Rainbows rely on their big daddy

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

"He brings a presence in the middle" that's hard to match, UH coach Riley Wallace says of Haim Shimonovich. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

Haim Shimonovich has been lifting the weights of two worlds — basketball in Hawai'i and family in Israel — for four seasons with the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team.

At 6 feet 10 and 275 pounds, Shimonovich is the center of attention for the Rainbow Warriors. He will be so again tonight when Hawai'i hosts Louisiana Tech in a Western Athletic Conference game at the Stan Sheriff Center.

"When he goes, we go," Hawai'i head coach Riley Wallace said.

If only it were that simple.

When you're that big, the results rarely meet the expectations. At least not to the casual observer.

But to appreciate Shimonovich's value is to understand his whole super-size deal.

When your family and friends are surrounded by the constant threat of bombings as his are in his hometown of Rishon LeZion, Israel, attacking the basket just doesn't sound right sometimes.

When you can't be by your mother's bedside while she battles breast cancer as his did two years ago, rebounding a basketball isn't so important any more.

"There were times I wanted to quit (basketball) and just go home," Shimonovich admits. "But I've come to love Hawai'i, too. And the team ... it's like my family over here."

That he's still here should be enough to erase the oversized-underachiever label some critics have placed on him.

If not, his coaches and teammates will testify.

As a math major, Shimonovich realizes that his numbers don't always add up. This season — his third as the starting center — he is averaging 7.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.

"There's been ups and downs," Shimonovich said. "I wish I could score more; I wish I could rebound more. But sometimes that's how the game goes. As long as we win, I'm happy."

Wallace is both a harsh critic and an ardent supporter of the player nicknamed "Big Daddy." He said Shimonovich has as much to do with Hawai'i's success as any player over the last four seasons.

"Remember, he wasn't eligible for almost his whole freshman year," Wallace said, referring to Shimonovich's 22-game suspension for participating in a professional league in Israel. "Now think about what we've done since he's become eligible."

In that case, the numbers don't lie. Shimonovich has played in 90 games in his UH career. The 'Bows are 67-23 in those games.

Never mind that Shimonovich has averaged 6.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game for his career. Most of the skills he's best at can not be measured in statistics.

"He brings a presence to the middle that not very many teams can match," Wallace said. "On defense, he anchors himself in and guys just bounce off him. He holds his position better than anybody. Then on the offensive side, he's so valuable to us because he can set solid picks with his size. That, and he's the best passer we have in our motion offense. People don't realize how much he actually brings."

Michael Kuebler, UH's leading scorer, added: "He's the best passing post player I've ever played with, by far. He has so many aspects he's good at, but his passing is what stands out to me."

Then again, Shimonovich is used to being unnoticed.

He has quietly climbed to seventh on UH's career rebounding list with 558, and third in blocked shots with 135. He leads the WAC this season with 30 blocked shots.

He might be big and strong, but he can't run fast or jump high.

"I'm always trying to think ahead," he said. "I'm not going to be faster than the other guy, so I try to be smarter."

If anything, Shimonovich is trained for battle. Prior to enrolling at UH, he was enlisted in the Israeli army. He is still required to serve six more months in the army once his UH stint is completed.

"I don't want to go, but that's the way of life over there," said Shimonovich, 24. "For people over there, there is no other option."

Shimonovich said he considers himself lucky. UH has been his other option for the past four years.

Now, he is two semesters away from graduating. In the past few months, the bombings in Israel have become less frequent. His mother's cancer is in remission.

Basketball is only a small part of his big equation.

"Coming to Hawai'i was the best thing I could have done," he said. "I know I only have a few games left here, and I want it to be special. For me, that means winning."

Bulldogs arrive: Louisiana Tech was busy practicing on new schemes yesterday in preparation for tonight's game.

Hawai'i got 18 assists in a 67-60 victory over the Bulldogs in Ruston, La., last month.

"We gotta do something different," LaTech head coach Keith Richard said. "We can't defend the same way that we did and expect to have a chance over here."

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8101.