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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Friday, October 17, 2003

UH still has outside shot at hoops title

 •  Midnight is Sensley's time
 •  Veteran Goo relying on youth
 •  FERD LEWIS
WAC's future talk of town

By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Writer

Men's coaches
1. Nevada (8) 80
2. Rice 65
3. Hawai'i 63
4. Fresno State 59
5. Tulsa (2) 52
6. SMU 40
7. Boise State 31
8. La. Tech 29
9. UTEP 22
10. S.Jose St. 9

Preseason All-WAC: Kirk Snyder (Nevada); Jason Parker (Tulsa); Michael Harris (Rice), Bryan Hopkins (SMU), Phil Martin (Hawai'i).

Player of the Year: Snyder.

Men's Media
1. Nevada (15) 202
2. Fresno St.(5) 158
3. Hawaii (1) 150
4. Tulsa 145
5. Rice 137
6. SMU 129
7. Boise State 80
8. La. Tech 77
9. UTEP 51
10. San Jose St. 26

Preseason All-WAC: Snyder (Nevada), Parker (Tulsa), Harris (Rice), Hopkins (SMU), Aaron Haynes (Boise State).

Player of the Year: Snyder.

Newcomer of the Year: Shantay Legans (Fresno State).
DALLAS — One by one, his fellow Western Athletic Conference basketball coaches took clear delight in reminding Riley Wallace that the University of Hawai'i would no longer have a dominating shooter this year.

"The other coaches weren't feeling too sorry for me this year after having Savo (Predrag Savovic) and Carl (English) all those other years," Wallace said.

But nobody — not the coaches nor the conference media here at the WAC Basketball Media Preview, who each picked Hawai'i to contend for the title with a third-place finish — is foolish enough to write the Rainbow Warriors off this year, either.

"If English hadn't gone out early (for the NBA draft), they would have been the heavy favorite," said San Jose State coach Phil Johnson. "Without him, well, they'll still be in it but it gives everybody else a chance, too."

UH was one of three teams that received a first-place vote in a media poll that was led by Nevada and Fresno State, while the coaches had Nevada and Rice ahead of UH in what shapes up as a wide-open championship race.

"Hawai'i, with the players they've got, is one of those teams that is always going to contend," said Tulsa guard Jason Parker. "Like us and Fresno State, Hawai'i is one of those teams you count on."

And, "team" is the operative word this year for the Rainbows who, coming off a 19-12 (9-9 WAC) season, will look to their strength in numbers to make up for the 19.6 points and leadership that English took with him to the Indiana Pacers.

"Our star has to be the team," Wallace said. "Now, we've got to count on team execution, moving the ball inside out and doing some things that we haven't been doing when we relied on Savo and Carl.

"Carl made a lot of shots and won some games for us, no doubt about it, but we could also be a better 'team' than we were last year," Wallace said.

Forward Phil Martin, who averaged 11.5 points a game last season and was named to the preseason all-WAC first team by the coaches yesterday, leads a Rainbow squad that returns four players who earned starting time last year.

"We've got a lot of experience, a lot of guys who have proven they can do the job and step up this year," said guard Michael Kuebler, who is one of six seniors. "And, we've got some new guys coming in who are really going to help."

Among them is forward Julian Sensley, who was among the vote-getters for preseason newcomer of the year. He finished behind Fresno State's Shantay Legans, who started 79 games in the Pac-10 for California.

"It hurts to lose a player the caliber of English," said Fresno State coach Ray Lopes, "but this is still a team game and, with the one they have coming back, they should still be a very good one."

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.