VOLCANIC ASH
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By David Shapiro
It was satisfying to see former Iolani star Bobby Nash help lead the undefeated University of Hawai'i to two key victories in winning the Rainbow Classic, receiving all-tournament recognition for his play.
Nash, a sophomore, hit a three-point shot at the final buzzer to carry the Rainbows to a 55-54 win over Oral Roberts in the semifinal, then scored a career-high 14 points to seal a 72-68 victory over USC in the tournament final.
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Making the all-tournament team had special meaning for the young Nash. His father, Bob Nash, received the same honor in leading UH to the 1971 classic championship as a member of the "Fabulous Five" squad that started the tradition of quality college basketball in Hawai'i.
Associate coach Nash helps conduct a UH Rainbow workout.
The senior Nash, associate coach at UH for 24 years, says it's his son's time now and he doesn't like to talk about his own achievements.
But the success of Bobby Nash is a good reason to remember what a great college basketball player Bob Nash was — arguably the best ever to wear a UH uniform.
He certainly put on a most memorable single-game performance in that 1971 Rainbow Classic final against Arizona State.
The Fabulous Five was a squad of mostly junior college transfers recruited by coach Red Rocha. Nash, from San Jacinto Junior College in Houston, was joined by Al Davis, John Penebacker, Jerome Freeman and Dwight Holiday.
The community was electrified as the Rainbows humbled top universities that once came to town seeing them as easy marks.
As juniors, the Fabulous Five posted a 21-4 record and made the first UH appearance in the National Invitational Tournament.
In 1971-72, they were even better in a 24-2 season that would take them to the NCAA tournament.
I was planning to watch the Rainbow Classic final on television Dec. 30, 1971, but the sports editor offered me a ticket if I'd sit with his wife so he could watch the game from the press table.
At first, it seemed as if it hadn't been worth fighting the overflow crowd. Arizona State's own all-American candidate, Paul Stovall, led his team to an easy first-half lead against a lethargic Rainbow defense.
Things turned dramatically in the second half as Bob Nash came out on fire and dominated every phase of the game.
He shut down Stovall, and it seemed the public address announcer was calling his name on every play.
Nash drives the lane for a layup. Nash soars high for a rebound and starts a fast break with a perfect outlet pass to Freeman. Nash pops a jumper from the top of the key. Nash tips away a pass and forces a turnover. Nash dives for a loose ball and wins the jump.
UH took the tournament title going away, 87-77, as Nash had 30 rebounds, setting a school record that still stands. His 361 rebounds that year remain the UH single-season record, and he's the seventh leading scorer in school history.
Nash was drafted in the NBA's first round by the Detroit Pistons, behind Bob McAdoo but ahead of Julius Erving. He played four seasons in the NBA and one in the ABA before returning to the Rainbow bench.
Bobby Nash has big shoes to fill, but he can take pride from making the Rainbow Classic all-tournament team as a sophomore, a year before his father first suited up for the 'Bows.
It's good to see a Nash back on the court as the 8-0 'Bows head into their WAC opener against Fresno State tonight with their best start since those legendary teams of the early 1970s.
David Shapiro, a veteran Hawai'i journalist, can be reached by e-mail at dave@volcanicash.net.
