Confident Rainbows return after 2-0 road trip
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
As the team bus approached the familiar confines of the Stan Sheriff Center yesterday, University of Hawai'i men's basketball coach Riley Wallace had some unfamiliar advice for his team.
"We're still on business," he said. "Let's treat this like we're still on the road."
Huh?
In what has already been a season filled with pleasant surprises, the Rainbow Warriors added another one last week by finally becoming road warriors.
Hawai'i remained atop the Western Athletic Conference standings after winning at Texas-El Paso, 70-68, on Thursday, and at Boise State, 64-62, on Saturday. It was UH's first sweep of a WAC road trip in four years, and just its fifth in 23 seasons in the conference.
The 'Bows returned home yesterday with a 13-2 overall record — the best start in Wallace's 15 seasons as head coach — and 4-0 in the WAC.
"I had a feeling that we'd be OK on the road because this team feels like it did at the end of last year," senior tri-captain Mike McIntyre said. "We learned so much at the (WAC Tournament) last year about how to be successful on the road, and we're doing the same things."
Since its final road trip of last season, which included three victories in as many days in the WAC Tournament at Tulsa, Okla., the 'Bows are 8-3 away from the Stan Sheriff Center. Prior to that, the 'Bows had been 2-22 in their previous 24 games away from home.
Including its 2-1 record in the Big Island Invitational last November, Hawai'i is now 4-1 on the road this season.
"We're not doing anything different," said senior tri-captain Predrag Savovic. "We're just accomplishing what we go out to do every game."
With that, the 'Bows are off to one of the best starts in the program's history. The "Fabulous Five" team of 1971-72 started 14-1, and is the only team to post a better record after the first 15 games of a season.
What's more, of the seven teams in UH history to post at least 12 victories in the first 15 games of a season, six advanced to the postseason.
Not that the 'Bows are paying attention to any of it.
"We have to keep our minds straight," McIntyre said. "People are talking about us making the Top 25 (polls) and being in first place in the WAC, but all that doesn't matter right now. Our season's not stopping just because we won two games on the road. We still have to get better and better."
Indeed, two of the WAC's top-contending teams will be in Honolulu to play Hawai'i this week. Louisiana Tech (8-4 overall, 2-1 WAC) will play UH on Thursday; on Saturday, Southern Methodist (8-5, 3-0) will play the 'Bows in a potential first-place game.
"We can't even think about those things," Savovic said. "Who ever is the team to beat or not to beat, that is not for us to decide. You guys (the media) can decide it."
If the 'Bows are to treat this week like another road trip, the only thing they have to decide is where to eat their pre-game meal. In a new environment in Boise, Idaho, the team was able to locate a Golden Corral restaurant for its pregame meal.
The 'Bows discovered the restaurant in Tulsa, Okla., last season and have established a winning tradition with it.
"I couldn't believe we found another one," McIntyre said. "The food's actually not that good, but if it works, we gotta keep going there."
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Notes: Hawai'i moved up to No. 54 in the latest Rating Percentage Index (RPI) released yesterday. ... The 'Bows received six votes in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll released yesterday. They also received six votes last week. The Associated Press Top 25 Poll will be released today. ... Hawai'i continues to lead the WAC in scoring defense, allowing 58.9 points per game. The 'Bows are also holding opponents to a .386 field goal percentage, which is .001 behind Fresno State. ... Predrag Savovic is averaging 19.9 points per game, but has not played in enough games to qualify for listing in the WAC statistics. SMU's Damon Hancock leads the WAC with 20.2 points per game.
