Big men big help in boosting Rainbow Warriors' defense

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

Without ever playing in a zone, the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team has been in a defensive zone this season.

Sticking exclusively to its sticky, man-to-man scheme, the Rainbow Warriors continue to lead the Western Athletic Conference — and are ranked eighth among all NCAA Division I teams — in scoring defense.

"A lot of the defensive numbers is because of the offense," UH head coach Riley Wallace said. "We're patient moving the ball on offense, so we take time off the clock."

Still, the 'Bows are holding opponents to a .386 field goal percentage, which ranks second in the WAC and 27th in the nation. Only two opponents (Mercer and Colorado State) have shot better than 50 percent against UH this season.

Not by coincidence, the 'Bows are 13-2, including 4-0 in the WAC, entering a conference game against Louisiana Tech tomorrow.

At its current pace, this season's team could finish with the best defensive statistical numbers in UH basketball history.

"I've had other teams that were more athletic and so had the potential to play better defense," Wallace said. "But this team plays mentally better than any of the others."

The key has been the emergence of center Haim Shimonovich and power forward Phil Martin. As the two low-post defenders, they are responsible for challenging shots near the basket, regardless of which opposing player is shooting it. Shimonovich already has 28 blocked shots this season; Martin has 13.

"We know those big guys are back there, so we can be more aggressive on the perimeter," said senior guard Predrag Savovic. "We can stay close to our man on the outside, and if they get by us, we have Haim and Phil waiting for them on the inside."

Junior point guard Mark Campbell, who leads the team with 26 steals, said: "It's all about pride and discipline. We're responsible for our own man, but we also need to rotate to help each other out."

Shimonovich, a 6-foot-10, 250-pound sophomore, is the "anchor" of the scheme, Wallace said.

"He's big and strong enough to take care of his man, and he's quick enough and smart enough to rotate if somebody else gets beat," Wallace explained.

Shimonovich added: "If my man scores in my face, that's worse than me shooting an air ball. I care a lot about my defense."

• Fast and the furious: It seems the 'Bows have a defense for everything.

Yesterday, starters Campbell and Carl English, and walk-on Dan Pickart, were pulled over at gunpoint and handcuffed by police officers near Waikiki for allegedly driving a stolen car.

Campbell had a simple explanation for driving the 1990 Toyota Corolla.

"It got stolen a couple months ago, and when it was recovered, I never turned in the paper work," he said. "It's my fault. But it really is my car."

They were released without charges once the issue was confirmed by the officers.