Carter using camp
to learn to take it easy
Hawaii guard Jason Carter crackles with energy when he steps on the basketball court.
The 5-foot-10 senior's quickness to the hoop and explosive leaping ability can spark a team and get the hometown fans jumping. But Carter knows the key to earning more playing time for the Rainbow Warriors this season will be learning to control the electricity he brings to the floor.
Carter returns for his second year in the UH program and for him to earn a starting job in coach Riley Wallace's offense, he'll have to prove he can operate the attack efficiently.
"It's getting my mind into it, getting everybody into it and just slowing down like 20 miles per hour," Carter said. "Just keeping myself under control and getting the offense started."
The duels for the guard jobs figures to be two of the key position battles of the Rainbows' preseason practices.
Carter and sophomore Logan Lee are competing at the point guard spot. Senior Michael Kuebler and junior transfer Jake Sottos are working at shooting guard. The deciding factor in playing time could come down to which combination works best together.
"The guard positions will be the toughest," Wallace said. "One's only as good as the other one usually. If you don't have good point guard to go with the (shooting) guards we've had, then it's not good because the ball's not on time. The timing is the thing."
While Carter is familiar with the system, Lee is trying to pick up the patterns.
"During practice I'm just taking it all in," Lee said. "Just watching what goes on, watching what JC does, figuring out how he does things, how Kuebler does things and just trying to take after them because they've been here and they know what it takes."
Lee feels the competition for playing time will benefit the squad in the long run.
"If there wasn't we wouldn't have a good team, so we're going to be battling it out," he said.
Shimonovich hurt: Senior center Haim Shimonovich stepped out of practice on Sunday and sat out yesterday's workout after tendonitis in his achilles flared up.
Shimonovich was in a protective boot yesterday, which UH trainer Melody Toth said he'll probably wear for another week. She said his prognosis after that is difficult to assess.
The 6-foot-10 Shimonovich averaged 7.4 points and 6.5 rebounds last year. Nkeruwem Akpan, his primary backup last season, is now on the football team.
With Shimonovich sidelined, 6-11 sophomore Milos Zivanovic played a more prominent role in practice yesterday and held his ground in a physical battle in the paint with 6-8 senior Paul Jesinskis.
"He's added a little weight and strength in the weight room and it seems to be working for him," Wallace said. "He and Paul went at it pretty good today and he got some results out of it, Paul's a banger."
Slam Dunk on Thursday: Tickets are available for the Rainbow Warrior Slam Dunk fund-raiser set for Thursday at the Stan Sheriff Center.
The event starts 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 for sports memorabilia, sporting goods, and travel packages will be held.
Tickets are $100 and are available at the UH basketball office (956-6501) and can be purchased by phone at 944-BOWS or on the Internet at www.etickethawaii.com.
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ASSOCIATED PRESS / 2002
Hawaii quarterback Tim Chang, who has thrown 10 TDs in his last two games, struggled last year against UTEP.
Improving Miners
concern Warriors
Texas-El Paso is not what you would call a good football team. But this year's Miners are certainly better than the group that went 2-10 last year.
Hawaii coach June Jones believes so. His Warriors (4-3, 3-1 Western Athletic Conference) host UTEP (2-5, 1-1) on Saturday at Aloha Stadium.
"On both sides of the ball they're better than they were. And they're playing hard. Their coach has done a nice job. It seems like the players rally up and play for him," Jones said yesterday at his weekly news conference.
Last year UH beat UTEP in El Paso 31-6. But the Miners managed to do what Louisiana Tech and Fresno State have not done the past two weeks -- control Warriors quarterback Tim Chang.
Chang, who has back-to-back five-touchdown-pass games, completed only nine of 27 passes for 85 yards with a TD and an interception against the Miners last year. He was relieved by Shawn Withy-Allen.
"The score last year is not indicative of that game," Jones said. "In 2000 and 2002 they shut us down probably more than anybody."
UTEP, which had a bye last weekend, arrives in Hawaii tomorrow.
Just enough: Hawaii's defense gave up 623 yards in its 44-41 victory at Louisiana Tech on Saturday -- the most since yielding 632 to San Diego State last year and sixth most in school history.
Jones said the Warriors were successful in their goal of limiting the Bulldogs' prolific passing game (405 yards), but poor tackling helped allow running back Ryan Moats to rush for 267 yards.
"We wanted to zone blitz them quite a bit. We did a good job with that," Jones said. "But we missed a lot of tackles. Completely free in the backfield, and just whiffed. You gotta make the play when you get there. If we make those plays it takes them out of what they want to do. They don't run it as much."
Jones said he was impressed with Moats.
"He's a good player. He was a good player on tape, but we made him look a lot better," he said. "Very shifty and he's north and south. The combination of those two things is pretty effective."
Cockheran sore: UH receiver Jeremiah Cockheran is day-to-day after re-aggravating the ankle sprain that already cost him two games.
"It will probably end up a game-day (decision whether to play him), about the same as he was last week," Jones said. "I ran a screen with him, which I knew at the time might risk re-injuring him, and sure enough it did."
Cockheran caught six passes for 102 yards and a touchdown.
He leads UH with 106.0 yards per game.
Sacramento State bailing?: Jones said he doesn't think Sacramento State is a viable team for the WAC.
"I don't think so," Jones said. "They're trying to get out of our game with us."
The Hornets are scheduled to play UH at Aloha Stadium next Sept. 11.
Sacramento State athletic director Terry Wanless was unavailable for comment yesterday.
Around the WAC: Southern Methodist starting quarterback Richard Bartel is no longer with the team and will transfer at the end of the semester, coach Phil Bennett said, two days after the Mustangs (0-7) lost to Boise State 45-3.
After the game, Bennett said Bartel would be benched for the rest of the season and replaced with freshman Chris Phillips.
