'Bows' Akpan comfortable in backup role
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
A memorable game for Nkeruwem "Tony" Akpan and the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team Friday night was all but forgotten yesterday as the Rainbow Warriors prepared for their next opponent in the Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic.
• Today's schedule: Consolation bracket games: Alcorn State vs. Bradley, 11 a.m.; Texas-Pan American vs. Chicago State, 1:30 p.m. Semifinals: Butler vs. Western Kentucky, 5 p.m. Hawai'i vs. Tennessee Tech, 7:30 p.m. • Tomorrow's schedule: Seventh place, 11 a.m., fifth place, 1:30 p.m., third place, 5 p.m., championship, 7:30 p.m. • Where: Stan Sheriff Center • Tickets: $16 lower level and $12 upper level for semifinals; $5 for consolation games. Parking is $3.
After scoring a career-high 25 points on 11-of-13 shooting in a 90-69 victory over Bradley, Akpan left the Stan Sheriff Center court to chants of "To-ny! To-ny! To-ny!"
Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic
"They made me feel like a pro player," Akpan said.
But reality set in at practice yesterday as Akpan returned to his normal role as a reserve forward, and the only screaming of his name came from head coach Riley Wallace during half-court drills.
The Rainbow Warriors will face Tennessee Tech in a semifinal game of the Rainbow Classic tonight at 7:30.
Wallace said he will not alter his starting lineup or playing rotation, meaning Akpan will still be the first "big man" off the bench behind starters Phil Martin and Haim Shimonovich.
"Nothing's changed," Wallace said. "I think Tony is smart enough to know he's not going to get 25 every night. The thing with our offense, it could have been Phil or Haim or anybody else scoring those points. Right now, we've found a good role for Tony and he's helping the team by doing that."
Akpan, a 6-8 sophomore from Nigeria, said he is, indeed, comfortable with his backup role (he has never started a regular-season game in two seasons at UH).
"I just have to let (Friday) night go," he said. "My main job with this team is to play defense and get rebounds. If the points are there, I'll take it, but I don't think I'll be getting 25 points every night."
Still, the 'Bows may need all three big men to come up big again tonight. Against Bradley, Akpan, Shimonovich and Martin combined for 54 points and 23 rebounds.
But unlike the guard-oriented Bradley team, Tennessee Tech relies primarily on its post players.
In particular, Damien Kinloch, a 6-foot-8 senior forward, leads the Golden Eagles with 15.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. Greg Morgan, a 6-8 senior center, contributes 9.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
"They won't run as much as Bradley because they do a lot of post up," Wallace said. "They'll take fastbreaks when they can, but they mostly work for high percentage stuff."
Not that the 'Bows are ready to back down from the challenge.
As senior point guard and captain Mark Campbell put it: "All year, we've been going inside to our post, and they showed what they're capable of the last game. We have a lot of confidence in our big guys, so I don't think we should adjust to other teams; other teams should adjust to us."
Tennessee Tech beat Alcorn State, 62-50, in the first round Friday. The Golden Eagles won despite committing 27 turnovers and getting out-rebounded 49-33.
"Hawai'i's a tough team to beat anywhere, but especially at home," Tennessee Tech head coach Mike Sutton said. "We will have to play a lot better than we did (Friday) to compete at that level."
