Even before yesterday's announcement of the All-Western Athletic Conference men's basketball team, Hawai'i's Matt Lojeski vs. Utah State's Jaycee Carroll was a compelling matchup of guards.

It has been worth the price of admission alone at the Stan Sheriff Center or the Smith Spectrum.

Now, it just got a whole lot more interesting.

Carroll made the All-WAC first team as voted on by the conference coaches. Lojeski was second team.

And, guess who UH opens the WAC Tournament against Thursday in Las Cruces, N.M.? Yup, Utah State.

Not that Lojeski requires additional motivation or is particularly hung up on awards. Mostly he'd just like to suffocate Carroll because, well, it has become the cat-and-mouse relationship they have developed.

After two years of squaring off in the WAC, this has become the game within the game when these two teams meet. Lojeski and his 6-foot-6 frame making life, not to mention shots, difficult for the 6-2 Carroll. Two players counted on to help carry their teams waging an exhausting battle of wits, wills and jump shots.

"I think every time he thinks about Hawai'i he thinks about Lojo chasing him all over the place," said UH point guard Matt Gibson.

That Carroll is the WAC's scoring champion at 21 points a game is testament to his ability to pick up his points elsewhere because they sure haven't come with Lojeski on duty. Carroll has averaged 12 points a game against UH this year and 13 over the two-year span. The closest he came to being held under double figures this year was by Lojeski, who had him at nine until a breakaway steal last month. Meanwhile, Carroll was able to drop 44 points on New Mexico State.

Nor is it like Lojeski has shelved his own jump shot while hounding Carroll. Lojeski has outscored him 27-24 this year and 56-52 over two seasons, outshooting Carroll .489-.382. Take away Lojeski and not only do the Warriors probably lose to the Aggies at home, but it could have been ugly in Logan, Utah.

Lojeski was prepared for the All-WAC decision as the Rainbow Warriors boarded their bus for the airport in the predawn hours yesterday morning.

"It (All-WAC first team) is not that big of a deal," Lojeski said. "It isn't something I'm that focused on, especially with the tournament games we have coming up."

But the chance to shut down the WAC's leading scorer and put UH deeper in the postseason in the process? Well, that is a big deal.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.