GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Hawaii guard Carl English warmed up during media day yesterday at the Stan Sheriff Center. The junior was named preseason WAC Player of the Year.
Wallace mulls He's been around for the past three years. He knows that this is going to be a special season.
options at center
4 of the starting spots
are wrapped up
by returning playersBy Cindy Luis
cluis@starbulletin.com"The personality has changed, but it's a still a good group of talented guys," said senior walk-on guard Lance Takaki during yesterday's media day at the Stan Sheriff Center. "I think the team has jelled more earlier this year. A lot is weighing on (senior point guard) Mark Campbell. He's got to score more.
"The team wants to win for the coaches and the fans and for each other."
Takaki, also the senior jokester on the team, penciled in his starting lineup for this Sunday's exhibition game against the EA Sports West All Stars. If given his way, the 5-foot-4 Takaki would start himself ... at center.
All joking aside, his lineup would include junior guard Carl English, the preseason Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year; junior forward Phil Martin; junior center Haim Shimonovich; and Campbell at point. The fifth spot is open -- as it is in coach Riley Wallace's mind.
The choices include newcomers Michael Kuebler, a 6-5 junior pure shooter, and 6-6 sophomore Vaidotas Peciukas, whose offense is a little ahead of his defense.
Sophomore center Nkeruwem "Tony" Akpan and 6-11 redshirt freshman center Milos Zivanovic have been impressive the past few weeks of workouts. Transfer Jason Carter, a 5-10 junior guard, has also added speed and quickness to the motion offense as he transitions to the Division I game.
"It's a lot different going from JUCO to Coach Wallace," Carter said. "I think we're going to go pretty far this season and it's about time we started getting into some other faces.
"This is what I was expecting DI basketball to be and I'm looking at us going to the Big Dance (NCAA Tournament)."
Wallace, beginning his 16th season, isn't making any bold predictions for an unprecedented third trip to the NCAA Tournament. But he's pleased with the progress of the team that comes in off a school-best 27-6 record.
"We're still adding stuff and we want to get in as much as we can before Sunday," Wallace said. "We'll have a lot of time in December to work on things, but Sunday is a test and we will play to win.
"We'll see how well the new guys respond when you turn on the lights. You have practice players and you have game players. When the lights come on, they can't be practice players. The question is how good of game players they are."
Notes: Sunday's exhibition is scheduled for 5 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center. Expected to be on the EA Sports West roster is former Rainbow guard Mike McIntyre. ... After opening with four straight losses, EA Sports West has won its last two games. Last night, the All Stars defeated Oregon State 85-76. On Sunday, they beat Cal State Northridge 76-62. The team plays at Utah tonight, at Nevada tomorrow and at California on Friday before making the trip to Hawaii. ... The Rainbow Booster Club Tip-Off Banquet is tomorrow at the Sheriff Center. Seats for the buffet dinner are still available at $50 each. No-host cocktails begin at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m. For more information, call 956-6501.
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