UH picks hoops assistant
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
Bob Burke is expected to be named an assistant coach for the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team today.
Burke has been the head coach at Chowan College, an NCAA Division III program in Murfreesboro, N.C., for the past 22 seasons. He compiled an overall record of 419 wins and 217 losses at Chowan.
He will replace Scott Rigot, who left UH for an assistant coach's position at Kentucky last month. Rigot held the UH position for the past three seasons.
UH head coach Riley Wallace said "probably more than 40" candidates expressed interest in the position while he was on the Mainland for the last month.
Wallace did not want to reveal details of Burke's hiring, saying that an official announcement will be released today.
Burke will join associate head coaches Bob Nash and Jackson Wheeler to complete Wallace's full-time staff.
Four starters return from last season's team that finished 27-6 — the best record in school history.
"My goal was to find (an assistant coach) who could step in right away and help our program," Wallace said.
English on Wooden list: UH guard/forward Carl English was one of 50 players named to the John R. Wooden Award Preseason All-America team yesterday.
English, a 6-foot-5 junior from Newfoundland, Canada, ranked second on the team last season in scoring (15.5 points per game), rebounding (5.1) and assists (3.3).
"He's definitely one of the top 50 players in the country," Wallace said. "He deserves it. He's going to be a legitimate NBA candidate in two years."
English is the only player from the Western Athletic Conference on the list. Players on the list are eligible for the prestigious John R. Wooden Award, given to the nation's top player at the end of the season.
Another list of 30 players will be revealed at midseason.
"This is not only an individual honor, but it gives recognition to our team and university," English said in a UH press release. "I'll try and work hard this season to prove that I'm deserving of being mentioned with the other great players."
