Another big game for UH
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
FRESNO, Calif. — OK, now the pressure is really on.
After weeks of what-if scenarios, it has come down to this for the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team tonight: win, and the Rainbow Warriors are the co-Western Athletic Conference champions and the No. 1 seed for next week's WAC Tournament; lose, and Tulsa is the outright WAC champ, with the 'Bows dropping to the No. 2 seed.
Perhaps fittingly, Hawai'i will have to go through rival Fresno State if it wants to become co-champs of the regular season for only the second time in its 23 years in the WAC. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. (Hawai'i time) in what is expected to be a sold-out Selland Arena.
"We've backed ourselves into a corner," UH head coach Riley Wallace said. "But this is the kind of team that comes out fighting, and we have something worth fighting for. If we want that No. 1 seed, we have to show that we deserve it."
The 'Bows put themselves in this position after a 79-69 loss at Nevada on Thursday. A victory over the Wolf Pack would have clinched the top seed for Hawai'i.
Instead, the 'Bows fell to 23-5 overall and 14-3 in the WAC with their worst loss of the season (UH's previous four losses were by a combined nine points). Fresno State, last season's WAC regular-season champ, is 18-12 overall and 9-8 in the WAC.
"I don't think you can call this just another game," UH sophomore center Haim Shimonovich said. "Everybody knows we have to win if we want to be the champs. We also know that Fresno is going to come out wanting to beat us badly. It's going to be interesting."
It's going to be interesting even before tip-off.
Predrag Savovic, UH's star guard, did not practice yesterday because of continued pain in his lower back from muscle spasms he suffered in the second half of the loss at Nevada. He has been downgraded to doubtful, and his playing status will probably not be known until moments before the game.
"If he's in the same condition (today) as (yesterday), he won't play," Wallace said. "Either way, we'll be ready."
Wallace alternated Mindaugas Burneika and Mike McIntyre in Savovic's spot with the first team during yesterday's practice. Perhaps optimistically, Wallace still wanted Savovic listed as the probable starter.
Fresno State will not be at full strength, either. Chris Jefferies, an All-WAC first team forward last season, has missed the past eight games with a knee injury, and will miss the rest of this season. Starting point guard Chris Sandy has missed the past four games while being investigated for accepting an improper benefit, which is a violation of NCAA rules.
"We're pretty realistic in saying that we're a very limited ball club right now," Fresno State head coach Jerry Tarkanian said. "We're not real deep, we're not real talented, and we have a lot of limitations."
What the Bulldogs do have is 6-foot-10 senior center Melvin Ely, who will be celebrating his home finale tonight. He is already Fresno State's all-time leading scorer, and is having an All-America season with averages of 23.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 3.4 blocked shots per game.
On Dec. 27, Ely did not play in Hawai'i's 83-73 victory over the Bulldogs at the Stan Sheriff Center. At the time, he was under NCAA investigation for receiving improper benefits.
"He's the base of that team," said Shimonovich, who will draw the task of defending Ely. "Everything they do goes through him. I will have to be at my best."
On Thursday, Nevada exploited Hawai'i with quickness. Wallace said he does not expect Fresno State to follow a similar style.
"Fresno has some quick players, but they're not as quick overall as Nevada," Wallace said. "Regardless of what they do, we have to do a better job of defending than what we did (at Nevada)."
Despite it being Ely's final home game, Tarkanian said: "We're catching Hawai'i at the worst time because they're coming here on a mission."
To be sure, the 'Bows were business-like during yesterday's practice, even with Savovic sitting at courtside.
"The Nevada game is over as far as we're concerned," McIntyre said. "We all want to win the championship, and we can still do that. We've had that opportunity for a while now, and we have one more chance to capitalize on it."
What's more, Wallace believes the 'Bows need to win tonight's game and then at least one game in the WAC Tournament to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament (only the WAC Tournament champion is assured a spot in the NCAA Tournament).
"I think we'll need 25 wins to get in," Wallace said. "But we have to keep working for it. The first thing you play for during the season is the conference championship and we have a shot at that, so that's what we're thinking about for now."
