The individual skills are in place.

Now it's a matter of putting them together as a team.

The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team capped its first week of practice with an intrasquad scrimmage yesterday at the Stan Sheriff Center, and it appears the race for starting roles will be close.

"We can score points, but we're going to have to stop somebody," Hawai'i head coach Riley Wallace said after the Green squad's 89-86 victory over the White.

The 'Bows seem to have depth at every position, and seniors Matt Lojeski and Ahmet Gueye — starters last season at shooting guard and center, respectively — are probably the only players with any kind of an edge right now.

"We're still way behind where we need to be as a team," Lojeski said. "But everybody's working hard trying to earn their spot."

Junior guard Matt Gibson, a starter two seasons ago and a redshirt last season, said: "There's competition throughout this team, and that's only going to make our team better. Nobody wants to let up because the next guy is right there."

Here is a position-by-position look at the starting candidates:

POINT GUARDS

Ht. Wt. Cl.

Matt Gibson 6-5 180 Jr.

Marquez Jackson 5-8 155 Fr.

Todd Lowenthal 6-3 190 Fr.

Dominic Waters 6-1 170 So.

John Wilder 6-1 200 Sr.

RUNDOWN

Gibson scored 23 points to lead the White squad yesterday, but also committed six turnovers. He led the 2004-05 team in scoring with 13.0 points per game. Waters appears more confident than last season, when he was the Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year. Lowenthal had a scrimmage-high six assists yesterday, and "has the best point guard mentality," according to Wallace. Jackson is quick and exciting in the open court, but is also the smallest player on the team. Wilder is probably the team's best perimeter defender.

EARLY EDGE

Gibson is in the lead for now and he has All-WAC potential, but Wallace will keep him on a short leash throughout the season. Waters, like Gibson, gives the team a legitimate scoring threat at the point guard spot. Lowenthal is still learning the offensive schemes, but is the point guard of the future.

SHOOTING GUARDS

Ht. Wt. Cl.

Matt Gibson 6-5 180 Jr.

Matt Lojeski 6-6 185 Sr.

Jack Miller 6-3 185 So.

Bobby Nash 6-6 195 Jr.

John Wilder 6-1 200 Sr.

RUNDOWN

Lojeski connected on 12 of 16 shots during yesterday's scrimmage and led the victorious Green squad with 32 points. He averaged 13.6 points per game last season, and led the team with 56 3-pointers, but said he wants to be more than just a long-distance shooter this season. "I need to develop my game; drive to the hoop and draw some fouls," he said. Gibson said he prefers to play point guard, but is also capable of scoring at the shooting guard spot. Nash can play small forward or shooting guard, and he even played power forward during yesterday's scrimmage when other "big men" got into foul trouble. Wilder's jump shot has improved.

EARLY EDGE

Shooting guard is the team's deepest position, but Lojeski should retain the starting role. He is consistent on offense and solid on defense, and he will be one of the senior leaders this season.

SMALL FORWARDS

Ht. Wt. Cl.

Jared Dillinger 6-5 200 Jr.

Riley Luettgerodt 6-5 210 Jr.

Bobby Nash 6-6 195 Jr.

RUNDOWN

Nash redshirted last season due to a shoulder injury, but he is fully healed. He scored 14 points in yesterday's scrimmage while playing a variety of positions. Luettgerodt was a high-scoring junior college player last season. He showed his potential yesterday, scoring 21 points despite "messing up a lot" because of his inexperience with the UH offense. Dillinger, who sat out last season after transferring from Air Force, is an energetic player on offense and defense.

EARLY EDGE

Small forward may be the most intriguing position battle. If the season were to start today, Nash would get the nod based on his experience. Once Luettgerodt learns the system, he could be a force. Regardless, both should see significant action this season.

POWER FORWARDS

Ht. Wt. Cl.

Ahmet Gueye 6-8 240 Sr.

P.J. Owsley 6-8 245 Jr.

Alex Veit 6-8 220 Jr.

RUNDOWN

Gueye is still recovering from surgery on his right knee in March, but he added 20 pounds of muscle during the offseason. He finished with 14 points and seven rebounds in limited action yesterday. He is the team's best low-post defender, and led the team with 65 blocked shots last season. Owsley and Veit both have nice mid-range jump shots, and both should get playing time in relief because of Gueye's knee.

EARLY EDGE

Gueye will be in the starting lineup as long as his knee holds up. The only question right now is, how many minutes per game can he give the team?

CENTERS

Ht. Wt. Cl.

Todd Follmer 7-0 225 Jr.

Stephen Verwers 6-11 255 Jr.

RUNDOWN

Verwers redshirted last season after transferring from Colorado State, but that gave him one year of practice with the Hawai'i offense. He had 11 points and a scrimmage-high 11 rebounds yesterday. Most of his points came from close range, and he is probably the team's best offensive rebounder. Follmer has shooting range out to the 3-point line, but needs to improve on the defensive end. According to Wallace, the power forward and center positions are identical in the Hawai'i offense, so the five "big men" could be used in various combinations.

EARLY EDGE

Verwers is more likely to reach double-figures in rebounds per game than points. But with Hawai'i's abundance of shooters this season, that could be a perfect role for him. Verwers and Gueye are the two strongest players on the team, and they could become a formidable frontcourt tandem.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.