By the way, basketball season is still going.

With the focus of the University of Hawai'i athletic department — and the rest of the state — still on the football Warriors, the UH men's basketball team continues to endure.

"Losing our football coach affects a lot of people," Hawai'i head coach Bob Nash said. "He wasn't just a football coach, he was a great friend and good guy. But we're in the middle of our season, and that's our focus right now."

The Rainbow Warriors practiced yesterday afternoon after splitting two games on the road last week to open the Western Athletic Conference season.

"We're football fans — we all have friends on the team," senior guard Riley Luettgerodt said. "We know what a great season they had, so we wanted to know what was going on with the coach. But we've got our own business to take care of, so we can't let what's going on with football affect us."

The 'Bows are 5-9 overall and 1-1 in the WAC. They lost at Utah State, 86-80, then won at San Jose State, 85-79.

"It would have been better to win both games," senior point guard Matt Gibson said. "But the way we played, I feel like we can hang in there with any team in the conference."

The 'Bows will host Nevada on Saturday as part of a three-game homestand. Hawai'i will host San Jose State on Jan. 14 and Fresno State on Jan. 19.

"We get a week to prepare (for Nevada), but then we have to turn around real quick and get ready for San Jose State again," Nash said. "But it's rare to get a whole week off in conference season, so we have to try and take advantage of it."

Nevada, which won the WAC regular-season title the past four years, is 8-5 overall. The Wolf Pack had its WAC opener against Utah State postponed Saturday because of a snowstorm in Reno, Nev.

"It gives you some time for rest and some time for practice," Nevada head coach Mark Fox said. "But at this point, the kids are ready to play games. I think they'd much rather do that than practice every day."

The Wolf Pack will play at San Jose State on Thursday before playing here.

"They've had some time to put in some new things; we have some time to put in some new things," Nash said. "But there's really no secrets when it comes to conference."

PICKING UP THE PACE

Gibson is averaging 18.3 points, 8.0 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game in Hawai'i's last three games.

The 'Bows are 2-1 and averaging 79.7 points per game in those three games.

"My teammates told me I needed to attack more, and it's something I'm still working on," he said. "Coach Nash keeps getting on me when to drive (to the basket) and when not to drive. I still make my share of turnovers, so it's a matter of figuring out the right times to do it."

Luettgerodt said: "No knock on Matt — he's my boy. But there's been times when you don't know what he's going to do out there. He's been more in control lately, and when he's in control and finding the rest of us for open shots, we're so much better."

Gibson is averaging 15.8 points, 5.1 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game for the season.

'BOWS STILL ADJUSTING

For better or worse, Hawai'i will likely be involved in more high-scoring games this season because of the absence of center Stephen Verwers.

The 'Bows are averaging 77.0 points per game while allowing 77.5 in the four games since Verwers suffered a season-ending broken left leg on Christmas Day.

Verwers, who is 6 feet 11 and 255 pounds, was the team's only true center.

"We can run more because we're smaller now," Gibson said. "But we miss that big body in the middle on the defensive end.

"The game's so much different without him, but I don't mind high-scoring, up-tempo games ... as long as we're the ones with more points at the end."

All signs point to ...

Several 'Bows got a chuckle out of makeshift posters taped to walls around the UH athletic department yesterday saying "Riley Wallace for A.D."

"I'm for that," Gibson said of his former basketball coach.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.