'Sheepdog' will guide Rainbows

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

Mark Campbell has been accepted by his teammates on the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team.

Eleven points, five rebounds and three assists in his first game Friday as a Rainbow Warrior will do that.

But the real sign of acceptance came earlier in the month when Campbell was given a nickname by his teammates. Last season, as a sign of unity, every player on the roster was given a nickname.

Because of his long blond hair that sometimes hangs over his face, Campbell has been dubbed "Sheepdog."

"I'm still the new kid on the block, so I'm happy just to be accepted like that," said Campbell, who played last season at Clackamas College (Ore.). "I feel like I'm still working my way in."

If so, he will have to work pretty quick. Campbell is scheduled to start at point guard again tonight when the 'Bows play Drake in the championship game of the Nike Tip-Off Tournament. The game will start around 7:30 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center. Norfolk State and Sam Houston State will play for third place at 5.

Because of an ongoing NCAA investigation into the eligibility of three players, including star guard Predrag Savovic, and an injury to senior Mike McIntyre, Campbell was named a starter moments before Friday's season opener.

"I wasn't really nervous," said Campbell, who played at NCAA-I Cal Poly during his freshman season. "I guess you could say I was waiting for that opportunity for a long time."

With Campbell primarily at the controls of the pass-oriented offense, 21 of Hawai'i's 29 field goals came off assists in a 76-52 rout of Norfolk State. He committed four turnovers, but was given a passing grade by head coach Riley Wallace.

"I thought he did a good job considering it was his first real game with the offense," Wallace said. "He made some mistakes, but things you can correct. What I like about him is that he's a tough kid, so if you tell him something, he's going to try his best to learn it and make it work."

Like a true sheepdog, Campbell was constantly on guard, even without the basketball in his hands. Several times, he sneaked away from his defender for easy lay-ups.

"It's a great offense and we have the players to run it," he said. "Everybody can shoot, everybody can pass and everybody is unselfish. If you cut hard (to the basket) somebody will find you."

Added Wallace: "He played with a lot of confidence, which helped him make some good decisions."

Campbell will also get a chance to prove the worth of one of his biggest decisions tonight. Drake was one of the last schools he turned down before deciding to attend UH.

"They're a great program and I liked the coaches," he said. "But it wasn't the right place for me."

Wallace said Savovic, Luc-Arthur Vebobe and Tony Akpan will not be in uniform again tonight because of ongoing NCAA investigations. McIntyre, who played 18 minutes Friday, will likely come off the bench again because of his bruised right thigh.

"There were a lot of question marks about us before (Friday's) game," Campbell said. "But I think we answered a bunch of them."