Rainbows getting back to basics on road trip
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
Training camp II begins for the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team in Houston today.
Advertiser library photo
"We're starting all over," UH head coach Riley Wallace said. "We've got a couple of days here (in Houston) and we're going to have to get our focus back."
Riley Wallace said he feels UH's loss hurt the WAC.
The 'Bows lost their focus and their nine-game winning streak in a 57-53 loss at San Jose State on Saturday. (The Advertiser erroneously reported a different final score in yesterday's paper). It was UH's first loss in the Western Athletic Conference this season, dropping its records to 15-3 overall and 6-1 in the WAC.
Hawai'i remains in first place, a half-game ahead of Tulsa, but the magnitude of the loss was tremendous. Wallace went so far as to say that the loss "hurt the whole league."
He was mostly referring to UH's lost opportunity at a national ranking this week. Prior to the San Jose State game, Hawai'i had a feature story on ESPN.com, and was listed as one of six national "Cinderella" teams.
"We were getting some national attention, which was good for us and the WAC," Wallace said. "And if we had won, we probably would have got even more."
Instead, San Jose State picked up its first victory of the WAC season, improving its records to 6-13 and 1-6.
"In a lot of people's eyes, it knocks us all the way back down," Wallace said. "So we're treating it like we're building from the bottom again."
The 'Bows arrived in Houston yesterday for a Thursday game at Rice.
"We're disappointed because we feel like that was a game we shouldn't have lost," UH center Haim Shimonovich said. "But we're going to try and learn from it."
Shimonovich will have to do some quick studying this week.
Prior to Saturday's games, all the WAC coaches were informed that referees would be assessing more fouls for physical play. Shimonovich was one of the first victims, fouling out after playing just 13 minutes.
"The rules are going to be the same for everybody," Wallace said. "But I don't like them changing the rules in the middle of the season, and it really affects a big, physical player like Haim."
Shimonovich said he was told of the new guidelines before the game, but was still surprised at how quick the referees were to call fouls.
"For me, it was a big difference," said the 6-foot-10, 250-pound sophomore. "The refs kept telling me no hand-checking, but I'm not used to that. I've been playing like that all year."
Having learned his lesson, Shimonovich is hoping to use it to his advantage as well.
"On defense, it works against you," he said. "But on offense, it can help you out. That's what I plan to do."
Power forward Phil Martin was also affected by the new guidelines, collecting four fouls while playing just 23 minutes.
"We never adjusted," Wallace said. "When we lose Haim, we're not the same club. But when we lose Haim and Phil, it changes our defense completely."
Wallace was not pleased with the 'Bows' offense. Hawai'i shot just 34 percent from the field against the Spartans, including 15 percent (3-of-20) from 3-point range. Perhaps even more telling, the 'Bows passed for a season-low 10 assists.
"Probably the most disappointing thing was that we didn't run the offense the way we have been and the way we're supposed to," Wallace said. "We didn't shoot the ball well, but sometimes that's going to happen. When we're not shooting, we have to work on getting that extra pass, and we weren't doing that."
Added Shimonovich: "It's never good to lose, especially to the team that is last in the WAC. But the good thing is we're still in first place and the rest of the season is still up to us."
• Poll watch: You have to wonder about the voters on the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Top 25.
After receiving 18 points last week while on a nine-game winning streak, Hawai'i received 22 this week after losing to San Jose State.
Wallace figures some of the coaches who vote on the poll were assuming Hawai'i beat San Jose State.
"It's still good for us to get some votes," Wallace said. "But it's probably because some of those guys never saw the score."
The Associated Press Top 25 will be released today.
Also yesterday, Hawai'i dropped 15 spots to No. 55 in the latest Rating Percentage Index.
• More pub: Despite Saturday's loss, Sports Illustrated is still planning to run a short feature story on Hawai'i and its foreign players in this week's edition.
The article will appear in the college basketball section, and could include a photo of UH's foreign players holding the flags of their respective countries.
