Rainbows concerned with heat, depth
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
Today's games Colorado State vs. South Carolina State, noon LSU vs. Weber State, 2:30 p.m. Hawai'i vs. Mercer, 5 p.m. Wisconsin vs. Hawai'i-Hilo, 7:30 p.m. Tomorrow's games Colorado State/South Carolina State loser vs. Hawai'i/Mercer loser, noon LSU/Weber State loser vs. Wisconsin/Hawai'i-Hilo loser, 2:30 p.m. Colorado State/South Carolina State winner vs. Hawai'i/Mercer winner, 5 p.m. LSU/Weber State winner vs. Wisconsin/Hawai'i-Hilo winner, 7:30 p.m. Sunday's games Seventh place, 9 a.m. Fifth place, 11:30 a.m. Third place, 2 p.m. Championship, 4:30 p.m.
Thanksgiving dinner might as well have been a carbo-loading session for the Hawai'i men's basketball team.
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Big Island Tournament
At Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium
With three players still in limbo because of ongoing NCAA investigations, the Rainbow Warriors are likely to have just eight scholarship players available for the Big Island Invitational, which starts today. The 'Bows will play Mercer in a first-round game at 5 p.m. at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium.
Each of the eight teams in the field must play three games in three days.
"Depth was a concern even before all this," UH head coach Riley Wallace said. "Now even more so because we're going to be playing in a small gym that's hot and humid. We're going to have guys wear down and get dehydrated. We just have to do whatever we can to overcome it."
In its last game, a 74-63 victory over Drake, Hawai'i primarily used six players — guards Mark Campbell, Carl English and Mike McIntyre, forwards Mindaugas Burneika and Phil Martin, and center Haim Shimonovich.
"We'll need more than that," Wallace said.
Forwards Paul Jesinskis and Milos Zivanovic, both newcomers, saw limited action against Drake, but will likely play larger roles this weekend. The rest of the roster will be comprised of walk-on players.
"Everybody just has to be ready to play a lot of minutes and not get in foul trouble," said Burneika, one of the team's three senior captains.
Star guard Predrag Savovic, and new forwards Tony Akpan and Luc-Arthur Vebobe have yet to play this season while awaiting a decision from the NCAA on their eligibility status. If UH officials do not hear from the NCAA today, the three players will likely sit out the entire tournament. Vebobe did not even travel with the team.
"We're doing what ever we can without those guys," English said. "It did a lot for our confidence that we won two games without them already. We just have to show we can do it for three straight days, if that's what we have to do."
Although the 'Bows are playing within the state, Wallace said he is treating the tournament "like any other road trip." The team departed Honolulu on Wednesday and spent the past two days training in Hilo's facilities.
"It's a one-hour flight, but that's no different from say LSU going to play Mississippi State, or something like that," Wallace said. "We'll be staying in a hotel, playing on a different court, in a different atmosphere. It's a road game."
Which may or may not be a good thing.
Last season, the 'Bows were 4-9 away from the Stan Sheriff Center. Three of those victories came in three days at the Western Athletic Conference Tournament.
"We learned how to win on the road at the end of last year," Wallace said. "And a lot of these guys were there, so hopefully, they remember what it's like."
• Bad streak: Hawai'i-Hilo is 2-25 in the Big Island Invitational, which it has played host to since 1992. The Vulcans have not won a game in the tournament since 1993, a streak of 21 consecutive losses.
"If you could guarantee me a win right now, I'd take it," said UHH head coach Jeff Law. "I don't care who it's against. It's been too long, and I think everyone here is anxious to get one of those wins."
The Vulcans have won their first two games this season, and are averaging 91.5 points per game. Their three starting guards — Scott Prather, David LaQua and Derek Mgbeke — are combining for 55.5 points per game.
"We're a guard-oriented team," Law said. "But I'm a little concerned that we're only shooting 9 percent (2-of-22) on our 3-pointers. We'll have to shoot much better than that against the (Division I) teams."
The Vulcans play Wisconsin in a first-round game tonight at 7:30. The Badgers have been on the Big Island since Sunday.
They spent the first three days of the trip at the Hilton Waikoloa Village. Among their activities were snorkeling, a luau, and a wedding for one of the assistant coaches.
"I hope they're all sunburned and tired," Law said. "We can use all the help we can get."
