[ UH BASKETBALL ]
Bobby Nash of Electricians Hawaii went up for a shot against a pair of players for John Hancock yesterday.
UH’s Sensley and Nash
team up in summer leagueThe pair of Rainbows get time on
the court together playing
for Electricians Hawaii
There are no shot clocks at Manoa Gym for the NCAA Summer Basketball League.
They're not needed.
Electricians Hawaii and John Hancock combined for 120 flings from the field in the Electricians' 87-79 victory last night.
About 150 fans crowded the small gym as both teams went to 1-1.
Three shots a minute is actually a pretty low average for summer league, where the name of the game is always run and gun.
Current University of Hawaii players Julian Sensley and Bobby Nash -- enjoying more offensive freedom then they'll have in the winter -- led EH with 27 and 20 points.
Nash, going into his second season at UH, also turned in an impressive floor game with 10 rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocks. He also took a charge.
"The more he plays, the better he gets," EH coach Artie Wilson said. "He's hungry."
Nash is spending most of his time this summer running, lifting weights and shooting baskets. Rail thin when he graduated from Iolani School last year, Nash is filling out and now has 195 pounds on his 6-foot-6 frame.
"I don't have summer school this year because I did well last semester," Nash said. "I'm concentrating on getting better in basketball, and taking on more of a leadership role on the team."
He's working on his ballhandling this summer, and might compete for playing time at point guard in addition to the wing positions this season.
"You have to be versatile to play. Dribbling the ball, coming off screens, those are some of the things I want to get better at. You don't want to be one-dimensional."
Sensley said Nash is on his way to fulfilling great potential.
"Bobby's by far our hardest worker. He's come a long way from the beginning of (last) season, especially physically," Sensley said. "By the time he's done, he's going to be one of the best players to ever come out of Hawaii."
Rashaun Broadus of Electricians Hawaii drove to the basket last night during the win against John Hancock.
Many feel the same about Sensley, who played well at small forward for the Rainbow Warriors last season as a sophomore.
Last night the former Kalaheo star contributed four dunks, four rebounds, three steals, two assists and a block, despite arriving right before tip-off.
Nash opened the game's scoring with a reverse layup, but John Hancock took a 7-2 lead with former UH forward Mindaugas Burneika scoring five of his eight points.
Electricians Hawaii took the lead for good when Sensley's 3-pointer made it 24-22 at 9:35 of the first half. He then hit a driving bucket after a steal by Julian Nakanishi, and Jesse Shields drove for a layup to complete a 7-0 run.
Former Chaminade forward Jose Jube led John Hancock with 25 points and Nick Spajic, who played for Hawaii Pacific, scored 11. Team members Jube, Spajic, Nash Subotic, Nerijus Puida, Dejan Miladinovic and Fabio Ribeiro all work for the Honolulu office of the financial-services company.
In the second game, Mango Moon beat Grantco Pacific 90-87 as Vaidotas Peciukas led the way with 30 points. Grantco was led by Derek Noyes with 25.
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Frost leaving Hawaii
basketball
Jed Frost is leaving the Hawaii basketball program after three years as the team's director of basketball operations.
Frost and his wife, Beth Ellen, plan to return home to Kansas City, Mo., next week to pursue other career opportunities.
"There are a lot of options but nothing concrete yet," Frost said yesterday.
"We're just real appreciative of everything I've experienced," he said. "I got to be here for three postseasons in a row and they're going to have a great team again next season. I've had the opportunity to be a part of a solid program, and I learned a lot from the staff."
Frost assumed the newly created position of director of basketball operations in 2001. He was involved with various aspects of the program's operations during the season and organized the Rainbow Basketball Camp in the summers.
Although it's a part-time position, UH head coach Riley Wallace said Frost put in full shifts during his time with the Rainbow Warriors.
"It was like having a full-time coach," Wallace said. "He worked full-time with it at very little pay, so I was really pleased with him, the effort that he gave and the energy he put in the program. The relationships he had with the people around here were very good, especially with the players. You miss people like that."
Wallace said he is looking to fill the position for next season.
Frost, a Missouri graduate, said he would like to stay on the coaching track. He was a high school coach in Missouri for four years and spent one season as a volunteer assistant at Iowa State before joining the UH staff. Wallace is confident Frost will have a bright future in the profession.
"He knows the game, he knows the work ethic it takes and I think he can go out and recruit," Wallace said. "If I had a position open he would get it."
