"I've always enjoyed defense; that was always my thing," Tatum said. "If I'm not going to score every time on the offensive end, I want to stop my man from scoring on the other end."

Tatum, a 6-foot-3 junior, will start at point guard tomorrow when the Rainbow Warriors host San Jose State in a Western Athletic Conference game. It is scheduled to start around 7:05 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Hawai'i is 8-2 overall and 0-2 in the WAC. San Jose State is 3-8 and 0-2.

"It's a pride thing for us," Tatum said. "We're coming off two losses we feel shouldn't have happened. I'm pretty sure we'll play better (tomorrow)."

According to Hawai'i head coach Riley Wallace, Tatum is in the starting lineup because of his steady play on defense.

"He always plays hard," Wallace said. "And he keeps the guy in front of him defensively. Offensively, he still has a ways to go, but he does an OK job of trying to run the show."

Tatum seems to fit the mold of recent low-scoring UH point guards, including Mark Campbell and Logan Lee, but Wallace would like that to change.

"I'd like to see (Tatum) get 7 to 8 points a game, at least," Wallace said. "He's capable of that."

Tatum is aware of it, and said he needs to work most on his shooting efficiency. He is shooting 46.5 percent from the field, and has yet to make a 3-pointer (0 for 4).

"I just have to knock more shots down," he said. "I know I don't shoot too much, so when I do, I need to make it count."

If anything, Tatum is appreciative just for the opportunity to take extra shots after practice, as he has been doing this week.

After his sophomore season at Indian Hills Community College (Iowa) last year, Tatum did not initially meet academic requirements to attend an NCAA Division I program. He eventually did qualify, and UH associate coach Jackson Wheeler pounced on the opportunity shortly after Lee quit the team last summer.

"It was a big-time pickup for us that late (in the recruiting season)," Wheeler said. "We knew he had the talent, but what's really great about Deonte is how hard he works."

And that includes in the classroom. Tatum got a 3.0 grade point average last semester.

Deonte Tatum

Basketball became his escape, even if it meant learning the game on the mean streets.

"There were some nights we had to leave the park early because somebody gets fouled too hard and then it gets all crazy," he said. "It can get dangerous, but when you grow up around that, you get used to it."

Growing up in the area also taught Tatum never to back down.

"I'm going to play hard no matter what," he said. "I look at this as a big opportunity for me and I don't want to lose it."

He is reminded of it several times a week during phone conversations with his family.

"Sometimes, they still can't believe I'm in Hawai'i, especially when it's dead cold over there and I tell them I'm walking around in shorts," he said. "But they're always looking out for me. They want me to make the most of it."

And there are still some aspects of Milwaukee that Tatum misses, as evidenced by the Brewers baseball cap he often wears.

"It's famous for beer and brats," he said. "I'm thinking about buying a grill here because I've been wanting some brats."

Blackett still hurting, but returns to practice

Senior forward Jeff Blackett may have to play the rest of this season with a stress fracture in his foot.

He missed two days of practice with a skin infection, and the fracture was also discovered during a visit to the doctor.

Wallace said "Big Matt" Gipson will start at power forward tomorrow night, with Blackett playing a reserve role.

"We'll have to monitor (Blackett's) minutes because of the injury," Wallace said. "He can play with it, but he just can't go the whole game."