'Bows won't nitpick about latest travels

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

All Times HST Opening Round Today's game Nebraska (16-12) at Creighton (20-8), 3 p.m. Tomorrow's games West Virginia (15-13) at Kent State (22-8), 2 p.m. Tennessee (15-13) at George Mason (21-9), 2 p.m. Troy State (24-6) at Niagara (21-9), 2 p.m. Boston U. (23-5) at Rhode Island (19-13), 2:30 p.m. Belmont (21-8) at Austin Peay (21-9), 3 p.m. Rice (22-10) at Wisconsin-Milwaukee (19-10), 3 p.m. UNLV (18-12) at Boise State (21-9), 4:30 p.m. First Round Yesterday's result Marquette 87, Toledo 72 Today's games Iowa (16-12) at St. Louis (18-12), 2 p.m. Missouri (16-13) at Michigan (18-11), 4 p.m. Tomorrow's games Purdue (17-13) at Notre Dame (17-12), 2 p.m. George Washington (18-11) at Virginia (17-12), 2 p.m. Temple (15-13) at Rutgers (16-12), 2:30 p.m. Drexel (18-10) at Villanova (16-16), 2:30 p.m. Florida State (18-13) at Wichita State (21-10), 3 p.m. Hawai'i (19-11) at Utah State (25-3), 4 p.m. Georgia (16-13) at Iowa State (17-12), 4:30 p.m. LSU (18-10) at Oklahoma (19-10), 4:30 p.m. Colorado (18-10) at Oregon (15-12), 6:59 p.m. TBA Nebraska-Creighton winner vs. Troy State-Niagara winner Tennessee-George Mason winner vs. Belmont-Austin Peay winner Boston U.-Rhode Island winner vs. West Virginia-Kent State winner UNLV-Boise State winner vs. Rice-Wisconsin-Milwaukee winner Second Round March 20-23 Quarterfinals March 24-26 Semifinals Tuesday, March 30 Championship Thursday, April 1

The Rainbow Warriors departed Honolulu yesterday for Logan, Utah, where they will play Utah State in a first-round game of the National Invitation Tournament on Wednesday. The game is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. (Hawai'i time).

"We're all the way out in Hawai'i, so we have to go through these travel days," Hawai'i head coach Riley Wallace said. "There's no way around it, and we're not using it as an excuse. We wanted to be in this tournament so we're doing what we have to do to be in it."

Yesterday's journey covered more than 3,000 miles and took some 17 hours, including the hours lost through time zone changes.

The Hawai'i players and coaches boarded a bus at the Stan Sheriff Center yesterday morning at 7:30. By the time they checked in to their hotel in Logan, it was around 12:30 a.m. (Mountain time).

Because the 'Bows did not learn of their NIT pairing until late Sunday afternoon, they had only a few hours to plan an itinerary.

According to Wallace, all direct flights to Utah were booked, so the team had to take a circuitous route instead.

It consisted of a five-hour flight from Honolulu to San Francisco, a 45-minute drive from San Francisco to Oakland, a one-hour layover in the Oakland airport, a two-hour flight from Oakland to Salt Lake City, then a two-hour drive from Salt Lake City to Logan.

As Hawai'i associate coach Jackson Wheeler put it: "It's like we're going to Europe to play this game."

Wallace said the NIT covers all travel costs, so the 'Bows lost lots of time, but no money.

"If we could have found a shorter way, we would," he said. "But it'll work out OK. We get to sleep in (today) and catch up on the rest."

Hawai'i lost to Rice in the quarterfinals of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament last Thursday at Fresno, Calif. Instead of staying in California to wait for the NIT decision, the 'Bows opted to return home for three days.

"I wouldn't want to do it any other way," Wallace said. "By coming home, we got back in our own beds for a couple of nights. Now we're refreshed and ready to go."

Senior co-captain Phil Martin added: "This was the best way to do it. Yeah, the travel is a hassle and it's a longer flight and all that, but I think we needed to get back home. It's like we get re-energized here."

If anything, the 'Bows should be used to it. This is Hawai'i's fifth trip to the Mainland this season.

By the end of this trip, the 'Bows will have traveled more than 37,000 miles — enough for a free round-trip in some frequent-flier programs.

"Business as usual," Martin said. "We've traveled so much over the years, this is just like another trip to us."

However, the 'Bows will need to be at their best against a Utah State team that is 25-3, including 15-0 at home. The Aggies remained nationally ranked and nationally snubbed yesterday.

Utah State was ranked No. 25 in the Associated Press Top 25 released yesterday, and No. 22 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Top 25.

Since the NCAA Tournament field expanded to 64 teams in 1985, Utah State is the first eligible team to be ranked at the end of the season and not get selected by the NCAA (UNLV was ranked and not selected in 1993 and '94 because it was on probation). Now 65 teams are invited.

"The NIT is what we have to focus on now," Utah State senior guard Cardell Butler said. "We are going to play like we normally play, but we will be out to prove that we deserved an NCAA bid as well."

Hawai'i is 19-11 and in search of the 10th 20-win season in school history. On its last trip to the Mainland, the 'Bows went 0-3.

Awards banquet: Regardless of how the 'Bows do in the NIT, the 2004 Rainbow Basketball Awards Banquet will be April 15 at the Hawai'i Prince Hotel.

Tickets are $40 per person, but $25 for children under 10.

No-host cocktails will begin at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 and the program to follow.

Call 225-2500 or 956-6501 for tickets.

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