The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team raised curiosity after a 110-55 blowout of Hawai'i-Hilo in an exhibition game on Friday.

On Saturday, the 'Bows face a much greater challenge in No. 4-ranked Michigan State.

As a prelude to the season, here are the possible answers to 10 often-asked questions about the 2005-06 'Bows:

Is this team better or worse than last season's 16-13 squad?

It should be better.

All the returnees appear to be improved, and the five newcomers are all capable of contributing.

Last season's team had defensive deficiencies, and struggled offensively without a veteran point guard.

This season, the defense is improved with the addition of power forward Ahmet Gueye, and the 'Bows now have four talented point guards on the roster.

How good is the schedule this year?

No. 4 Michigan State is the best season-opener since No. 1 North Carolina came here in 1986.

It obviously drops off a little from there, but the 'Bows will still face their share of challenges.

There are non-conference road games at UNLV and Wisconsin-Milwaukee (a Sweet 16 team last season), and No. 25 Iowa State is in the Rainbow Classic. Pennsylvania, which has advanced to the NCAA Tournament nine times in the past 16 years, will play here Dec. 29.

The 'Bows started 8-0 last season, but head coach Riley Wallace said this team could be better even if it starts out 4-4 because of the strength of schedule.

Who will be the starting point guard?

Senior Deonte Tatum has earned the trust of his teammates and Wallace. The new up-tempo style fits his game much better than last season's methodical half-court offense.

"He came in with such a good attitude, and he took control of the position," Wallace said.

If Tatum gets injured or falters, athletic junior John Wilder is not much of a drop off.

True freshmen Hiram Thompson and Dominic Waters will be very good in the years to come.

Who will be the go-to player?

Julian Sensley. Sort of.

"We're not looking at anybody special," Wallace said. "We have so many different things we can do this year. If a team is playing us tough in the post, we can go outside. If a team is playing us tough on the outside, we can go to the post."

True, the 'Bows do appear to have an arsenal of offensive weapons this season. But in the closing minutes of tight games, the one player who has the ability to take over is Sensley.

Does that mean Sensley will finally play up to the hype that followed him here two years ago?

It's all about perspective.

Sensley, a 6-foot-9 senior forward, got a new tattoo of Chinese characters on his chest before this season. He said the translation of the characters means dominance.

Sensley has dominated during the preseason intrasquad scrimmages, so he is clearly the best player on the team. But he doesn't need to post huge numbers every game for the team to be successful.

If he can average around 16 points, eight rebounds and five assists per game, it will be a good season for him and the 'Bows. There are too many other scorers and rebounders around him for Sensley to be expected to do everything.

Which newcomers will make the biggest impact?

Matt Lojeski and Gueye.

Remember All-WAC guard Michael Kuebler from two seasons ago? Lojeski, a 6-5 junior, has a similar game — smart player with a sweet jump shot and relentless hustle.

Gueye is the kind of powerful low-post player the 'Bows have not had in many years. He's not the greatest shooter, but he gets a lot of points off fastbreaks and offensive rebounds, and is a fearless defender.

How do the 'Bows stack up against competition in the Western Athletic Conference?

Nevada is the class of the WAC. The Wolf Pack went to the NCAA's Sweet 16 in 2004, and to the second round last season.

After Nevada, it's a toss-up, with Hawai'i and Utah State considered the strongest contenders to upset the Wolf Pack.

Just like in WAC football, it appears there will be a large gap between the top teams and the bottom teams in WAC basketball. The 'Bows should be in the top half, which means they should be able to beat up on some of the bottom teams, especially in the Stan Sheriff Center.

Are there any milestones to watch for this season?

The first win of this season will be Wallace's 300th as head coach of the 'Bows. To put that number in perspective, the No. 2 coach on the UH victory list is Red Rocha with 112.

Wallace, 63, said that this will be his penultimate season as head coach. He plans to retire after the 2006-07 season.

Sometime in the middle of this season, Sensley should become the 12th player in UH history to score 1,000 points in a career. He has 755 after his first two seasons with the 'Bows.

Will there ever be a new assistant coach named to Riley Wallace's staff?

Yes, but it could take some time.

Wallace was set on hiring his brother, Loren Wallace, before this season started, but that idea was rejected by UH athletic director Herman Frazier.

Wallace said he is still undecided on another choice, in part because he has been busy preparing the team for the season.

Why should fans show up for games at the Sheriff Center?

Wallace said he has given this team the freedom to run and gun — something he has not done since the 1997-98 season, when Anthony Carter and Alika Smith were seniors.

Sensley is a triple-double waiting to happen; Gueye is a defensive force; "Little Matt" Gibson, "Big Matt" Gipson, Lojeski and Bobby Nash are each capable of scoring 30 in any given game.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.