Medical tests
keep Wallace
out of practice

The Rainbow Warriors'
63-year-old basketball coach
is expected to return
to the gym Friday

The Hawaii basketball team began preparations for the Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic yesterday without head coach Riley Wallace.

Wallace is undergoing precautionary tests at Kaiser Medical Center and is expected to miss most of the Rainbow Warriors' practices this week.

Wallace, 63, had a routine physical on Monday and stayed overnight to conduct the tests. The nature of the tests was not disclosed.

The team will practice this afternoon and has the day off tomorrow. Wallace is expected to return for Friday's practice.

"He's taking all the precautions because we have time off now," UH associate coach Bob Nash said. "We've got some days off, so it's the best time for him to go in and have everything checked out."

"He went in and because we have the time off it's a perfect time for him to stay in and do a thorough check rather than going to practice and back to the doctor. It could affect the test, so we said, 'Stay in, have it checked out and we'll run things until you get back.' "

UH (5-0), the three-time defending Rainbow Classic champion, faces Long Beach State (1-5) on Monday in the opening round of the 41st tournament.

Nash, associate coach Jackson Wheeler and assistant Bob Burke ran the team's workout yesterday afternoon at Gym I.

UH junior Julian Sensley said the players were informed about Wallace's absence before practice.

"We were concerned about him," Sensley said. "We know he's a strong individual and we'll have him back Thursday or Friday. We just have to get through this week without him, fight through it and wait for him to get back."

Following UH's 84-77 win over Saint Mary's on Saturday, the Rainbows didn't practice Sunday and Monday.

The coaches and players cited the combination of the time off, the stress of studying for final exams, and Wallace's absence for a sluggish workout yesterday.

"It wasn't one of our better practices, but we tried to get some things done," Nash said. "Having two days off and guys studying for exams, it wasn't our best efforts, but we'll come back tomorrow.

"(Wallace is) our leader so obviously things were a little out of whack. We'll bounce back tomorrow and try to get ready for a very good Long Beach State team."

Wallace, who won his 300th career game earlier this season, has weathered several health problems over his 17-plus years as UH head coach.

Wallace collapsed at the 1992 Western Athletic Conference tournament, which doctors attributed to a severe headache caused by stress-related TMJ (temporomandibular joint syndrome). He underwent an angioplasty for a blocked artery in 1998 and had brain surgery to remove two subdural hematomas during a trip to Las Vegas in 2002.

Blackett rests: Senior forward Jeff Blackett sat out most of yesterday's practice as he continues to recover from a concussion suffered in the second half against Saint Mary's.

Blackett warmed up with the team, but was held out of drills that might involve contact.

"He felt better, but we didn't want to push things," Nash said.

Blackett had a dunk attempt blocked and went to the floor in the second half of Saturday's game. He was then accidentally kicked in the head as he tried to get up. He left the game for a few minutes, but returned late in the contest.

"I remember going up for the shot, but then I don't remember what happened," said Blackett, who hasn't watched footage of the play.

Blackett said a stiff neck is the only lingering effect and hopes to be cleared to practice today.