inside receiver Chad Owens, who has missed three games with a knee sprain. Owens said yesterday his rehab is going fine, but that he won't be ready for the game at Rice a week from Saturday.
"I wouldn't think he'd be ready for the Cincinnati game either," Jones said. "But maybe we'll get lucky."
Junior defensive ends Travis LaBoy and Houston Ala, who both have tender ankles, should both be ready for Rice. Junior wide receiver Jeremiah Cockheran (groin) and sophomore running backs Michael Bass (knee) and Michael Brewster (ankle) should also be back to full strength.
Junior defensive tackle Lui Fuga, injured in the first game of the season, said his broken ankle might be rehabbed well enough for him to play in the ConAgra Foods Hawaii Bowl on Christmas.
Senior special teams standout and running back Jonathan Kauka, who blew out his knee on Sept. 6 against Brigham Young, has no such hope for a holiday revival.
"I don't even have a leg yet," said Kauka, pointing toward his heavily bandaged right leg.
Sophomore wide receiver Mark Tate (knee) said he needs at least another two weeks.
"Hopefully I'll be cleared soon," he said.
Getting ready: The UH defense walked through its schemes for stopping, or at least slowing, Rice, which has the Western Athletic Conference's most prolific rushing offense.
The Owls (4-5, 3-3 WAC) average 260.7 yards on the ground per game, and ran for a season-high 427 yards in last week's 33-18 win at Tulsa.
Sophomore quarterback Greg Henderson made his first career start and rushed for 141 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries.
The Warriors have been getting ready for Rice since last spring.
"We do that every year," Jones said. "Every year we have a week or four or five days that we do some option during the week."
Sophomore linebacker Chad Kapanui could see a lot of action against the Owls.
"It's a new defense for everyone. Playing Rice, it's all about assignment football. We don't play against option very much, so it's perfect timing that we don't have a game this week."
It also allows Kapanui more time to spend with his first child, Chad Jr., who was born Tuesday night.
Junior safety David Gilmore's role will also be somewhat different against Rice. He will play closer to the line of scrimmage, almost like another linebacker, in some situations.
"Option football is totally different for everybody," he said. "We have to really focus in on our keys. This team is dangerous. They've got a lot of speed."
Jackson's condition: Reports are conflicting on the condition of former UH defensive back Nate Jackson, who is at Queen's with a serious viral infection and heart problem that requires surgery.
Warriors graduate assistant Jacob Espiau, Jackson's fellow starting safety in 2000 and 2001, said Jackson's improvement has been relatively steady since he went into the hospital Oct. 24.
"I've seen him three of four times, and each time he's better," Espiau said. "I saw him on Monday, I'll probably see him again (tomorrow)."
Jones has been by to see Jackson several times.
"I haven't heard how he is today," Jones said yesterday afternoon. "I heard (Wednesday) he took a turn for the worse."
Jackson was not receiving visitors yesterday, and a Queen's official said the hospital is not allowed to reveal his condition.
Double Singletary to Baylor?: If NFL Hall-of-Famer Mike Singletary becomes head coach at Baylor, replacing the fired Kevin Steele, UH defensive line coach Vantz Singletary might join the Bears staff.
"It would be something to look at, no question," said Vantz, a nephew of Mike and a Houston native.
Vantz Singletary came close to joining the Baylor staff last summer, but decided to remain at Hawaii.
Short yardage: Former UH linebacker Joe Correia was working out yesterday afternoon, getting ready for NFL Europe. Correia said the San Francisco 49ers want him to try playing tight end in the league that goes from April to June. ... Former Warriors quarterback Jared Flint and running back/defensive back Rob Grant were also running on the soccer practice field. They are possibilities for the Hawaiian Islanders arenafootball2 team.
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Preseason awards and rankings mean nothing to Carl English. What the Hawaii junior guard is looking for is respect at the end of the season. WAC poll means
little to EnglishBy Cindy Luis
cluis@starbulletin.comThe Rainbows were ranked second behind Tulsa in Monday's Western Athletic Conference coaches' preseason poll. English was tabbed as the preseason player of the year and was the only UH player named to the 10-member preseason All-WAC team.
"It doesn't mean anything," he said after Monday's practice. "We've won the WAC two years in a row, beat Tulsa the last four times, and still they don't give us any respect. We'll just have to go out and do it again.
"Our biggest thing is getting back to the (NCAA) tournament. I don't care how we get there. The big thing is we've been there twice and lost twice. It's all about winning at that time of year, not the preseason stuff."
What does matter is how the team is coming together with six new players to work in and an offense trying to replace last year's seniors -- Predrag Savovic, Mike McIntyre and Mindaugas Burneika. Already working himself into a starting role is 6-foot-6 sophomore swingman Vaidotas Peciukas, who saved the team from running sprints when he hit nine consecutive free throws at the end of practice. (Junior center Haim Shimonovich nailed the 10th one to let the team out early).
"All the new guys are catching on real well," said English. "I tell them that without them, we're nothing. We've got to be as deep as we can be.
"The guys are going hard. It's tough when you're banging up on each other every day. You just want to go out and beat up on someone else."
Hawaii opens with an exhibition game on Nov. 17 against the EA Sports California All-Stars. The Rainbows put their 12-game home win streak on the line Nov. 22 against Arkansas-Little Rock in the Hawaiian Airlines Tip-Off Tournament.
Hawaii coach Riley Wallace voted Tulsa No. 1 in the preseason poll. Coaches could not vote for their own teams or players.
Early signees: The fall signing period for basketball runs from Nov. 13-20 and the Rainbows are 50 percent done. Hawaii has received two solid verbal -- but nonbinding -- commitments for its four available scholarships.
Committing early are Logan Lee, a 6-2 freshman point guard at South Plains (Texas) College and 6-8 sophomore forward Jeff Blackett of Salt Lake Community College.
Iolani School senior Bobby Nash, a 6-6 forward and son of UH associate head coach Bob Nash apparently has not committed to Hawaii. A report in Tuesday's Star-Bulletin said he had, based on reliable sources.
Nash had an unofficial visit to UNLV last weekend. His older sister, Erika, is the assistant women's volleyball coach there.
It is unlikely UH will sign four players this month. The spring period runs April 16-May 15.
Issues, issues: Hawaii will also have just four scholarships to award in 2004-05, for a team total of 12, down one from the NCAA maximum of 13. The Rainbows got back Luc-Arthur Vebobe's scholarship this season (Vebobe left in mid-February to play professionally in Europe) but cannot use the scholarship given to freshman Dane Dmitrovic, who returned home last month to Slovenia, until next year.
"It's a stupid rule and the coaches hope to get it changed," said Wallace. "If a kid is run out of the program, that's one thing. But if he leaves on his own, there's no reason to penalize the program. Georgia State had a kid killed in an accident and they couldn't use that scholarship."
Deadlines coming up: Tomorrow is the last day for new season-ticket purchases. It is also the deadline to make reservations for the booster club's 18th Tip-Off Banquet, next Thursday at the Stan Sheriff Center.
The no-host cocktail reception begins at 6 p.m., followed by a buffet at 7 p.m. Tickets are $50.
For information, call 956-6501.
