Posted on: Sunday, December 12, 2004
'Bows have escaped the unknown
| • | Hawai'i 5-0 after beating St. Mary's |
| • | Toiaivao helps lift Rainbow Wahine past BYU |
By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Columnist
If American Express is looking for a suitable subject for its next television commercial, the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team would be a perfect candidate.
"A lot of people don't know us," concedes guard Deonte Tatum. "A lot of people don't know our faces. So, I guess, we're pretty much (an) unknown. We're sneaking up on a lot of people."
Maybe not for much longer.
Not after last night's 84-77 victory over Saint Mary's extended the Rainbow Warriors to 5-0 this season. Not after the way the 'Bows have gone about rebuilding themselves on the fly in this seeing-is-believing season.
Slowly, somewhat quietly, these 'Bows have become a team to watch and marvel at as the 5,787 on hand at the Stan Sheriff Center last night can attest.
Not since the 1973-74 'Bows, a time so distant that Tom Henderson and Artie Wilson were playing and Bruce O'Neil was a rookie head coach, has UH entered its Rainbow Classic unbeaten. Which is how this win assured the 'Bows will be when they tipoff against Long Beach State on Dec. 20.
Not since the 1997-98 'Bows of Anthony Carter and Alika Smith has one of head coach Riley Wallace's teams begun 5-0.
"And, I didn't know if this one would, not with that road game to Saint Louis (last week) in there," Wallace said. "That said something."
To date all of their games have packed a message and this latest one was no exception.
Indeed, a team that was expected to take some time finding itself hasn't wasted so much as a single night in the process.
A team that had to replace four starters and welcome a bunch of guys with "Hello My Name is ... " name tags has made remarkably quick work of the task even if some of the victims, such as the Gaels last night, have taken a while to put away.
In that, last night's victory said a lot about these 'Bows, who went 10 deep into their roster and found contributions all along the line and contributors everywhere in scattering a season-high 21 assists.
While Julian Sensley, who scored a game-high 23 points in growing into the role of go-to guy, finding it more comfortable to carry the team with each game, he does not lack for help.
For while Sensley was scoring Jeff Blackett helped pick up the rebounding load with nine and Matt Gibson came off the bench and out of the doghouse (a one-day suspension for violation of team rules) again with 13 points.
In a week in which the 'Bows worked around infections, a suspension and injuries, come game-time they still somehow managed to put all the pieces in the right places again.
Surprised? We probably shouldn't be. Not anymore, anyway.
With a 5-0 record and the coming of the Rainbow Classic, the nights when UH could "sneak up" on its opponents just ended.
Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.
