Newcomer confident in his abilities
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
Slam-dunk seems to translate just fine from English to French.
Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser
At least it does for Luc-Arthur Verbobe, one of five new scholarship players on the Hawai'i men's basketball team who will make their Rainbow Warrior debut tonight during the Coors Light Midnight 'Ohana.
Luc-Arthur Verbobe, a 6-foot-9 forward, is one of the favorites in tonight's slam-dunk contest at Stan Sheriff Center.
Verbobe, a 6-foot-9, 220-pound forward from Antibes, France, has already impressed teammates with his dunking ability in pick-up games. Tonight, he is considered one of the favorites to win the much-anticipated slam-dunk contest.
"I've never been involved in anything like this, so I'm excited just to be a part of it," he said. "I got a couple of tricks that I might use if I get to the final. But we have to wait and see. I might not even get that far."
The slam-dunk contest and a 3-point challenge between the men's and women's teams will precede an intrasquad scrimmage featuring the men's players. Festivities will begin around 9 p.m. with carnival games on the Stan Sheriff Center concourse; introduction of the players will begin around 11:45 p.m. Oct. 13 is the first day Division I teams can officially begin practice.
"I have to show what I can do first," said Verbobe, who played at Foothill College (Calif.) as a sophomore last season. "I'm new and there are a couple guys on the team who got bounce, so I'm not going to say anything."
• Where: Stan Sheriff Center • When: Today. Festivities will begin around 9 p.m. with carnival games on the arena concourse. Men's and women's teams introductions at 11:45 p.m. 3-point and slam dunk contests to follow. Green vs. White scrimmage to begin after midnight. • COACHES: The Green team will be coached by K5 broadcasters Jim Leahey and Artie Wilson, and UH assistant Jackson Wheeler. The White team will be coached by KCCN radio broadcasters Bobby Curran and Jeff Portnoy, and UH assistant Scott Rigot. • Tickets: General admission is free. VIP seating $25. Call 956-6501 for information.
Defending champion Carl English, a 6-5 guard, has already promised to unveil a creative array of dunks. Guard Mike McIntyre and forward Phil Martin are considered the other leading contenders.
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UH's Midnight 'Ohana
"We were actually starting to talk about some of our strategy (Wednesday) night, but we decided to keep it a secret until (tonight)," Verbobe said.
Vebobe's vertical jump is not exceptionally high, but he uses his long arms and athleticism to throw down self-described "power dunks." He injured his left shoulder during a pick-up game last month, but said it is fully healed.
"I haven't had much time to work on (dunking) the last couple weeks, but I'll be ready," he said.
Verbobe was a member of France's junior national team last year. He is one of three UH players whose eligibility is in question by the NCAA because of past participation in European leagues with professionals. The NCAA has not yet issued a ruling on the players, so they will be allowed to practice with the team.
"I'm just going to work as hard as I can and not think about it," Verbobe said. "I can't really do anything until they make a decision, so I'm not going to let it bother me."
Verbobe averaged 12 points and 4.5 rebounds at Foothill last season, although he was hampered in midseason by a severely sprained right ankle. He is expected to challenge for a starting forward position with the 'Bows this season.
"I think I can do a little bit of everything on the court," he said. "I can play outside or inside, I can grab rebounds, I can shoot, I can dribble. I'll just try to fit in where ever I can."
The other four recruited newcomers are 6-8 forward Nkeruwem Akpan, 6-4 point guard Mark Campbell, 6-8 forward Paul Jesinskis and 6-11 forward/center Milos Zivanovic.
Eight players return from last season's 17-14 team that won the Western Athletic Conference Tournament championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. UH was recently ranked No. 25 in the nation by CollegeInsider.com.
"It's nice recognition, but we can't let that get to our heads," Verbobe said. "We still need to find our chemistry, and that starts with this first practice."
NOTES: The intrasquad scrimmage is scheduled for 24 minutes (no halves). The clock will run continuously until the final two minutes. Referees can stop the clock in the final two minutes for fouls, violations, out-of-bounds plays or timeouts. ... Two UH students — one male and one female — will get a chance to earn one semester's worth of tuition from Honolulu Ford by making a basket from a designated spot on the court.
