If it happened in Hollywood, the ominous music from Jaws would have played to cue his long-awaited arrival.

Instead it was at the Stan Sheriff Center, where Brandon Adams lurked along the baseline in Hawaii's 68-67 win over San Jose State on Sunday. The 6-7, 220-pound senior emerged from the depths for career highs of 19 points and nine rebounds when his team needed him most.

His coaches saw it coming in practices as Adams, the Rainbow Warriors' resident filmmaker-to-be, stepped into a starring (and starting) role for Petras Balocka, who was still ailing from a sore shoulder.

Adams was ready. He now has the confidence to match his raw talent since arriving from Diablo Valley (Calif.) Junior College last season.

An encore performance or two from him this week would come in handy at home against the Western Athletic Conference's top two teams. UH faces second-place New Mexico State (11-7, 4-1) tomorrow at 7:05 p.m. and league-leader Louisiana Tech (17-2, 5-0) on Saturday.

“;I have higher confidence, but I feel my confidence is in team ball, not really individual,”; said Adams, who is set to graduate in the fall with a film study degree. “;(The game's) slowing down. Last year was really up-and-down, so ... this year just take my time and the game is really not as fast as people think it is. It's really everybody working as a team. I'm just worried about team ball, so just take your time and let the shots come to you.”;

HIS MODEST season averages of 6.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game are a little misleading, as Adams' role increased drastically around the midpoint of this season for UH (9-9, 2-3). He's grabbed eight or more boards in five of the last six games and scored in double figures three times over that span. In the 98-54 debacle at Utah State last week, he was one of the few Rainbows to have a good game with 10 points on 4-for-6 shooting and eight rebounds.

Much of his 7-for-11 shooting against SJSU came from the short corner, between the low block and the sideline about 15 feet from the basket. It's where Adams feels the most comfortable following a summer in which he honed a jump shot to complement his considerable athleticism. He also went 5-for-6 at the line and added a block and steal in 32 minutes.

“;HUGE, HUGE,”; assistant coach Larry Farmer judged of Adams' production with a hearty laugh. “;Petras (limited to 10 first-half minutes) is huge in our offense because of his ability to score and pass. So yeah, Brandon's ability to step up was big time.”;

As a junior working into the UH system as a JC transfer, Adams struggled with his role in both an (ideally) flowing motion offense and as an undersized power forward on defense. And at the start of this season, he dealt with a sprained ankle.

“;He was more of a guy that just played off his athleticism. But the game of basketball, you gotta use your mind and your body,”; head coach Bob Nash said. “;And so he had to learn that, because he had never been in a situation where he ran a continuity offense. And it took him a little while to make the adjustment, and he's still making an adjustment ... but the one thing that he does is he's not afraid of work. He comes in and works at his game. It leads to success in the last game, and we hope that that trend continues.”;

POINT GUARD Hiram Thompson can relate from the renewed-confidence standpoint. He, too, was limited last season, albeit for different reasons — nagging injuries. And he remained confident Sunday after two late turnovers against the Spartans to nail the game-winning free throws with 2.1 seconds left.

“;Confidence is really important in basketball,”; Thompson said. “;In practice he's always running that baseline, so that's his shot. Coach always tells him that's his shot and expects him to make it. He's a good shooter from there, so that isn't luck or anything. That's his game. He runs that short corner, and he can knock that shot down so we want to get him the ball there.”;

“;That's like, one of the things I really focus on,”; Adams said. “;Try to move without the ball. I don't always have to have the ball and if I move without the ball the guards will find me. And if I'm open, take the shot.”;

It's a film director's job to find the right shots. Adams is well on his way.

Williams to miss LaTech game

Junior guard Dwain Williams will miss Saturday's game against LaTech as he travels to the mainland for his cousin's funeral on Sunday, Nash said yesterday.

Williams, UH's second-leading scorer at 14.0 points per game, missed Monday's win over SJSU. His availability tomorrow against NMSU “;is a possibility,”; Nash said.