UH's Carter hopes to make point as starter

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

FRESNO, Calif. — Riley Wallace wants a quick start today, and so who better to turn to than the quickest player on the team?

Jason Carter will make his first start since November when the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team plays Rice today in a quarterfinal game of the McCaffrey Western Athletic Conference Tournament at the Save Mart Center.

Carter, a 5-foot-10 senior, will start at point guard in place of sophomore Logan Lee, who has started the last 26 games.

"JC is playing better right now, and he's been shooting the ball lights out the last couple practices, so we'll try him out there," said Wallace, head coach of the Rainbow Warriors.

In a 91-77 victory over Rice just two weeks ago, Carter scored a season-high 14 points to go along with three steals, two rebounds and two assists.

"I know why (Wallace) is putting me in there," Carter said. "He wants me to come out with energy, so that's what I'm going to try and do. That's how I always play anyway."

Carter opened the season as the starting point guard, but Lee eventually took over. Since the start of the season, Wallace has described the two players as "a two-headed point guard," and he said that has not changed.

"Logan's still going to play; they'll probably split the minutes like they normally do," Wallace said. "But we need JC in there to give us that spark at the start."

Carter was inserted into the starting lineup this week after several outstanding performances in the team's intrasquad scrimmages.

"I'm going to play hard whether I'm starting or coming off the bench," he said. "But if you're in there to start, you just feel like you're more in the game."

In addition to Lee, Wallace said junior forward Jeff Blackett and senior center Paul Jesinskis will play key roles off the bench.

New shoes: The sole of one of Jeff Blackett's shoes tore off yesterday, and he did not have a spare pair.

The Fresno State athletic department was gracious enough to lend Blackett a pair of new adidas for practice yesterday, but there was one problem. The shoes were white with red trim. The UH players all wear green and white shoes.

Teammates were calling him "Christmas Tree." Blackett said he would try to glue the sole of his green shoe, but if that didn't work, he would have to wear the red shoes for today's game.

Study pool hall: Because there are no meeting rooms available at the Piccadilly Inn team hotel, the 'Bows have been conducting daily study hall this week on the deck of the hotel pool.

"It gets them in the fresh air," Wallace said. "And we need them all in one place to make sure they get their studies in."

As senior Jason Carter said: "It gets a little hot out there, but it's all right. I get my work done."

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