Green team in groove in Midnight hour

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

Basketball season is under way.

Phil Martin of the White team tries to score against the Green's Haim Shimonovich. Shimonovich scored 16 points to lead a 56-37 victory. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

The annual Midnight Ohana turned into a groovy time for all, with a crowd of around 4,500 gathering at the Stan Sheriff Center late Friday night and into yesterday's early morning to watch the unveiling of the 2002-03 University of Hawai'i basketball teams. Oct. 12 is the first date NCAA teams can officially begin practicing.

"This was the best Midnight Ohana I've seen in Hawai'i," said junior center Haim Shimonovich. "I don't know if any team in the country had this much fun."

It started with six players from the UH men's team running out of the locker room dressed as the Village People and dancing to "YMCA." It ended with Shimonovich — a 6-foot-10, 265-pound center — draining a 3-pointer at the buzzer to cap a 56-37 victory for his Green team in the intrasquad scrimmage.

"The whole night was fun," said UH men's head coach Riley Wallace. "Our marketing department put this whole thing together with the costumes and the idea. They were really good."

Indeed, the player introductions seemed to create the most excitement. The theme of the event was "Disco Days," and the players and coaches from both the men's and women's teams dressed as celebrities from the 1970s.

Some of the more outrageous costumes: Gabe Lombard and Vaidotas Peciukas as Sonny and Cher; Nkeruwem Tony Akpan as Superman; Phil Martin as the "Fabulous Five" version of Bob Nash; associate head coach Jackson Wheeler as the Dr. Evil character from the Austin Powers movies; 5-4 guard Lance Takaki as the Mini Me character to Wheeler's Dr. Evil.

"To get all of us in those things and agree to do it, that's quite a project," Wallace said.

Wallace's costume was the biggest project. He appeared as the "Fat Bastard" character from the Austin Powers movies.

"He's been a great sport; he's always behind everything we do," junior guard Carl English said of Wallace. "He'd probably go out there by himself dressed like that. That's why we love him."

Coach Riley Wallace came dressed as "Fat Bastard" from the Austin Powers movie. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

Newcomer Michael Kuebler, a junior college transfer from Clackamas Community College (Ore.), won the 3-point shootout. He defeated Jade Abele of the women's team, 15-8, in a one-on-one duel.

"I didn't even know I was going to be in it until the last minute," Kuebler said. "I was a little nervous with this being the first time I put on the uniform and everything. I'm just glad it worked out."

But during a somewhat anticlimactic intrasquad scrimmage, Kuebler and his teammates on the White squad shot 0-for-9 from 3-point range.

In contrast, the Green was 7-of-13 from behind the 3-point line, led by English's 4-of-6 performance from long range.

"It was just run and gun," said English, who finished with 15 points. "When I cross that 'H' mark (at half-court) I'm looking to shoot."

English drained his first three 3-pointers of the game as the Green made it a rout from start to finish. His third 3 gave the Green a commanding 23-4 lead less than eight minutes into the game.

But the biggest difference in the scrimmage was the biggest player. Shimonovich dominated his teammates in the low post, finishing with scrimmage-highs of 16 points and seven rebounds.

"I said when we had the draft, who ever had Haim would probably win it because the man in the middle makes a difference," Wallace said. "And he did."

Shimonovich, who celebrated his 23rd birthday Friday, added: "I was just doing what I can do. I was working hard all summer for this season."

Martin led the White with 14 points and four rebounds.

English also won the slam-dunk contest with a running alley-oop slam over a crouching Takaki, who passed the ball to English.

Newcomer Jason Carter, who is 5 feet 10 but possesses a 40-inch vertical leap, drew oohs and ahs from the crowd, but missed on both of his dunk attempts.

"I was going for degree of difficulty," Carter said. "But I just couldn't put 'em down."

Carter proved to be more than just a jumping jack, finishing with seven assists and four steals for the Green. One of his assists was an underhand pass from half-court through the middle of the White defense and into the waiting hands of Vaidotas Peciukas under the basket.

"The talent's there," Wallace said. "You just gotta get them in a structured situation."

That starts tomorrow, when the 'Bows have their first official practice.

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