Scouts provide key minutes for Hawaii

The last players on UH's bench contribute by helping the starters prepare for games

By Jason Kaneshiro
jkaneshiro@starbulletin.com

THEY PUT IN the longest hours at practice yet see the fewest minutes on game nights.

Life on the scout team certainly isn't glamorous, but the extra effort the Hawaii reserves put in before and during the Rainbow Warriors' practices leading up to a game plays a pivotal role in the success of the team.

"They've done a good job, they've had the stuff down," UH head coach Riley Wallace said. "By the end of the year you've got to know everybody's offense, at least for a day or two, so you have to be able to pick up things pretty quick."

Gueye may not play tonight Hawaii forward Ahmet Gueye was listed as questionable for the Rainbow Warriors' game against Tennessee-Martin tonight at the Stan Sheriff Center. Gueye, a 6-foot-8 senior, has started all 12 games as Hawaii's top post player, but didn't practice yesterday. He ranks first on the team in rebounds with 7.6 per game and second in scoring at 11.8 points per game. He also has a team-high 20 blocked shots. Gueye underwent surgery in the offseason after tearing ligaments in his right knee last March, missing UH's final two games. He was back in time for the start of practice this fall, and had his practice schedule cut back in recent weeks to ease the wear on his knee. After the team took two days off following Saturday's Rainbow Classic championship game, Gueye practiced on Tuesday and sat out yesterday. Gueye, guards Matt Gibson and Matt Lojeski and guard/forward Bobby Nash have started every game this season. P.J. Owsley has started the past four games at forward. Stephen Verwers started eight games earlier this season and provided production off the bench during the Rainbow Classic. The 6-foot-6 Nash has also contributed at power forward at times. Jason Kaneshiro, Star-Bulletin HAWAII VS. TENNESSEE-MARTIN When: Today, 7:05 p.m. Where: Stan Sheriff Center TV: KFVE, Ch. 5 Radio: KKEA, 1420-AM Tickets: $3-$22 Parking: $3.

While the starters get face time in front of the cameras and the adulation of the crowd, the scouts can pride themselves in providing an integral function in the team's preparation.

On top of having the Rainbows' playbook memorized, they have to learn the offenses of the next team on the schedule then execute them in practice, often with only a limited amount of time to digest the information.

That usually means arriving at the arena an hour before the scheduled start of practice.

"Preparation is one of the biggest things when you're playing somebody," said freshman guard Marquez Jackson. "So the better we have it down the better we'll be."

Though their efforts may be under the radar, they don't go unappreciated by their teammates.

"They put in just as much work, if not more work, than we are because they're in here early and trying to get plays down from other teams every other day," said Matt Lojeski, a starting guard and UH's leading scorer. "What they're doing is a lot harder than what we're doing. I really appreciate what they do for us; they make it a lot easier in the game because we can recognize when teams are running certain things.

"It's a whole team effort, winning comes from everyone."

Along with Jackson, guards John Wilder, Jack Miller and Todd Lowenthal and forwards Jared Dillinger and Alex Veit are often the first players to report for practice.

"Scout team is an important part of any team to help prepare," Veit said. "We have to come out and play just as hard to get each other ready."

Of course, players strive to be in the regular rotation and contribute in the games. And playing well on the scout team can be a path to getting some minutes under the lights.

"These guys have handled it where they have the opportunity to play against the first team and show coach what they can do to maybe earn (Wallace's) trust and get some playing time," said second-year assistant Alika Smith. "It's benefiting them as well to play hard and to play smart."

Smith was given the responsibility of preparing scouting reports and handling the scout team this season, devoting hours to scouring video of upcoming opponents to pick out their tendencies, then teaching the plays to the scout team for practice.

Associate coach Bob Nash had handled those duties in previous seasons, and Smith can seek his advice when needed.

"He did it for so many years and did a great job," said Smith, who played for Nash as a UH standout in the 1990s. "He sat me down and gave me his input and he said, 'Just run with it, just make it like this is your team and execute and have fun.' Your job is to kick the first team's ... and we're having fun with it."

The process was accelerated last week when the team played three games in four days on their way to winning the Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic championship. After winning the opener against San Francisco, they had a day to prepare for Nebraska and just the pregame shootaround to get ready for the championship game against Creighton.

"That was tough, because we had to get up every day early to come down here and learn their stuff and we had one day," Wilder said. "Usually you get a couple days to prepare for another team coming in, but at tournament time we have to speed everything up. It's demanding."

Said Smith: "It was difficult, but they did a good job, where you could see it defensively that we were ready to play."

And though they might not be the most familiar members of the team for the fans, their teammates make sure to recognize their efforts.

"After the game you hear Lojeski, you hear Ahmet Gueye, saying, 'Way to go, scout team, way to get us ready for this game,' " Smith said. "Everybody realizes what they do and they're very thankful."

Skyhawks arrive:

Tennessee-Martin arrived in town Tuesday in advance of tonight's game with the Rainbows, and the players will have a day after the game to enjoy the islands.

In between, coach Bret Campbell is hoping his team can get on track in a difficult early-season stretch. The Skyhawks are off to a 3-10 start, 1-3 in the Ohio Valley Conference.

"None of these young men have ever been to the islands and it's a great opportunity for them to see Hawaii," Campbell said. "We have six seniors and it was kind of a reward trip for them to come out and play.

"I think we'll be focused and ready to play. We didn't come out here to be on vacation the whole time. I think our team typically will line up and play pretty hard, it's the execution we've struggled with."