NBA star watches fellow Canadians at UH practice
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
DALLAS — The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team has at least one impressed — and impressive — fan here.
Steve Nash, the all-star point guard for the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, visited the Rainbow Warriors' practice yesterday at Moody Coliseum on the campus of Southern Methodist.
In particular, Nash came to watch fellow Canadians Carl English and Phil Martin. They met in Hawai'i two years ago when Nash and the Canadian national team played an exhibition game in the Stan Sheriff Center.
"We've just kind of been following each other ever since then," Nash said. "We're Canadians; we have that bond."
The entire Hawai'i team went to watch Nash and the Mavericks beat Seattle Monday night at the American Airlines Center. After the game, English and Martin went to chat with Nash.
"They came down to talk with me and I didn't have that much time, so I told them I'd come down to their practice today," Nash said.
Unfortunately, Hawai'i's practice ran longer than expected, and Nash did not get a chance to speak with English and Martin. Instead, he gave them his phone number and told them to call.
"I saw him watching us practice and that was pretty cool," English said. "It's not every day you get an NBA guy come to watch you. But we've got other business to take care of, so I tried not to think about it."
Nash, who played at Santa Clara, has been especially impressed with English's progress. Nash even said he would try to help get English a tryout with the Canadian national team this summer.
"For a guy like Carl to come from a small town and be where he is now is quite a feat," Nash said. "He can play, I know that."
The Mavericks leave today for a three-game road trip, so Nash said he would not be able to watch the 'Bows.
"I'll be cheering for them," he said. "There aren't that many Canadians playing college ball in America, and Hawai'i's got two of 'em."
• Arena awe: Coach Riley Wallace took the 'Bows to the Mavericks game Monday in hopes of giving the team "a feel for the arena."
The feeling was one of awe.
"It was beautiful, amazing," point guard Mark Campbell said. "Nicest arena I've ever been in. I can't wait till we get to practice in there."
Hawai'i, like every other team in the regional, will only get one chance to practice in the arena tomorrow.
The American Airlines Center opened this season as the home of the Mavericks. It seats slightly more than 20,000, and is expected to be sold out this weekend.
• Rainbow requests: The 'Bows have been bombarded with media requests from across the nation this week.
"My phone rings all day, every 10 minutes," said coach Riley Wallace. "ESPN, Fox, New York, Chicago, you name it. That's part of the job when you get to this point, but I don't like the players getting caught up in all that."
Wallace said he is limiting the number of interviews each player can grant this week.
"The recognition is great, but we have to focus on playing the game," he said. "I don't want them to get distracted by it."
• Cough comeback: Even if the marquee on the American Airlines Center didn't say NCAA Tournament, you know it is a big week for UH basketball.
Coach Riley Wallace's cough is back.
It reappeared yesterday during the Rainbows' first practice for Friday's tournament opener.
The cough has been a Wallace trademark in recent years, recurring when tension mounts. But this year it had been largely absent. "With this team I never had any worries," Wallace said. "I thought I could get through this year without it (the cough). I guess not."
• Fan friendly: The Rainbows are assured a rooting section when they take the court Friday.
The school will have a 75-person official travel party paid for by the NCAA.
NCAA rules specify that the group must include at least 30 band members, 12 cheerleaders and one mascot with 32 others of the school's choosing.
The NCAA pays their travel costs and $120 per diem. If the school doesn't use the complete 75-member allotment, it is not allowed to keep the money.
