Sometimes the hectic pace of a college basketball road trip can be therapeutic. UH looks to bounce
back todayWallace may shake up
the lineup by starting AkpanBy Jason Kaneshiro
jkaneshiro@starbulletin.com
After dropping a heartbreaker at Louisiana Tech on Thursday, the Hawaii basketball team had little time to dwell on the loss as the Rainbows flew to Dallas for today's game at Southern Methodist.
When: Today, 4 p.m. Hawaii at SMU
Where: Moody Coliseum
TV: Live, Fox Sports Net
Radio: Live, 1420-AM
Internet: uhathletics.hawaii.edu
After a film session and study hall, the Rainbows shook off the sting of a 66-65 loss with a spirited workout at Moody Coliseum on the SMU campus.
"They bounced back," UH coach Riley Wallace said. "The resiliency of these kids is amazing, so I think we'll be ready to play."
Tip-off for the Western Athletic Conference game is set for 4 p.m. (Hawaii time). The game will be televised here on Fox Sports West.
The Rainbows are 1-6 on the road and Wallace is considering shaking up the starting lineup for the first time since mid-December by inserting Nkeruwem Akpan in place of Haim Shimonovich at center.
Shimonovich, who has started 52 consecutive games, struggled against Louisiana Tech in posting two points and two rebounds in 30 minutes. Akpan came off the bench to score 10 points.
"(Akpan) gives you the same thing every night," Wallace said. "He gives you the aggression and the hard work. His mistakes are usually because he's learning the game of basketball."
Hawaii (13-6 overall, 6-5 WAC) has won its last four meetings with SMU, but will face a hot Mustang squad today.
Since losing to the Rainbows 72-55 at the Stan Sheriff Center on Jan. 9, the Mustangs (11-9, 6-4) won six of their next eight games to climb back into the conference title chase.
Like their first meeting, today's game will again feature a duel between the WAC's top two scorers. UH guard Carl English leads the conference with 20.6 points per game, while SMU swingman Quinton Ross is right behind at 20.0 ppg.
SMU is the highest-scoring team in conference play, averaging 79.2 points in its WAC contests.
Freshman point guard Bryan Hopkins is second on the team in scoring (14.7 ppg) and has hit 28 3-point shots in conference play. Forward Patrick Simpson and center Eric Castro score just over 10 points per game.
"They've got firepower, there's no question about that," Wallace said. "Hopkins and Ross are two of the better offensive players in the league."
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Louisiana Tech's Bruce Edwards shot over Hawaii's Carl English on Thursday in Ruston, La. The Rainbows are still looking for their second road win this season.
Hopkins and Ross scored 20 points apiece on Thursday as the Mustangs rallied from a 10-point deficit to score an 82-69 victory over San Jose State.
Hawaii was led by Michael Kuebler's 27 points against Louisiana Tech. Kuebler and English accounted for 36 points in the Rainbows' first meeting with SMU. The Mustangs are last in the WAC in scoring defense, surrendering almost 76 points per game. But Wallace remains wary of the Mustangs' athleticism.
"They mix up their defenses and they do a lot of different things, so you have to be ready for all of it or they'll get you with it," Wallace said.
Short shots: Kuebler is third in the WAC in free-throw shooting, making 85 percent of his attempts from the line. Hopkins has made 47 of 52 free throws (93 percent) in WAC play, including his last 27 in a row, three short of the SMU record. ... Hawaii leads the series with SMU 7-5 and won last year's meeting in Dallas 85-76. ... Michael Farber's feature story on Carl English appears in this week's issue of Sports Illustrated.
WAC men's standings
WAC games Overall W L Pct. W L Fresno St. 9 2 .818 16 4 Nevada 7 3 .700 12 8 SMU 6 4 .600 11 9 Rice 5 4 .556 13 6 Hawaii 6 5 .545 13 6 Louisiana Tech 5 5 .500 8 9 Tulsa 4 5 .444 11 7 Boise St. 4 6 .400 10 10 San Jose St. 2 8 .200 5 14 UTEP 2 8 .200 4 15 Today
Rice at Tulsa
San Jose State at Louisiana Tech
Hawaii at SMU
Nevada at UTEP
Fresno State at Boise State
UH Athletics
