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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, January 31, 2005

UH expects to learn Bracket Buster foe

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team will be anxiously awaiting a call from ESPN today.

Pairings and the television schedule for the ESPN Bracket Buster Saturday are expected to be revealed today.

The Rainbow Warriors will host a Bracket Buster game on Feb. 19, but they do not know who their opponent will be or if it will be televised on ESPN.

"I was told that if we won our two homes games (last week) then we'd have a good chance to get one of the TV games," Hawai'i head coach Riley Wallace said. "Well, we won our two games, so we'll see."

The 'Bows improved to 12-5 overall and 4-5 in the Western Athletic Conference with victories over Rice and Tulsa last week.

But an ESPN date could depend on Hawai'i's opponent for the Bracket Buster.

Wallace said Wisconsin-Milwaukee is the name he has heard mentioned the most as a Hawai'i opponent. The Panthers, who compete in the Horizon League, are 15-5 and beat Purdue last week.

"You don't know for sure until they announce it, but you have to think that would be a good draw," Wallace said. "It would be the kind of matchup ESPN would want."

Wallace said he would take any team if it meant getting national exposure.

The last time ESPN traveled to Honolulu to televise a UH basketball game was during the 1998-99 season.

The 'Bows have been on ESPN several times in recent years, but always on the road. Hawai'i's Bracket Buster games at Kent State in 2003 and at Southern Illinois last year were both ESPN games.

"Of course we'd like to show the country what our place is like and what our fans are all about," he said.

What's more, Wallace said the Bracket Buster game on Feb. 19 will be a "Green-Out" regardless of who the opponent is. All fans will be encouraged to wear green.

"I think ESPN likes what we're doing, that's why they've been showing us on the road," Wallace said. "Every game we play is close until the end — that makes for good TV."

All 10 teams from the WAC will participate in the Bracket Buster this year. The one-day event was created in 2003 as a way to showcase some of college basketball's so-called "mid-major" programs.

"It can only help you," Wallace said. "As we got to be on TV more and more, our recruiting got better and better because the recruits see that stuff."

'Bows still in WAC race at halfway point

Hawai'i may be just 4-5 in WAC games this season, but it is only three games out of first place with nine games remaining.

First-place teams Texas-El Paso and Nevada were both upset on Saturday. They are still tied for first at 7-2.

"It's up for grabs now," Hawai'i junior forward Julian Sensley said. "We're back in the chase."

Hawai'i's next three WAC games will be on the road — at San Jose State on Saturday, at Louisiana Tech on Feb. 10, and at Southern Methodist on Feb. 12. The 'Bows swept that three-game road trip last season.

"It shows that it's possible," Wallace said. "But it's going to be tougher this year because those teams have improved so much."

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