DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM Jake Sottos of Hawaii shot over Fresno State's Dreike Bouldin during Saturday night's UH win.

Rainbows look to
hit jackpot

Hawaii needs to win the WAC
tournament to earn a berth in
the NCAA Tournament

Perhaps it's fitting that the Hawaii basketball team finds itself in Reno this week.

Like a lot of the folks sitting down at the tables in the casinos around town, the Rainbow Warriors arrived in Nevada with hopes of hitting a big jackpot in this week's Western Athletic Conference tournament.

2005 All-WAC Teams & Award Winners Player of the Year: Nick Fazekas, Nevada Freshman of the Year: Ramon Sessions, Nevada Don Haskins Coach of the Year: Mark Fox, Nevada All-Conference First Team: Nick Fazekas, Nevada, F, 6-11, 225, So.; Michael Harris, Rice, F, 6-6, 240, Sr.; Paul Millsap, Louisiana Tech, F, 6-8, 235, So.; Omar Thomas, UTEP, F, 6-5, 205, Sr.; Filiberto Rivera, UTEP, G, 6-2, 175, Sr. Second Team: Bryan Hopkins, SMU, G, 6-0, 195, Jr.; Kevinn Pinkney, Nevada, F, 6-9, 245, Sr.; Jason McKrieth, Rice, G, 6-4, 210, Sr.; Marquin Chandler, San Jose State, F, 6-7, 220, Sr.; Mustafa Al-Sayyad, Fresno State, C, 6-9, 230, Sr. All-Newcomer Team: Ja'Vance Coleman, Fresno State, G, 6-3, 215, So.; Ramon Sessions, Nevada, G, 6-3, 190, Fr.; Matt Gibson, Hawai'i, G, 6-5, 170, So.; Mo Charlo, Nevada, G, 6-7, 210, Jr.; Miguel Ayala, UTEP, G, 6-6, 190, Jr. All-Defensive Team: Al-Sayyad, Fresno State; Pinkney, Nevada; Jermaine Washington, Nevada, F, 6-5, 205, Sr.; Jarius Glenn, Tulsa, F, 6-6, 220, Sr.; Jason Williams, UTEP, G/F, 6-6, 205, Jr.; Jason Ellis, Boise State, F, 6-7, 216, Sr.

The odds are certainly stacked against the Rainbows and they'll need the cards to fall in their favor to claim the ultimate prize -- a trip to the NCAA Tournament. But there remains that hope that good fortune is just ahead.

"We've all said in the tournament we could turn it up a notch and win," Hawaii coach Riley Wallace said. "That was all talk, now we have to back it up."

The seventh-seeded Rainbows will go "all-in" starting tomorrow with a first-round game against No. 10 seed San Jose State at the Lawlor Events Center. Tipoff for the opening game of the tournament is set for 4 p.m. Hawaii time. The winner faces second-seeded Texas-El Paso in a quarterfinal game on Thursday.

UH's four-year string of postseason appearances is in jeopardy, as a late slide resulted in the Rainbows' lowest regular-season finish since 1999, when they didn't qualify for the tournament in the final year of the WAC's 16-team format.

Hawaii hadn't been relegated to the play-in round under the league's current alignment, and a return to the NCAA Tournament this year will require four wins in a five-day span. Over the last four years, no play-in game participant has advanced past the tournament quarterfinals.

"We can't look back and wish we had a better seeding," UH forward Jeff Blackett said. "We're not worried about that. As long as we take care of what we need to do, we'll be fine."

UH left Honolulu yesterday morning following a rousing 66-59 win over Fresno State to close the regular season. The win didn't impact the Rainbows' place in the standings, but gave the team some much-needed momentum heading into the tournament.

"We needed this energy-level lift and we got what we needed," Wallace said.

Hawaii will have to beat San Jose State for the third time this season just to reach the quarterfinals. The Spartans were the only team UH swept during the WAC season, with the Rainbows winning 71-45 in Honolulu and 84-73 in San Jose.

Even if UH survives tomorrow's game, the Rainbows will have a rough road to the finals.

UTEP is the highest-scoring team in the conference and is positioning itself for a second straight NCAA Tournament berth. Rice enters the tourney on a five-game winning streak and faces Southern Methodist on Thursday.

Regular-season champion Nevada is on the opposite side of the bracket and will try to defend its tournament title on its home floor.

Nevada won its first WAC crown last season en route to a run to the Sweet 16. The Wolf Pack enter this year's event riding a 10-game winning streak and their 16 WAC wins this season are the most in conference history.

While guard play becomes magnified in a tournament setting, the Wolf Pack are considered the favorites due in large part to the presence of forward Nick Fazekas, the league's leading scorer and the most skilled big man in the WAC.

Nevada faces either Tulsa or Boise State on Thursday. Louisiana Tech plays Fresno State in the other quarterfinal.

Air time: Tomorrow's first-round games will not be televised. The quarterfinal and semifinal games will be produced by SportsWest and the championship game will be televised by ESPN2 at 4 p.m. Saturday.

1. Nevada (24-5, 16-2 WAC)
Coach: Mark Fox
WAC tournament titles: 1 (2004)
Leading scorer/rebounder: F Nick Fazekas (21.5 ppg/9.4 rpg)
Outlook: The Wolf Pack will be at home this week, but captured the regular-season championship thanks to an undefeated road record in WAC play. Fazekas is the most skilled big man in the conference and averaged 23.1 points over Nevada's current 10-game winning streak. The Wolf Pack offense centers on the post duo of Fazekas and forward Kevinn Pinkney, but their fortunes may rest in the hands of freshman point guard Ramon Sessions (5.3 assists per game).

2. Texas-El Paso (24-7, 14-4)
Coach: Doc Sadler
WAC tournament titles: 4 (1984, '86, '89, '90)
Leading scorer/rebounder: F Omar Thomas (20.2 ppg/6.7 rpg)
Outlook: The Miners reached the tournament final last season and are again the tournament's second seed. They posted an overtime win at Nevada in January and led the WAC in scoring with 76.1 points per game. Thomas is a gifted scorer and benefits from the presence of All-WAC point guard Filiberto Rivera (12.9 points, 7.2 assists per game). "He's multi-talented," Thomas said. "He does whatever you need. Penetrate, shoot, get other people the ball where they need it." UTEP is the top free-throw-shooting team in the nation at 79.1 percent.

3. Rice (18-10, 12-6)
Coach: Willis Wilson
WAC tournament titles: 0
Leading scorer/rebounder: F Michael Harris (20.4 ppg/11.8 rpg)
Outlook: The Owls enter the tournament riding a five-game winning streak and are three wins from reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1970. At 6-foot-6, Harris gives up some height down low, but his strength and quickness in the post make him tough to defend, as evidenced by his 30 points and 24 rebounds against UH last week. Guard Jason McKrieth (14.7 ppg) gives Rice a quality inside-outside attack. The Owls will also need guard Brock Gillespie to get hot beyond the 3-point line to make a run at the title.

4. Fresno State (15-13, 9-9)
Coach: Ray Lopes
WAC tournament titles: 0
Leading scorer/rebounder: G Ja'Vance Coleman (16.3 ppg) / C Mustafa Al-Sayyad (7.6 rpg)
Outlook: A young Bulldog team staggered down the stretch with losses in three of its last four games and an investigation into the eligibility of senior center Jack Marlow. Tournament experience is at a minimum, as the Bulldogs start a sophomore transfer (Coleman) and three freshmen. Al-Sayyad is the lone senior starter and is one of the league's top defensive talents, leading the WAC with 66 blocked shots.

5. Louisiana Tech (14-14, 9-9)
Coach: Keith Richard
WAC tournament titles: 0
Leading scorer/rebounder: F Paul Millsap (20.3 ppg/12.3 rpg)
Outlook: The Bulldogs may be the toughest team to figure out. LaTech lost four straight early in the WAC season, won seven of eight, then lost five of its last six. Millsap ranks among the nation's leading rebounders and scores on high-percentage shots in the paint. But the key for LaTech, which has never advanced to the semifinals, will be the performance of a back court led by Donell Allick (12.4 ppg) and Corey Dean (10.5).

6. SMU (14-13, 9-9)
Coach: Jimmy Tubbs
WAC tournament titles: 0
Leading scorer/rebounder: G Bryan Hopkins (18.1 ppg) / F Eric Castro (7.3 rpg)
Outlook: A wrist injury hampered Hopkins during the WAC schedule, but he still finished among the league's top scorers. Although Hopkins remains the focal point of the SMU offense, his ability to get his teammates involved may dictate how far the Mustangs advance. Castro and Patrick Simpson (13.5 ppg, 6.6 rpg) are capable of giving SMU a solid interior presence.

7. Hawaii (15-12, 7-11)
Coach: Riley Wallace
WAC tournament titles: 3 (1994, 2001, '02)
Leading scorer/rebounder: G Matt Gibson (13.5 ppg) / F Julian Sensley (7.0 rpg)
Outlook: A series of close losses pushed the Rainbows into the play-in round as UH dropped seven of its last nine games. Gibson has been the 'Bows' most consistent scorer late in the season, along with guard Jake Sottos, who made a league-best 54 3-pointers in WAC games. Execution late in tight games has been an issue throughout the season and the Rainbows will need solid production from their front line of Sensley, Jeff Blackett and Chris Botez to get far in the tournament.

8. Boise State (13-17, 6-12)
Coach: Greg Graham
WAC tournament titles: 0
Leading scorer/rebounder: G Jermaine Blackburn (15.3 ppg) / F Jason Ellis (8.3 rpg)
Outlook: The Broncos, a tournament semifinalist last year, struggled to string victories together and won back-to-back games just twice in the WAC season. The Broncos like to play an up-tempo game, pushing the ball up court and firing shots early in their possessions. BSU led the WAC with 233 3-point goals, with Franco Harris and Coby Karl combining for 126.

9. Tulsa (9-19, 5-13)
Coach: Alvin "Pooh" Williamson (interim)
WAC tournament titles: 1 (2003)
Leading scorer/rebounder: F Jarius Glenn (17.1 ppg/6.2 rpg)
Outlook: Williamson took over when John Phillips resigned on Christmas Day and has the Golden Hurricane playing hard, although wins have been few. Glenn, a holdover from Tulsa's 2003 championship team, is the only WAC player to lead his team in points, rebounds and assists. Forward Anthony Price is capable of giving the Hurricane a boost, and freshman guard Brett McDade stepped up his scoring in the WAC. But a lack of depth and consistency will make it difficult for Tulsa to make a run.

10. San Jose State (6-22, 3-15)
Coach: Phil Johnson
WAC tournament titles: 0
Leading scorer/rebounder: F Marquin Chandler (19.8 ppg/8.5 rpg)
Outlook: Chandler emerged as one of the league's top big men and was an All-WAC second-team pick. Unfortunately for SJSU, he hasn't had much help as the Spartans are last in the league in scoring with 61.5 ppg. The Spartans lost their final 10 games to finish last in the league for the second straight season. They nearly pulled off the biggest upset of the season on Saturday when the Spartans led Nevada 36-25 at halftime before losing 73-69.