It's been big month for UH's English
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
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The leading scorer for the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team turned 22 on Feb. 2, and had lengthy feature articles about his life appear in Sports Illustrated and ESPN The Magazine in the following weeks.
Yesterday, he matched the hype by being named Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week for the third time this season.
English, a 6-foot-5 junior guard from Newfoundland, Canada, registered 48 points, 11 rebounds and five assists to lead the Rainbow Warriors to victories over Nevada and Kent State.
"Things were going good," he said. "I think it started when we lost that game (to San Jose State). That's what woke us up; it woke me up and I took it into the next game (against Nevada)."
English scored 26 in the home victory over Nevada last Wednesday, and then had 22 in UH's Bracket Buster win at Kent State on Saturday.
He leads all WAC players with 20.4 points per game.
He also joined an elite list of players who have earned the WAC Player of the Week award three times in one season. Since the conference started the weekly award during the 1982-83 season, only nine players have won it three times in one season. No player has ever won four in one season.
Among the previous three-time winners were former 'Bows Anthony Carter (1997-98) and Anthony Harris (1995-96).
"I don't look at those things as something big," English said. "It's nice to be recognized, but we still have to go out and win games."
On to Tulsa: After an off-day in Ohio on Sunday, the 'Bows traveled to Tulsa, Okla., yesterday.
Hawai'i (15-8 overall, 7-7 WAC) is scheduled to play at Tulsa (15-9, 8-6) on Thursday.
"It'll be a tough one," UH head coach Riley Wallace said. "We've beat them the last couple times there, so they'll be out to get us."
Hawai'i has won its last five meetings with Tulsa, including a 73-67 overtime victory in the Stan Sheriff Center on Feb. 1.
Even colder: After leaving 20-degree temperatures in Ohio, the 'Bows were greeted by 15-degree weather (with a wind-chill factor of 0 degrees) in Tulsa yesterday.
Hair-shaving win: UH's three seniors — Mark Campbell, Ryne Holliday and Lance Takaki — came up with the idea of shaving their heads before Saturday's game at Kent State.
They persuaded the rest of the team to follow, although some were reluctant. Junior Michael Kuebler did not part with his blond locks until a few hours before tip-off.
