No NIT bid for Hawai'i men
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
The 2004-05 season of the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team officially came to a close yesterday when the Rainbow Warriors were not selected to play in the NIT.
It was a season of early highs — after beating Southern California in the championship game of the Rainbow Classic, the 'Bows were 8-0.
Sensley
Sottos
Blackett
And a season of late lows — last week's loss to Texas-El Paso in the quarterfinals of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament was Hawai'i's eighth loss in its final 11 games.
In the end, the 'Bows were not invited to participate in the postseason for the first time in five years.
But all was not lost.
Hawai'i finished with a 16-13 record. Under head coach Riley Wallace, the 'Bows have now had six consecutive winning seasons — the longest such streak in UH basketball history.
Through it all, there were surprises and disappointments, memorable moments and forgettable ones.
Here are some unofficial awards for the 2004-05 season:
Most Valuable
Julian Sensley. Critics will say the 6-foot-9 junior forward underachieved, but his all-around skills allowed him to contribute in one way or another in every game this season.
For the record, he finished second on the team in scoring with 12.0 points per game, and first in rebounding with 6.9 per game, and first in assists with 3.1 per game.
Beyond the statistics, he did much more. On defense, he was often assigned to defend the opposing team's best player. On offense, he often drew the opposing team's top defender.
Most Inspirational
Jeff Blackett. The 6-8 senior forward played almost the entire season with a stress fracture in his foot. Still, he was one of the team's most reliable players, finishing with averages of 9.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.
He is the only married player on the team, and is on schedule to graduate in two months. As associate coach Jackson Wheeler put it: "If there's a poster child for what a student-athlete should be like, it's Jeff Blackett."
Most Improved
Jake Sottos. The 6-4 senior shooting guard had the ultimate turnaround season.
In the first 10 games of this season, Sottos was a seldom-used reserve who was averaging 2.7 points per game. Over the final 19 games of the season, he became a starter and was the team's top offensive threat.
He finished with an average of 10.7 points per game. His 66 3-pointers was the seventh-best single-season total in UH history, and his 40.5 percentage from 3-point range was the fifth-best mark in UH history.
Rookie of the Year
"Little Matt" Gibson. The 6-5 sophomore guard was erratic at times, but his aggressive style kept him in the lineup.
He wound up leading the team in scoring with 13.0 points per game, despite moving from shooting guard to point guard early in the season.
Best Team Statistic
Hawai'i led the WAC with 17.0 assists per game, even though no player averaged more than 3.1 per game. Just think what the total could have been if the 'Bows had a real point guard.
Worst Team Statistic
Hawai'i's 66.1 free-throw percentage was its lowest since the 1993-94 season. In a season that featured nine losses by six points or fewer, all those "free" misses were costly.
Best Victory
A 66-64 home win over Southern Illinois in the first "Black-Out" at the Stan Sheriff Center. By the end of the season, the Salukis were 26-7 and received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Worst Loss
An 80-61 defeat at Rice. It was Hawai'i's largest margin of defeat, and Rice senior Michael Harris added to the embarrassment by finishing with 30 points and 24 rebounds while becoming the school's all-time leading scorer and rebounder.
Most Overrated Victory
Hawai'i 72, Southern California 66. At the time, the victory gave the 'Bows the Rainbow Classic championship and an 8-0 record. Little did anyone know the Trojans would go on to finish last in the Pac-10 standings.
Most Overlooked Victory
Hawai'i 72, Coastal Carolina 65. The 'Bows overcame a 22-point deficit in the final 14:20. That kind of comeback may never be seen again.
Most Memorable Moment
Bobby Nash's four-point play to beat Rice in overtime in the Stan Sheriff Center.
Trailing 72-69, Nash banked in a 3 and then fell at the feet of his celebrating teammates on the bench after he was fouled by Rice's Jason McKreith. Nash went on to make the ensuing free throw with 15.5 seconds remaining to lead the 'Bows to an improbable 75-72 win.
Most Forgettable Moment
Last week's exit from the WAC Tournament at Reno, Nev.
Wallace figured the 'Bows needed 17 victories to receive consideration for an NIT bid. With a chance for win No. 17, Hawai'i came out flat in a season-ending 80-62 loss to UTEP.
Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8101.
