ASSOCIATED PRESS
Hawaii's Paul Jesinskis (40) and Julian Sensley (rear) battled Rice's Michael Harris (left) and Morris Almond (right) for a rebound during yesterday's WAC tournament game.
UH turns attention
to receiving NIT bid
FRESNO, Calif. >> All of a sudden the National Invitation Tournament doesn't sound all that bad.
With its hopes of reaching the NCAA Tournament snuffed by a 70-68 loss to Rice in the quarterfinals of the McCaffrey Western Athletic Conference tournament yesterday, the Hawaii basketball team must now hope for a second straight trip to the NIT.
"It wasn't something we were looking forward to, but now that we don't have anything else it looks pretty good," UH coach Riley Wallace said.
The Hawaii athletic department submitted a bid to host the first and second rounds of the NIT late last month and UH athletic director Herman Frazier said he has been in contact with NIT officials this week.
"Since I've been here I've already contacted the NIT twice to tell them about our team, and if we should not win the conference championship we would still have a wonderful desire to play in the NIT," Frazier said after yesterday's game.
The Rainbows have played in a postseason tournament each of the past three seasons. UH earned the WAC's automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament in 2001 and 2002 by winning the conference tournament and played in the NIT last year.
UH was sent on the road for the tournament and beat Nevada-Las Vegas before losing to Minnesota in the second round.
Frazier said the team's NIT hopes this year hinge on the outcome of the WAC tournament as well as other tournaments across the country.
"It's a wait-and-see attitude because there's so many other tournaments going on and you have to see what happens with the upsets among other things," he said.
Hawaii's struggles over the last month may work against the Rainbows' bid to enter the tournament as they lost seven of their last 10 games. But Frazier hopes other factors can convince NIT organizers to invite UH.
"One of the things they look at when they assign teams is the home attendance," he said. "And when you look at the seniors we have on our team and all the success we've had with them, I think we would have a good home crowd."
Lineup shakeup: Senior point guard Jason Carter made his first start since November in yesterday's game.
Wallace made the decision to start Carter over Logan Lee after Wednesday's practice as he sought to bring added energy to the floor. Carter last started on Nov. 25 against Chaminade in the semifinals of the Maui Invitational.
Carter and Lee both played 20 minutes yesterday. Carter hit two 3-pointers and finished with eight points and three assists. Lee had three points and three assists.
Banquet set: The Rainbow Basketball Awards Banquet will be held April 15 at the Hawaii Prince Hotel.
Tickets are $40 per person and $400 per table. Tickets for children under age 10 are $25.
No-host cocktails start at 6 p.m. with dinner to be served at 7 and an awards program to follow. For more information, call 225-2500 or 956-6501.
