MRI on 'Bows center negative
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
The MRI was negative, and the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team is staying positive.
A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on the right knee of starting center Haim Shimonovich revealed no significant damage. However, he has not yet been cleared by doctors to join the team on its current road trip.
Shimonovich, who sprained his knee in a game last Saturday, will definitely not be with the team today, when the Rainbow Warriors take on Boise State in a Western Athletic Conference game at 4:30 p.m. (Hawai'i time) at the BSU Pavilion.
"We were preparing to go without him anyway," Hawai'i head coach Riley Wallace said. "It's an opportunity for other guys and they're excited about getting in."
In particular, junior Jeff Blackett will make the first start of his UH career in place of Shimonovich. Reserves Milos Zivanovic and Paul Jesinskis will also play increased roles.
To keep the other starters in familiar roles, Wallace said the 6-8 Blackett will play center alongside 6-8 power forward Phil Martin and 6-9 small forward Julian Sensley.
The Broncos will counter with a starting lineup that does not have a player taller than 6-7.
"We can try some different things," Wallace said. "And (the Broncos) lost their leading scorer, so they're not at full strength, either."
Both teams will have different looks from last month, when Hawai'i defeated the Broncos, 64-58, in the Stan Sheriff Center.
Jermaine Blackburn, a 6-foot-6 forward who was leading the Broncos with 15.9 points per game, has missed the last two games with a dislocated left shoulder. Blackburn, who shoots left-handed, scored 19 points in the game at Hawai'i, and is not expected to return to action until next week at the earliest.
However, Boise State will be with Bryan Defares, Booker Nabors and Eric Lane. All three were suspended for disciplinary reasons in the game at Hawai'i. Defares is a starting guard and Nabors is the team's sixth man.
"It's a different team, obviously," Wallace said. "And they're playing well right now. I don't know if it matters that much for them who's in there because they like to run and use a lot of guys."
The Broncos are 15-8 overall and tied for fifth place in the WAC at 7-6. They have won three of their last four conference games, including a 55-44 win at Fresno State on Saturday.
"They're a scrappy team," UH senior forward Phil Martin said. "They're not big, but they like to run and take you off the dribble. Without Haim in there, I would say our defense is going to be the key. We're all going to have to be on our toes because we're not going to have the big guy behind us to back us up."
Hawai'i is 17-5 overall and tied for first place in the WAC at 9-3.
"First place is what's keeping us motivated," Martin said. "We can control this thing if we keep winning. We're playing with a lot of confidence right now, so we just have to keep it going."
Hawai'i's last five games have each been decided by three points or fewer.
What's more, in five career meetings between Hawai'i and Boise State, the average margin of victory has been 4.8 points.
"We don't make it look easy," Wallace said. "As long as we keep winning, I'll take it."
Shimonovich's status for road games at Southern Illinois on Saturday and at Texas-El Paso on Monday will be determined either today or tomorrow.
Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8101.
