When basketball fans settle into their seats at the Cannon Activities Center in Laie, they have the right to expect a few things. Seasiders winning
with the guys on the sideBy Jerry Campany
jcampany@starbulletin.comThey will see Alexus Foyle fly and Scott Salisbury defend his turf in the paint and figure that those two sights are well worth the price of admission.
But you can only stare at the "Mona Lisa" for so long before your eyes start to wander. Then, what Seasiders coach Ken Wagner believes is the true beauty of his basketball team -- those who put Salisbury and Foyle in position to amaze -- surfaces.
"I actually really do have a lot of confidence in everyone on this team," Wagner said. "We have a lot of players on our bench who would have started for us in the past."
That supporting cast includes point guards Shawn Opunui and Jeremy Frampton, who has been out with a sprained ankle but is expected to return tonight against Chaminade if he can get over the illness that has gripped the team this week. It was when Frampton got hurt that the Seasiders' advantage in depth became evident.
Opunui didn't have to take on more of a role with his partner in the backcourt out, because little-known Spencer Lynn came in and matched Frampton's production. After contributing eight points in the Seasiders' win over Hawaii Pacific, Lynn exploded on Hawaii-Hilo for 17. The win against the Vulcans was a coming-out party for Beau Nobmann as well, as he put up 15 points to raise his average to 4.8.
Salisbury and Foyle make up 48 percent of the Seasiders' scoring this year, but the other 52 percent comes from everywhere.
The Seasiders have nine players averaging more than 10 minutes a game. And with Salisbury and Foyle eating up 63.4 minutes by themselves, there is not much more to go around, so Wagner's super-subs have to make every opportunity on the floor count.
"It takes a special person to practice hard all week and stay committed to getting better when you are not sure if you are going to play," Wagner said. "Someone like C.J. Fellers ... when he does get his minutes he gets the stats to go along with it."
And Wagner says he might have more talent that he hasn't used. Matt Winans is stuck behind Foyle -- who leads the nation in scoring -- and makes his contribution by defending Foyle in practice.
"He has not really had a chance yet, but he is a pretty good player," Wagner said. "But it's a long season and you are going to need every one of them at some point in time. They really are the key; Scott and Flex (Foyle) are great, but if they don't have the support it becomes a big mess."
Steady climb: The Seasiders moved up one spot in the regional rankings to No. 3 this week. They have moved up one spot in each of the past three weeks. The top team at the end of the season gets the opportunity to host, while the top eight teams get invitations to the dance.
Cal State San Bernardino (13-4) took over the top spot from Humboldt State (16-2), which dropped to second. The Coyotes lost their first four games of the season but responded by winning their next 13.
Hawaii-Hilo dropped from No. 3 to No. 7 after losing a shootout at BYUH, and Hawaii Pacific jumped back into the top 10 with a win over Chaminade. The Sea Warriors may be on their way back off the list, though, as they lost at Hilo earlier this week.
Ranked: Although the Seasiders trail the Coyotes in the regional poll, they are ahead of them in the national poll.
The Seasiders broke into the National Association of Basketball Coaches' Top 25 earlier this week, the first time in school history their were ranked in an NCAA poll. The Seasiders jumped all the way up to No. 20, three spots better than Cal State San Bernardino, which also entered the poll.
Humboldt State dropped from No. 2 to No. 4.
Holding down the fort: Hawaii-Hilo started advertising its volleyball coaching position Wednesday and will start reviewing applications Feb. 21.
Sharon Peterson retired after 25 years at the post to leave it vacant after last season.
Hilo athletic director Kathleen McNally says that she has already received a number of applications from the mainland and expects even more. Assistant coach Kawaileleohi'ilawe -- who has been Peterson's top assistant for the past two years and worked for her from 1994 to '98 -- is running the team in the interim and says he will apply for the job, especially after the past month of recruiting players to a program with no head coach.
"It's tough, but I am upfront with them," Kawaileleohi'ilawe said. "Most of the kids are pretty good about it; the question they ask me most is if I am applying. I'm just trying to keep things going."
Tennis, anyone?: Brigham Young-Hawaii will begin its defense of its national championship in men's tennis tonight against Gustuvas Adolphus. The women will begin defense of their national championship Tuesday against Chaminade.
The Seasiders' first scheduled clash with the No. 2 Sea Warriors is scheduled for Feb. 19, when Jan Krejci of BYUH and Mikael Maata of HPU are expected to renew their rivalry.
Krejci is ranked No. 1 in the nation and has won 10 straight singles matches, the last loss coming to Maata in April. Maata is ranked No. 4.
BYUH's women are expected to roll through the Pacific West Conference season with freshman Anna Anikanova, who is ranked No. 1 in the nation despite not playing a match yet.
The Seasiders have won 29 matches in a row.