Posted on: Friday, January 2, 2004
UH begins real hoops season
| • | WAC Men's basketcall team capsules |
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
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MICHAEL KUEBLER
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JULIAN SENSLEY
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The University of Hawai'i will open its Western Athletic Conference season tomorrow against rival Fresno State. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center.
"Not saying that all these other games didn't count, but we know it's more important to win games in the WAC," said UH senior guard Michael Kuebler, who leads all WAC players with 20.9 points per game.
Based on non-conference games, the current records of the WAC teams make the standings appear upside down.
Texas-El Paso, the league's last-place team the last two seasons, is 9-1; Boise State, which was eighth in the WAC last season, is 8-2.
Traditional powers Tulsa and Fresno State are both 4-5, and are the only WAC teams with losing records entering conference play.
"Probably every team feels like they have a chance to finish in the top three," Hawai'i head coach Riley Wallace said.
The Rainbow Warriors enter WAC action at 8-2 and on a six-game winning streak.
"I thought we'd be 9-1, actually," Wallace said. "But early in the year, this wasn't the same team we have now."
In particular, several players have emerged in recent weeks. Among them:
• Kuebler has become a more-than-adequate replacement for last season's leading scorer, Carl English. Kuebler has seven 20-point games, and is on pace to challenge the single-season UH record for 3-pointers.
• Julian Sensley, a 6-foot-9 sophomore forward, is UH's first legitimate triple-double threat in Wallace's 17 seasons as head coach.
• Phil Martin, a 6-8 senior forward, is averaging 16.0 points and 7.7 rebounds per game during the six-game winning streak.
• Logan Lee and Jason Carter — UH's "two-headed point guard" — are averaging a combined 7.1 assists per game.
• Haim Shimonovich, a 6-10 senior center, has five games with double-digit rebounds.
"We got some momentum going right now," Kuebler said. "We just need to make sure we keep it going."
• Hurting hero: Starting forward Julian Sensley sat out of practice yesterday because of a badly bruised left shoulder.
Sensley, who hit the game-winning 3-point shot in the 50-49 Rainbow Classic championship victory over Fairfield Tuesday, said he injured the shoulder while moving a television for his younger brother Wednesday.
"I missed the last step and fell on my side and the TV fell on me," he said.
He is considered probable for tomorrow's game. "I'm hoping to play, but we'll see how it is (today) and Saturday," he said.
Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8101.
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WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
MEN'S BASKETBALL CAPSULES By Dayton Morinaga Advertiser Staff Writer A capsule look at the other nine teams in the Western Athletic Conference:
Head coach: Greg Graham (2nd season at BSU) Players to watch: Jermaine Blackburn (6-6, Jr., F) leads a balanced attack with 16.4 points per game. Bryan Defares (6-4, Sr., G), one of five returning starters from last season, is contributing 12.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Aaron Haynes (6-7, Sr., F), ranks second in the WAC with 10.3 rebounds per game. Key victories: Won at Oregon State, 82-80. Significant losses: Home loss to Brigham Young (75-69). Notes: Last season, Boise State finished eighth in the WAC and was one of the conference's lowest-scoring teams with an average of 65.4 points per game. This season, the Broncos are averaging 81.4 points per game.
Head coach: Ray Lopes (2nd season at FSU) Players to watch: Shantay Legans (5-10, Sr., G), a transfer from Cal, was picked as the preseason WAC Newcomer of the Year. He is averaging 12.3 points and a WAC-high 5.7 assists per game. Mustafa Al-Sayyad (6-9, Jr., F) is averaging a team-high 7.2 rebounds per game. Starters Renaldo Major (6-7, Sr., F) and Jonathan Woods (6-7, Sr., F) are currently suspended from the team. Key victories: Washington State (46-29) and San Francisco (52-43). Significant losses: Road loss at Oregon (80-67), home losses to Creighton (70-62) and USC (65-62). Notes: Three players — all significant contributors — have already been suspended a total of 12 games this season. ... The Bulldogs rank last in the WAC in scoring offense (61.6 points per game), but first in scoring defense (59.3).
Head coach: Keith Richard (5th season at LTU) Players to watch: Paul Millsap (6-8, Fr., F) was considered one of the top high school recruits in Louisiana, and he has made an immediate impact. He is averaging a team-high 14.2 points per game, and leads the WAC with 11.3 rebounds per game, a .691 field goal percentage, and 20 blocked shots. Donnell Allick (6-4, Jr. G), another newcomer, is contributing 13.3 points per game. Key victories: None. Significant losses: Road losses at Alabama (69-63) and Alabama-Birmingham (79-67). Notes: The Bulldogs have played only three home games this season, and they have won all three. ... Louisiana Tech leads the WAC with 42.2 rebounds per game.
Head coach: Trent Johnson (5th year at Nevada). Players to watch: Kirk Snyder (6-6, Jr., G) is generally considered the best player in the WAC. He is averaging 17.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. He had 29 points and six rebounds in an upset victory over Kansas earlier this month. Kevinn Pinkney (6-9, Jr., F) is the only other player averaging double-figure points at 10.6 per game. Key victories: Beat Kansas, which was ranked No. 6 at the time, 75-61. Significant losses: Road loss at No. 1 Connecticut, 93-79. Notes: The Wolf Pack is 5-0 at home and 1-3 on the road. ... Nevada is the preseason pick to win the WAC this season.
Head coach: Willis Wilson (12th season at Rice) Players to watch: Michael Harris (6-6, Jr., F) is one of the WAC's most talented players. He is averaging 16.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, and ranks second in the WAC with a .585 field goal percentage. Rashid Smith (6-3, Sr., G) is averaging 4.6 assists per game, and ranks among the national leaders with 2.7 steals per game. Jason McKreith (6-4, Jr., G) is contributing 14.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Key victories: Beat Washington State (64-49) to win the Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska. Significant losses: Home loss to Stanford (60-56) Notes: The Owls have not lost back-to-back games since the 2001-02 season. ... Rice has not played in the NCAA Tournament or NIT since the 1992-93 season — the longest post-season drought among the current WAC teams.
Head coach: Phil Johnson (3rd season at SJSU) Players to watch: Eric Walton (6-8, Sr., C) is averaging a team-high 12.4 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. Brett Lilly (6-6, Sr., F) leads the WAC with a .438 percentage from 3-point range. Eleven different players average at least 4.0 points per game. Key victories: None. Significant losses: Road loss at Brigham Young-Hawai'i (85-75) in the championship game of the Surf 'N Slam Tournament. Notes: The Spartans have never placed higher than fifth since joining the WAC in 1996-97. ... San Jose State has not played before a crowd larger than 3,600 this season.
Head coach: Mike Dement (9th season at SMU) Players to watch: Bryan Hopkins (6-0, So., G) is one of the most exciting players in the conference. He was the WAC Freshman of the Year last season, and is averaging 15.2 points, 5.0 assists, and 2.3 steals per game this season. Patrick Simpson (6-9, Jr., F) leads the team with 6.6 rebounds per game, and is scoring 10.1 points per game. Key victories: Home win over Texas Tech (62-59) and road victory over Purdue (60-59). Significant losses: Home loss to Wake Forest (78-66). Notes: Quinton Ross, last season's WAC Player of the Year, finally used up his eligibility, but four other starters return. ... The Mustangs have already played five games decided by five points or fewer. They are 3-2 in those games.
Head coach: Billy Gillespie (2nd season at UTEP) Players to watch: Jason Williams (6-5, So., G) leads the team with 13.4 points per game. The five starters average between 9.3 and 13.4 points per game. Roy Smallwood (6-6, Sr., F), is starting again this season after sitting out all of last season with a knee injury. Filiberto Rivera, one of the nation's top point guard recruits, is averaging 10.2 points and 5.0 assists per game. Key victories: Last five wins have all been by margins of more than 20 points. Significant loss: Only loss came at Texas Tech (70-57). Notes: The Miners have already surpassed their win total of last season, when they went 6-24 and finished last in the WAC at 3-15. UTEP ranks among the national leaders with 87.1 points per game.
Head coach: John Phillips (3rd season at Tulsa) Players to watch: Jason Parker (6-2, Sr., G), who almost left Tulsa last season for the NBA Draft, is averaging 17.4 points per game. He has scored in double figures in 14 consecutive games. Jarius Glenn (6-6, Jr., F) is contributing 15.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. Key victories: Road win at TCU (74-62). Significant losses: Road loss at Oklahoma (81-73) and home loss to Arkansas (81-74). Notes: For the first time since joining the WAC in 1996-97, Tulsa will enter conference play with a losing record. ... The Golden Hurricane has won at least 19 games in 10 consecutive seasons. |
Boise State (8-2)
Fresno State (4-5)
Louisiana Tech (6-4)
Nevada (6-3)
Rice (8-2)
San Jose State (5-5)
Southern Methodist (6-3)
Texas-El Paso (9-1)
Tulsa (4-5)
