English selected to All-WAC first team
| • | Conference trips had ups, downs |
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
Three players from the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team were honored by the Western Athletic Conference yesterday, led by shooting guard Carl English.
English, a 6-foot-5 junior, became the 11th player in UH history selected to the All-WAC first team. He was a second-team selection last season.
Carl English
Mark Campbell
Michael Kuebler
Entering this week's WAC Tournament at Tulsa, Okla., English leads the Rainbow Warriors with 19.3 points per game and 75 3-pointers. He also ranks second on the team with 5.6 rebounds per game.
"There were times this season when he carried us," UH head coach Riley Wallace said. "He shot the ball well even though other teams were out to guard him because everybody knew about him."
English was one of six players named to the All-WAC first team. The others were Quinton Ross of Southern Methodist, Damon Jackson of Fresno State, Antonio Meeking of Louisiana Tech, Kevin Johnson of Tulsa and Kirk Snyder of Nevada.
Ross, a 6-6 senior guard, was selected as Player of the Year. He averaged 19.9 points per game during the regular season, edging English for the conference scoring lead.
"I'm sure Carl got some consideration because he was the Preseason Player of the Year," Wallace said. "But Ross had a good year and SMU is the hottest team in the league right now."
UH senior captain Mark Campbell was selected to the All-Defensive Team, and junior Michael Kuebler made the All-Newcomer Team.
Campbell, a 6-4 point guard, leads the WAC with 6.3 assists per game, and was often assigned to defend the opposing team's best guard. He ranks third in the WAC with 46 steals.
"He was real steady on the defensive end," Wallace said. "It was nice to see him get on there."
Kuebler, a 6-5 junior transfer from Clackamas Community College (Ore.), is averaging 12.3 points per game, and ranks second on the team with 37 3-pointers.
"He stepped right in and started contributing," Wallace said. "He put up numbers to deserve it."
The only omission Wallace noticed was junior forward Phil Martin. He was Hawai'i's top nomination for the All-Defensive Team.
"Overall, he's our best defender," Wallace said. "But it's the kind of thing that goes unnoticed because he doesn't get a lot of steals or blocked shots. I think he should've been on there, though."
SMU guard Bryan Hopkins was named WAC Freshman of the Year. He is averaging 13.4 points per game, and leads the WAC with 58 steals.
Ray Lopes, who guided Fresno State to the regular-season championship in his first season as a college head coach, was named the Don Haskins Coach of the Year. The Bulldogs will not participate in the WAC Tournament because of a self-imposed ban from postseason play. The ban was put in after allegations of academic fraud under previous head coach Jerry Tarkanian were confirmed.
• JC update: Reserve point guard Jason Carter will travel with the team to the WAC Tournament, but may not be ready to play this week, according to Wallace.
Carter was diagnosed with a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee during the first half of Saturday's 77-63 victory over Texas-El Paso.
"Because he relies so much on his speed and quickness, any kind of knee injury is going to affect him," Wallace said.
• Haim update: Starting center Haim Shimonovich is expected to return to practice either today or tomorrow.
The 6-10 junior sprained his right ankle in a loss at Tulsa on Feb. 1. He has not practiced or played since then.
Wallace is hoping to start Shimonovich when the 'Bows play Rice in the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament on Thursday.
• • •
All-WAC First Team
- G—Quinton Ross, SMU, 6-6, Sr.
- G—Damon Jackson, Fresno State, 6-4, Sr.
- G—Carl English, Hawai'i, 6-5, Jr.
- F—Antonio Meeking, Louisiana Tech, 6-8, Sr.
- F—Kevin Johnson, Tulsa, 6-8, Sr.
- F—Kirk Snyder, Nevada, 6-6, So.
Second Team
- G—Dante Swanson, Tulsa, 5-10, Sr.
- G—Omar-Seli Mance, Rice, 6-2, Sr.
- G—Terrance Green, Nevada, 6-2, Sr.
- G—Jason Parker, Tulsa, 6-2, Jr.
- F—Hiram Fuller, Fresno State, 6-9, Sr.
- F—Michael Harris, Rice, 6-6, So.
Player of the Year: Quinton Ross, SMU
Freshman of the Year: Bryan Hopkins, SMU
Don Haskins Coach of the Year: Ray Lopes, Fresno State
All-Newcomer Team
- G—Bryan Hopkins, SMU, 6-0, Fr.
- G—Michael Kuebler, Hawai'i, 6-5, Jr.
- F—Aaron Haynes, Boise State, 6-6, Jr.
- F—Antonio Lawrence, San Jose State, 6-4, Fr.
- F—Renaldo Major, Fresno State, 6-7, Jr.
All-Defensive Team
- G—Jerry Petty, Nevada, 5-11, Sr.
- G—Brandon Hawkins, San Jose State, 6-3, Sr.
- G—Mark Campbell, Hawai'i, 6-4, Sr.
- F—Kevin Johnson, Tulsa, 6-8, Sr.
- C—Yamar Diene, Rice, 6-9, Jr.
