Savovic may not have been 'Savo' this week
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
DAYTON, Ohio - "I am Savo" took on a whole new meaning this week.
Hawai'i guard Predrag Savovic may have shown the effects of week-long questioning about his past in the Rainbows' 79-69 loss to Syracuse in the first round of the NCAA Championship Tournament last night at the University of Dayton Arena.
Krisanne Johnson • Special to The Advertiser
He certainly didn't look like the All-Western Athletic Conference guard who often explains his on-court brilliance with the simple phrase, "I am Savo." Savovic, a 6-foot-6 junior from Yugoslavia, scored 12 points - six below his season average - on 4-of-12 shooting, including just 2-of-8 from 3-point range.
Hawai‘i’s Carl English muscled past Jeremy McNeil of Syracuse en route to the basket during last night’s Midwest Regional game at Dayton, Ohio.
"You can look for excuses, but no, I have none," he said. "I just wasn't hitting my shots."
Then again, he didn't even know for certain if he was going to play in last night's game until about six hours before tip-off.
Savovic's name appeared in an article in the Dayton Daily News on Sunday as one of several NCAA players who played in professional leagues in their home countries. Savovic said he played in a league, but did not receive any form of payment.
His coach, Riley Wallace, said the matter was finally cleared yesterday afternoon. All week, UH officials contemplated sitting Savovic for last night's game out of fear of an NCAA sanction if he was found to be ineligible.
"He's been through hell this week," Wallace said of Savovic. "He wanted to play so bad and then this came up. Of course, it affected him."
Savovic's road roommate, Haim Shimonovich, went through a similar process earlier this season when he had to sit out 22 games because he participated as an unpaid player in a professional league in Israel.
"I remember going through it, and I saw it was bothering him psychologically," Shimonovich said. "He brought us here, so I'm sure he was worried not knowing if he was going to play or not."
Savovic, who transferred to UH from Alabama-Birmingham three years ago, has one season of eligibility remaining. Wallace said it should be an investigation-free senior season.
"The issue is over with as far as I'm concerned," he said.
• New records: With 15 assists last night, this year's Rainbows finished with 557 as a team, establishing a school record. The previous mark was 553 set two seasons ago by the UH team led by point guard Anthony Carter.
This year's team also set a record for 3-pointers, with 177, breaking the old mark of 164 set in 1994.
Guard Predrag Savovic finished the season with 545 points, which is the most scored by a junior at UH. Carter was the previous record-holder for juniors with 543 in 1997.
• Historic win: Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim won his 600th game as a college coach last night. "I really just wanted to advance," he said. "I'll think about 600 over the summer."
• Coming home: The Rainbows are scheduled to return to Honolulu tomorrow at 3:15 p.m. aboard Delta Airlines from Dallas.
Head coach Riley Wallace will not be with the team, however. He will remain on the Mainland for recruiting purposes.
• Popular choice: Souvenir T-shirts featuring Hawai'i were the first to sellout at the concession stands at the University of Dayton Arena last night.
Each of the eight teams playing in Dayton had a T-shirt bearing its athletic logo with "NCAA Championship Tournament" and "Midwest Regional" also printed on it. Before the Rainbows' game with Syracuse started last night, the Hawai'i allotment was gone.
