Taller opponents not big deal for IUPUI

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

All you need to know about IUPUI is that the first letter stands for Indiana.

Based on the Indiana Hoosiers, the movie "Hoosiers," and Larry Bird, anything that relates basketball and Indiana usually turns out to be pretty good.

So even though the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team might be able to look over a shorter IUPUI team tonight, the Rainbow Warriors are vowing not to overlook the Jaguars.

Hawai'i and IUPUI will meet for the first time tonight in a semifinal game of the Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic at 7:35 at the Stan Sheriff Center.

"They won their league and went to the NCAA (Tournament) last year," UH head coach Riley Wallace said. "They don't hand those out for free, so it means they're a good basketball program."

The Jaguars beat East Tennessee State on Saturday, 85-81, while the 'Bows beat Lamar, 94-88.

Hawai'i, which is 6-2, has played in the championship game of the past four Rainbow Classics, including championships in 1999, 2001 and 2002. If the 'Bows are to get there again, they will have to win the classic size versus speed match-up tonight.

IUPUI, which stands for Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis, does not have a starter taller than 6 feet 6. However, the Jaguars live up to their nickname by averaging 82.1 points per game.

"Speed kills," IUPUI head coach Ron Hunter said. "We like to think our speed causes problems for other teams. A lot of people like to say that we're at a disadvantage because of size, but we look at it the other way — it's our advantage."

IUPUI is 6-3 this season, and two of its losses came on buzzer-beaters on the road at Dayton and West Virginia. The other loss came on the road at Vanderbilt, which is 9-0.

"We've played in tough environments and against big teams," Hunter said. "I know Hawai'i plays very well at home, and they have great size. But it's going to be nothing new for us."

The Jaguars feature Odell Bradley, an undersized and under-publicized double-double threat. Bradley, a 6-4, 240-pound senior forward, is averaging 23.2 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.

He scored 27 but did not get any rebounds in Saturday's game, which he described as "one of the worst" of his two-year career at IUPUI. It was only the second time in 43 games at IUPUI that Bradley did not grab a rebound.

"I usually help this team in so many ways and I didn't do that," Bradley said. "I know I'll have to step it up against Hawai'i and I plan on doing that."

Bradley's size will cause a mismatch at both ends of the court.

When Hawai'i is on defense, either 6-8 Phil Martin or 6-9 Julian Sensley will have to defend Bradley.

"I feel comfortable guarding smaller guys," Martin said. "It's difficult, but sometimes I like that better than guarding bigger guys."

But when IUPUI is on defense, Bradley will have to defend either Sensley or 6-10 Haim Shimonovich.

"I play against big guys all the time," he said. "I think it benefits me because I can out-quick guys."

If not out-quicking teams, the Jaguars like to out-shoot them. IUPUI is averaging almost nine 3-pointers a game. Akeem Clark, a 6-2 guard, made nine in Saturday's win over ETSU.

"They can all step out and bomb," Martin said. "But they can also drive to the basket. Defense is going to be key. We have to contest all their shots because we are the bigger team, and we have to box out and make sure we grab all the rebounds."

IUPUI, however, does not want the game to turn into a defensive battle.

"We have to find a way to make Hawai'i feel uncomfortable," Hunter said. "And they looked most uncomfortable (against Lamar) when they were in that up-and-down game, so we'll try that and see how it goes."

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8101.