Madness begins Friday
Before the business of preparing for a new season begins in earnest Saturday afternoon, the Hawaii basketball team will enjoy one more night of fun and games.
The Rainbow Warriors open practice for the new season with Midnight Ohana at the Stan Sheriff Center beginning Friday night and stretching into Saturday morning, giving fans their first look at this year's squad while providing the team's newcomers a chance to introduce themselves.
"That's what it's all about," UH coach Riley Wallace said. "It gets the glitter off for the new guys because there's usually a decent crowd there and it gives (the fans) a chance to come out and get a sneak preview of what's going on."
Saturday is the first day teams can hold practices. The Rainbows will then have a month to prepare for an exhibition game with Brigham Young-Hawaii on Nov. 17 and the season-opener against UC-Santa Barbara on Nov. 21.
Gates open at 8 p.m. Friday. The festivities begin with a mini-carnival and entertainment provided by Vaihi, Chant and Imua. The basketball portion begins close to midnight with the introduction of the men's and women's teams.
Admission is free. VIP seats along the sideline are available for $50 each.
This year's Midnight Ohana -- with the theme "Time to Rock" -- will feature two of the top shooters in the program's history as Trevor Ruffin and Alika Smith return to serve as honorary coaches for the intrasquad scrimmage.
Ruffin will team with associate coach Jackson Wheeler to coach one squad, while Smith will join assistant coach Bob Burke on the other end of the court.
The UH men will try to defend their title in the annual 3-point shooting contest against the Wahine. Last year, Michael Kuebler snapped the men's team's three-year losing streak to the women. This year, the duty will fall to newcomer Jake Sottos, a junior who made 127 shots behind the arc last season for Southeastern (Iowa) Community College.
Wahine coach Vince Goo said he hasn't decided who will represent his team.
"We'll try to surprise them," Goo said. "I don't want to give away any secrets."
The slam dunk contest will feature seniors Jason Carter and Phil Martin and transfers Julian Sensley and Jeff Blackett.
The morning's activities will then close with the intrasquad scrimmage.
The team will be split tomorrow night in a draft at the basketball office. Kuebler is the Rainbows' leading returning scorer after averaging 12.2 points per game as a junior, while Martin averaged 11.5 points and 5.7 rebounds last season. Sensley, Sottos and point guard Logan Lee are among the team's top newcomers.
This year's Midnight Ohana will also include a reception for all former members of the men's and women's teams starting at 9 p.m. at the Sheriff Center's hospitality room.
Wallace at NABC meeting: With practice starting up around the country, the college basketball community will try to put a troubling offseason behind it.
Since the end of last season, scandals -- ranging from recruiting violations to the murder of Baylor player Patrick Dennehey, a case in which a teammate is a primary suspect -- have shaken programs across the country.
The turmoil prompted the National Association of Basketball Coaches to hold a preseason meeting this week in Chicago.
"It's to straighten up, clean up the act and work on our image because it's tarnished," Wallace said. "Try to straighten things out before it gets any worse."
Wallace left for the meeting last night. He will then attend the Western Athletic Conference's media day in Dallas before returning for Midnight Ohana on Friday.
The NABC meeting will give Wallace a chance to catch up with former UH standout Carl English. English is trying to make the Indiana Pacers roster and will be in the Windy City today for a preseason game against the Chicago Bulls.
Slam Dunk coming up: One week after Midnight Ohana, the basketball program will host its first Rainbow Warriors Slam Dunk fundraiser at the Stan Sheriff Center.
The event is set for Oct. 23 starting at 6 p.m. and will feature entrees from Auntie Pasto's, Big City Diner, Compadres, Dixie Grill, Gordon Biersch, Henry Loui's, Sodexho and Warren Seta of Las Vegas.
Silent and live auctions will be held for sports memorabilia, sporting goods and travel packages.
Tickets are $100 and are available at the Stan Sheriff Center ticket office, or by calling the UH men's basketball office at 956-6501 or the UH ticket hotline at 944-BOWS. They can also be purchased on the Internet at .
