DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Hawaii center Haim Shimonovich did not make the 'Bows' road trip due to a sprained knee.
UH begins
daunting road tripThe 'Bows play three straight
away from Stan Sheriff Center
Taken as a whole, the Hawaii basketball team's week-long journey across the mainland can be intimidating.
Hawaii at Boise State
When: Tomorrow, 4:30 p.m.
Where: BSU Pavilion
TV: None
Radio: Live, 1420-AM
Internet: uhathletics.hawaii.edu
The Rainbow Warriors began the trip yesterday by flying to Idaho, where they'll face Boise State tomorrow in a Western Athletic Conference contest. They will then hop a flight to St. Louis on Thursday and take a bus to Carbondale, Ill., in advance of their ESPN Bracket Buster game at nationally ranked Southern Illinois on Saturday.
A few hours after the buzzer sounds to close the SIU game (which tips off at 11 p.m. Central time) early Sunday morning, the team will head south and play WAC contender Texas-El Paso on Monday night.
So instead of fretting over the cumulative miles they'll cover over the next week, the 'Bows are focusing on the step directly ahead of them.
"That's what we've been doing the whole season, just taking one game at a time," UH sophomore guard Logan Lee said. "If we look at Southern Illinois more than our next game, which is at Boise, we're going to have a tough time. So we just have to concentrate on the first game and take it step by step."
Five of Hawaii's last seven regular-season games are away from the Stan Sheriff Center and the Rainbows will try to protect their place atop the conference standings at Boise State tomorrow.
The 'Bows enter the week at 17-5 overall and 9-3 in the WAC and are percentage points ahead of second-place Nevada (16-7, 10-4).
Boise State (15-8, 7-6) is tied with Fresno State for fifth place in the conference after splitting road games against Nevada and FSU last week.
Hawaii won its first meeting with Boise State 64-58 on Jan. 24. Boise State was short-handed in that game as coach Greg Graham kept four players on the bench due to disciplinary reasons, including starting guard Bryan Defares.
Two players who had prominent roles in that first meeting will not be on the court for tomorrow's rematch.
UH center Haim Shimonovich, who had 12 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots against the Broncos, did not make the trip due to a sprained right knee. His absence in the middle will even out the size matchup for the Broncos, whose tallest starters are 6-foot-7 forwards Jason Ellis and Aaron Haynes.
"(Shimonovich) was a big factor in our game over there," Graham said. "He's a big strong power player who can do a lot of damage inside. ... Having him out you would think would be advantageous to us, but at the same point that means other guys step up."
Junior forward Jeff Blackett is slated to make his first career start for UH alongside forwards Phil Martin and Julian Sensley.
"It takes away any advantage we might have height-wise, but we'll be quicker (with Blackett)," Hawaii coach Riley Wallace said.
BSU swingman Jermaine Blackburn, the Broncos' leading scorer with 19.5 points per game, has missed the last two games with a shoulder injury, and Graham said the junior probably won't suit up tomorrow.
Haynes is the team's second-leading scorer with 13.9 ppg, while Ellis ranks second in the WAC with 9.3 rebounds per game. Ellis had 20 points and 16 rebounds in BSU's loss at Nevada last week. Freshman Coby Karl averaged 15.5 points in the two road games.
With the teams meeting for the second time this season, the squad that adjusts to the other's tendencies figures to have the edge in a series in which four of the five meetings have been decided by six points or less.
"Boise's a completely different team and we have some new looks, too," Lee said. "So we have to listen to Coach (Bob) Nash with the scouting report and listen to Coach Wallace and we'll be fine."
Poll watching: Last week's split at home cost UH points in both national polls. The 'Bows had one point in this week's Associated Press poll, down from 23 a week ago. They received five in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll.
Southern Illinois moved up to No. 20 in the AP poll and No. 21 in the coaches' poll.
Fresh face: Nevada freshman Nick Fazekas was named the WAC Player of the Week yesterday for his role in the Wolf Pack's sweep at home.
Fazekas posted 21 points and seven rebounds against Boise State last Thursday. He had 32 points, 15 rebounds, four blocked shots and two steals as the Wolf Pack routed UTEP 92-63 last Saturday. He made 20 of 30 shots, including three 3-pointers, during the week.
Guard Michael Kuebler was Hawaii's nominee for the award.
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WAC standings
Tomorrow (All times Hawaii time)
Conference All Games W L Pct. W L Pct. Hawaii 9 3 .750 17 5 .773 Nevada 10 4 .714 16 7 .696 UTEP 9 4 .692 18 5 .783 Rice 8 4 .667 16 7 .696 Boise St. 7 6 .538 15 8 .652 Fresno St. 7 6 .538 11 11 .500 Louisiana Tech 6 7 .462 12 11 .522 SMU 4 9 .308 10 13 .435 Tulsa 3 10 .231 7 15 .318 San Jose St. 1 11 .083 6 16 .273
Fresno State at Tulsa, 3:05 p.m.
Nevada at Rice, 3:05 p.m.
Hawaii at Boise State, 4:30 p.m.
