Rainbows know Ostler is worthy

TULSA, Okla. — Entering the final stretch of his collegiate basketball career, Troy Ostler is looking forward to proving himself all over again.

It is something he is getting pretty good at.

Ostler, a 6-foot-10 senior center for the University of Hawai‘i, enters this week’s Western Athletic Conference Tournament as perhaps the most overlooked — or underrated — impact player in the field. At least it appears that way based on the results of the All-WAC Team, which was released earlier this week.

Despite averaging 15.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots per game, Ostler was not selected to the first or second team, or the All-Defensive Team, by the conference’s coaches (Hawai‘i coach Riley Wallace could not vote for his own players).

"All the players on there are there for a reason, and that’s because they’re great players," Ostler said. "It doesn’t bother me at all. I guess I’ve always been overlooked, so I’m kind of used to it.

"It just makes me work that much harder to prove the doubters wrong."

Perhaps that is why Ostler has practiced with an extra spring in his jump this week as the Rainbows prepared to take on Texas Christian tomorrow (10:30 a.m. HST).

"I don’t feel like I have anything to prove," he said. "But I think this team can go out and prove something."

In truth, much of the Rainbows’ success rides on the shoulders of the 215-pound Ostler. He is a co-captain and spiritual leader. He also possesses a feathery jump shot uncommon among players his size, and an uncanny knack for rejecting opponents’ shots.

"He causes problems because he’s a big man but he can shoot a lot better than other big men," Wallace said. "And he’s been our most reliable player this season when he’s been healthy."

Then again, that’s been the problem. Ostler sprained his left ankle on Dec. 23, and missed all or parts of the next six games.

What’s more, the ankle has never fully healed, although Ostler said "it’s as good as it’ll get, but it still aches."

Prior to the injury, he was averaging 20.6 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. After the injury, he attempted to return to action in less than a week, which only made it worse.

"The one thing I shouldn’t have done is come back as soon as I did," he said. "I should have took the time off to let it heal, but I really wanted to come back and help the team."

It is that kind of attitude that Wallace gambled on two years ago.

At Granger High in West Valley City, Utah, Ostler was a gangly 6-8 player who did not make the varsity squad until he was a senior. He was not recruited by any four-year colleges, and wound up at nearby Salt Lake Community College.

As a sophomore, he averaged 13.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, but was still barely recruited. Boise State and Brigham Young were the only other schools besides Hawai‘i that showed much interest.

"I knew the game, I just couldn’t put all the skills together," Ostler said. "A lot of people didn’t think I was good enough for Division I."

However, he became an immediate starter for the Rainbows last season and averaged 12.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.

But fittingly for his career, he was challenged again — with whispered doubts — at the beginning of this season. After playing power forward as a junior, Ostler had to play center this season, mainly because of the 22-game suspension of projected starter Haim Shimonovich.

Instead of taking on shorter players, Ostler was forced to post-up against the biggest players on the opposing teams.

"Sometimes I think playing the 4 (power forward) could have opened it up for me a little more," he said. "But it wasn’t that big of a difference. I did what I had to do to help this team win."

Despite the All-WAC snub, Ostler’s presence has not gone entirely unnoticed. The Tulsa World polled the top WAC players and Ostler was voted to the second team.

Earlier this season, Fresno State’s Melvin Ely, the WAC Player of the Year, said he was especially fired up to play against Hawai‘i because of Ostler. "He’s a great athlete and a great scorer," Ely said. "You always want to see how you stand against players like that."

After Ostler got 30 points and seven rebounds against Nevada last month, Wolf Pack coach Trent Johnson said: "Troy Ostler can flat-out shoot. There’s nothing you can do about that. You just hope the other guys don’t go off."

When the Rainbows played at San Jose State last week, a scout from the Washington Wizards was in attendance and displayed some interest in Ostler.

Ostler is hoping to attend NBA scouting camps after the season. If he doesn’t make it there, Wallace said Ostler is "a lock" for a European professional league.

Still, Ostler must prove his worth again this week. The next Rainbows’ loss will become his final game. If they win three games this week, the Rainbows will earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

"I don’t even want to think about what’s next because I don’t want to think about losing," he said.

All times Hawai'i time

Yesterday

Rice 60, Nevada 44

Today

No games scheduled

Tomorrow

Fresno State vs. Rice, 8 a.m.
Hawai‘i vs. Texas Christian, 10:30 a.m.
Southern Methodist vs. UTEP, 2 p.m.
San Jose State vs. Tulsa, 4:30 p.m.

Friday
Semifinals

Fresno State-Rice winner vs. Hawai‘i-TCU winner, 2 p.m. (Fox Sports Net)
SMU-UTEP winner vs. San Jose State-Tulsa winner, 4:30 p.m. (Fox Sports Net)

Saturday
Championship

Semifinal winners, 5 p.m. (Fox Sports Net)

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