JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARBULLETIN.COM UH guard Hiram Thompson tried to get past Northwestern State's Clifton Lee during Friday's game at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Hiram finds his way

Freshman Thompson is a comfortable fit off the bench for Hawaii

THAT a true freshman would provide the spark that ignited the Hawaii basketball team to its latest win caught many by surprise.

Perhaps more striking was that Hiram Thompson didn't look much like a freshman at all on the court.

Thompson, an 18-year-old point guard, had played all of seven minutes in his first season with the Rainbow Warriors when coach Riley Wallace summoned him off the bench during a tight contest against Northwestern State on Friday.

"I've been playing with the older guys all my life," Thompson said. "When I was in high school, my freshman year I got moved up to varsity. I had to keep poised so it definitely got me prepared for this, to go out there and play hard and play confident.

"You can't be intimidated in this game. You have to know you can play and just play your game."

Thompson scored four points over a solid seven minutes in the first half of the Rainbow Classic third-place game. He re-entered the game shortly after halftime and stunned the Demons by providing a depleted UH team with 11 second-half points and a steady hand at the point.

He ended up making 7 of 10 shots from the field and handing out four assists while committing just two turnovers in 27 minutes in UH's 80-76 win on Friday.

"He played big," said senior Deonte Tatum, who normally runs the point but played forward for much of the game. "That's what we needed. We were shorthanded and he came in, he wasn't tentative about anything and he definitely picked us up.

"We saluted him after the game, we're proud of him."

Thompson's leadership helped Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills, Calif.) High School to a 31-4 mark in four varsity seasons. He capped his career by guiding the Trojans to their first state title, knocking off nationally ranked Mater Dei in the California Interscholastic Federation Division II championship game.

He averaged 15 points and five assists as a senior, but more than his statistics, it was Thompson's demeanor on the court that caught the attention of UH associate coach Jackson Wheeler.

Wheeler, who handles much of the team's recruiting efforts, started getting phone calls from Thompson's father, Matt, and eventually made his way to Northern California to see the young guard for himself.

"I remember the first time I went up there, I called Riley and said, 'I think I'm gonna come back next week and watch him again,' " Wheeler recalled.

"He's got a lot of poise and savvy. He's been around basketball his whole life. His high school team always seemed to be really calm and I think that trickled down because of him."

Thompson eventually picked UH over offers from Boston University, Brigham Young and St. Mary's (Calif.) due in part to his ties to the islands. His grandparents as well as uncles and aunts live in Laie, and he visited Oahu once a year growing up.

Thompson's parents were also in town for the Rainbow Classic last week and stuck around just long enough to witness his big game first hand.

"They were excited because they knew I wasn't getting that much run and they were telling me, 'Stay confident, you'll get your opportunity,' " Thompson said. "So they were excited with what they saw out there and that I played hard."

Thompson not only played hard, but impressed the coaches with his court sense as well.

Shortly after entering the game, Thompson found himself facing full-court pressure in the back court. Rather than force a pass, he dribbled past the first defender then sped to the basket for an uncontested layup.

He caught the Demons off guard with a quick first step on several more occasions. At others, he picked the right moments to slow things down.

"There were a couple times where he just held the ball, kept it to himself and let everything settle down before he started the offense," Wheeler said. "That's just because he knows how to play and he's got a good demeanor for a point guard."

Thompson subbed in for another freshman, Dominic Waters, who got his first start against the Demons. Waters hit two clutch free throws earlier in the tournament as the 'Bows held off Loyola Marymount.

Both freshmen have spent most of their first season on the scout team, getting a feel for the speed of the college game while earning the respect of teammates and coaches.

"I think scout team has given them a lot of confidence," Wallace said. "They're running different offenses every day, they have to come out and they have to shoot, they have to execute and they're playing against our defense. It's part of working your way in."

Thompson's performance on Friday may have earned him more playing time down the road, and he's focused on looking ahead rather than spending much time savoring the thrill of his breakout game.

"It was definitely fun ... but I can't live in the past," Thompson said. "I have to move on and play hard every day."

Aggies angst: Just as Hawaii has seen its depth dwindle with recent injuries, North Carolina A&T has endured its share of misfortune so far this season.

The bad news started early when Sean Booker, a first-team all-MEAC player, was ruled academically ineligible. The Aggies have lost their first eight games this season and are down to their third point guard -- one was dismissed from the team and another is injured.

Compounding matters is a schedule that has them on the road for 10 of their first 12 games.

"We've gone through a little bit of adversity, but it's all good, it all comes out in the wash," NCAT coach Jerry Eaves said.

NCAT lost at East Carolina, Miami, Virginia Tech and Nebraska already and is coming off a 68-38 loss at USC. Most of those games were played when the Aggies were trying to plug the various holes in the lineup.

"There are not many teams that would come out and play the schedule I have," Eaves said. "We've played great competition and it'll be good for us starting Jan. 3 in our conference."