UH driven to beat Bradley

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

UH guard Carl English knows the importance of beating Bradley tonight. "Nobody wants to play those days games," says English of the mid-day consolation bracket. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser Classic facts What: Eight-team men's college basketball tournament Where: Stan Sheriff Center Today's schedule: Tennessee Tech vs. Alcorn State, 5 p.m.; Hawai'i vs. Bradley, 7:30 p.m. Tomorrow's schedule: Butler vs. Texas-Pan American, 5 p.m.; Western Kentucky vs. Chicago State, 7:30 p.m. Sunday's schedule: Consolation games at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.; semifinals at 5 and 7:30 p.m. Monday's schedule: Seventh place, 11 a.m.; fifth place, 1:30 p.m.; third place, 5 p.m.; championship, 7:30 p.m. Tickets: Tournament packages are $68 for lower level seats and $52 for upper level seats; individual evening sessions (available starting Friday) are $16 for lower level and $12 for upper level; individual consolation sessions are $5. Parking is $3.

But that's exactly what University of Hawai'i head coach Riley Wallace has been using on his Rainbow Warriors in preparation for the start of tonight's Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic.

The host 'Bows will face Bradley in tonight's feature game at 7:30.

"If you guys come out here and drag your (butts), this is how many people are going to come out and watch you," Wallace has said repeatedly this week during his team's practice sessions in an empty Stan Sheriff Center.

Indeed, while the evening games of the Rainbow Classic are surrounded by pomp and circumstance, the afternoon consolation games are often a desolate alternative.

The four losers of the first-round games tonight and tomorrow are relegated to the afternoon consolation rounds on Sunday and Monday. The loser of tonight's Hawai'i-Bradley game will play at 11 a.m. on Sunday, while the winner moves on to a semifinal game at 7:30 p.m.

"Nobody wants to play those day games," UH junior guard Carl English said. "But especially us. I mean, we're the home team. If we don't win that first game, it's like we let everybody down."

Of all the home games on the UH schedule, the opener of the Rainbow Classic is often the most significant for reasons financial and otherwise. A UH victory on opening night normally lures larger crowds for the next three nights of the tournament.

"None of these guys knows that feeling of playing in the afternoon," Wallace said. "And I told them that they don't ever want to know what that feels like, because it's not a good feeling."

In 38 previous Rainbow Classics, Hawai'i has been relegated to the consolation bracket 10 times. The last time UH played in the afternoon was 1995.

Since then, the 'Bows have gone 14-4 in Rainbow Classic games, including championships in 1997, 1999 and last year.

"Coach told us we have to treat this week like a different season," English said. "We have to play three games in four days, and we know about all the pride and tradition associated with this tournament. It means a lot to us."

Wallace, who makes the tournament pairings, normally picks the weakest team in the field for UH's first-round opponent. But this year, he said he purposely selected a stronger opponent for the 'Bows.

"There are probably a couple other teams we could have gone with," he said. "But we wanted to play Bradley because they're a good team from a good conference."

Because of an admittedly weak non-conference schedule this season, Wallace said he wanted to play a tough opponent to help UH's power ratings.

Bradley is off to a 2-6 start under first-year head coach Jim Les, but the six losses are by an average of 4.7 points.

"It's a new system with a new coach, so we're all learning on the fly," Les said. "We're making strides; it just hasn't shown in the win column."

Statistically, the Braves have the best trio of teammates in the tournament in guards Phillip Gilbert and James Gillingham, and forward Danny Granger.

"I would say defense has been our key the last couple games," said UH guard Michael Kuebler, who will likely have to defend either Gilbert or Gillingham. "But this game is going to be a good test. They don't have just one guy, they have three, so we're going to have to play good team defense."

Gilbert is the top individual scorer in the Rainbow Classic field with an average of 20.9 points per game. Granger may be Bradley's most talented player with averages of 18.4 points and 8.4 rebounds.

Gillingham played with English on Canada's junior national team in 2000, and is averaging 16.4 points and 3.9 assists per game.

"We have a very small margin of error," Les said. "We have a few guys who know they have to step up and be a force offensively every night."

What's more, Les is using the match-up with Hawai'i as his own motivational tool.

"They had seven other choices, but they chose us," said Les, who was the starting point guard for Bradley in the 1985 Rainbow Classic. "That's a great challenge for us in itself."

NOTES: UH junior walk-on Ramsey Williams has left the team for personal reasons. The 5-foot-11 point guard was the only player on the UH roster to not see any action in the first five games. Williams, the Hawai'i high school player of the year in 1998 at Moanalua High, was in his first season at UH after transferring from College of the Desert (Calif.). ... UH senior captain Mark Campbell returned to practice yesterday after sitting out the previous two days with the flu. He is expected to make his 36th consecutive start at point guard tonight. ... UH freshman forward Ikaika Alama-Francis is not expected to play this week because of a sore back. ... UH sophomore walk-on Gabe Lombard has been suspended. He will be allowed to remain with the team although coach Riley Wallace would not give further details.