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 Wallace vows players won't be distracted
NCAA men's championship bracket
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
TULSA, Okla. — Everybody, jump on the bandwagon!
The magical mystery tour of the University of Hawai‘i men’s basketball team packed its bags last night after a glorious week in Tulsa.
Next stop: Dayton, Ohio, and the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
One day after unexpectedly winning the Western Athletic Conference Tournament championship, the Rainbows received a spot in the Midwest Regional of the 65-team tournament.
Hawai‘i, which is 17-13 after three victories in as many days in Tulsa, is a No. 12 seed and will play No. 5 Syracuse (24-8) of the Big East, Friday night at the University of Dayton Arena.
"I like just being in there," Hawai‘i coach Riley Wallace said. "We don’t have a choice who we play or where we’re seeded. We just have to get ready to play."
The Rainbows’ seeding and opponent are eerily identical to the ones they got the last time they played in the NCAA Tournament in 1994. Back then, after winning its first WAC championship, Hawai‘i lost to the Orangemen, 92-78, at Ogden, Utah.
| No. 5 Syracuse
 Record: 24-8. Last 10: 5-5.
Location, conference: Syracuse, N.Y., Big East.
Web site: www.suathletics.com.
Conference finish: Tied for second in West; lost in the semifinals of the conference tournament.
NCAA tournament record: 39-27.
Last tournament appearance: 2000.
Coach: Jim Boeheim (25th season, 599-207).
Starters: F Preston Shumpert, 6-6, Jr., 19.7 ppg., 6.0 rpg; F Damone Brown, 6-9, Sr., 17.0 ppg., 8.8 rpg.; C Jeremy McNeil, 6-8, So., 2.5 ppg., 3.1 rpg.; G D. Williams, 6-3, So., 12.4 ppg., 2.9 rpg.; G Allen Griffin, 6-1, Sr., 10.6 ppg., 6.8 apg.
Key reserves: G/F Kueth Duany, 6-6, So., 5.6 ppg., 3.3 rpg.; C Billy Celuck, 7-0, Sr., 4.7 ppg., 4.4 rpg.; G James Thues, 5-10, Fr., 1.9 ppg., 0.5 rpg.
Key statistics: ppg.: 73.9; oppg.: 67.4; fg.: 43.8 percent; ofg.: 40.7 percent; 3-pt.: 34.1 percent; ft.: 72.3 percent.
Scouting report: The Orangemen didn’t exactly light up the Big East with offense, but they played solid defense to capture their 21st berth in the NCAA tournament under Boeheim. . . . Syracuse had four players with more than 50 steals apiece, led by DeShaun Williams with 57, and forced more than 17 turnovers per game. . . . Shumpert provided the outside punch, shooting 39 percent from 3-point range and finishing fourth in Big East scoring.
(Statistics through regular season.)
No. 12 Hawai‘i
Record: 17-13. Last 10: 7-3.
Location, conference: Honolulu, Western Athletic.
Web site: www.uhathletics.hawaii.edu.
Conference finish: Fifth; won the conference tournament.
NCAA tournament record: 0-2.
Last tournament appearance: 1994.
Coach: Riley Wallace (14th season, 216-197).
Starters: F Phil Martin, 6-7, Fr., 9.1 ppg., 4.3 rpg.; F Nerijus Puida, 6-5, Sr., 9.6 ppg., 5.8 rpg.; C Troy Ostler, 6-10, Sr., 15.7 ppg., 6.2 rpg.; G Predrag Savovic, 6-6, Jr., 18.1 ppg., 4.9 rpg.; G Mike McIntyre, 6-3, Jr., 6.5 ppg., 2.0 apg.
Key reserves: F Mindaugas Burneika, 6-7, Jr., 7.2 ppg., 2.6 rpg.; G Carl English, 6-4, Fr., 3.9 ppg., 2.8 rpg.; F/C Haim Shimonovich, 6-10, Fr., 2.4 ppg., 2.6 rpg.
Key statistics: ppg.: 72.7; oppg.: 72.9; fg.: 47.3 percent; ofg.: 45.9 percent; 3-pt.: 35.3 percent; ft.: 72.2 percent.
Scouting report: Hawai‘i lost eight of its first 14 games. . . . Savovic is an all-WAC first-team selection and a model of consistency. . . . Martin led the conference with a dazzling 62.7 field-goal percentage. . . . Shimonovich had to sit out the first 22 games under NCAA sanctions for playing in a professional league in Israel. . . . The Rainbow way is to win the game before the break and hold on in the second half. Hawai‘i had not won a game all year when it trailed at the half until Saturday’s conference tournament final.
(Statistics through Friday.) |
"We were a No. 12 then, and we’re a No. 12 now," Wallace said. "And we get Syracuse again. All I know is it’ll be a great experience for these kids just like it was back then."
As it has been throughout this season, little fanfare followed the Rainbows during the announcement of the field yesterday. There were no television cameras, no fans, no big-screen television to view it on.
Instead, the entire team gathered in Wallace’s room for the announcement. "Just the family," as junior forward Mindaugas Burneika put it.
Eight players crammed next to Wallace on his king-sized bed. The others found seats on the carpet.
"I’m more nervous for this than I was at the end of (Saturday’s championship) game," senior center Troy Ostler said.
‘This is what it’s all about’
With every early announcement, the entire team oohed and aahed. When Hawai‘i was not revealed in the East or West Regional, senior co-captain Nerijus Puida quipped, "Do they know we’re in?"
When "Hawai‘i" was finally revealed, the entire room roared.
"It’s exciting just to see your name up there," Puida said. "This is March Madness, this is what every college basketball player wants to play in."
Within moments after the announcement, telephones started to ring nonstop. At times, Wallace had one conversation going on his cellular phone at the same time as his hotel room phone.
"This is what it’s all about," Wallace said. "These guys feel very special right now, and they should."
In truth, very few expected the Rainbows to be in the "Big Dance." Less than one month ago, their record was 10-12 and they had yet to win a road game.
But on Feb. 27, Hawai‘i would embark on a most incredible journey that has yet to return home. Since then, the Rainbows have won four of five games, including victories over three of the top four seeds in the WAC Tournament: No. 4 Texas Christian, No. 1 Fresno State and No. 2 Tulsa, in that order.
Long journey to Dayton
In between they have stopped in seven different airports — two more are expected on the trip to Dayton today — and found that 13 hearts can beat as one.
"It’s kind of a shame that the people of Hawai‘i didn’t get to know this team the way they should have," Wallace said. "Because I’ve said all along what a special group this team is."
To be sure, none of the Rainbows celebrated the WAC title by partying into the night. Instead, most opted to stay in the hotel, waiting for highlights of the Hawai‘i victory over Tulsa to appear on ESPN and CNN/SI.
"I think we were too much in shock," Puida said. "We just kind of hung around each other and didn’t really say anything. We just wanted to enjoy it."
Wallace enjoyed it in his own way, celebrating with his assistant coaches and close friends in his hotel room.
"I put my lights out about 5 a.m. and 5:30 the phone kept ringing so I had to get up," he said. "But you never know when the next one’s going to come, so I don’t mind it one bit."
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