HPU, BYUH dropping basketball tournaments

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawai'i Pacific and Brigham Young University-Hawai'i have dropped their Division I tournaments, citing a lack of teams willing and eligible to participate because of the "2-and-4" rule for exempted basketball tournaments.

The rule, which restricts teams to participating in exempted basketball tournaments no more than twice in a four-year period, has hurt Hawai'i's four Division II programs, which each host an exempted tournament.

(The rule has also impacted the University of Hawai'i's Rainbow Classic; the school has had difficulties in getting teams to commit to its eight-team tournament.)

HPU canceled its annual Thanksgiving Classic when it couldn't secure enough teams to participate in the eight-team tourney it has hosted since 1986.

"Unless a miracle falls out of the sky," said Russell Dung, HPU athletic director and basketball head coach, "we're not have a tournament this year."

Dung said not having a Division I tournament may hurt the program's recruiting because it's been a selling point in luring potential athletes to the school.

"We would mention to our recruits that we played teams like Notre Dame, Minnesota and Wyoming," Dung said. "A lot (of players) come here knowing they would get this kind of competition and look forward to it."

As expected, BYUH dropped its Paradise Jam Hawai'i tournament, which it has hosted for four years.

"It was real hard to get teams this year," said BYUH head coach Ken Wagner. "It's unfortunate because we feel we have a team that could really play. ... But we're fine."

Unlike Dung, Wagner doesn't feel the "2-and-4" rule has negatively impacted the program.

"But it's always nice to play those teams," he added. "It's a challenge. And yet the most important thing is our league and Division II."

But HPU and BYUH now have to find teams to fill their schedule. Of the 27 games HPU is scheduled to play, at least 22 have to be of Division I or Division II caliber, Dung said. HPU has gotten a commitment from Alaska Fairbanks for two games, leaving one more game to schedule.

BYUH needs to secure one more game to complete its schedule. Wagner said they haven't scheduled a single game against a Division I team.

University of Hawai'i-Hilo trimmed its Hilo Shootout from eight to four teams, but not because of the "2-and-4" rule, said Kelly Leong, UHH sports information director.

"(The rule) had no effect on the decision," Leong said.

Drake, Vermont and Utah State have committed to participate in the annual tournament, scheduled for the weekend after Thanksgiving.

The only tournament not affected by the "2-and-4" rule is Chaminade's Maui Invitational. The eight-team field is set for this and next year's tournaments; the schedules for 2004 and 2005 are tentatively set.