Hawaii survives challenges to take on UNLV

Steve Carp

Tuesday, March 3, 1998 | 10 a.m.

Things had started so well. Then came the accolades and suddenly, the wheels came off.

The coach got sick and was told to stay in bed. The team came to the mainland and proceded to get stomped by 42 points. That sure-fire NCAA bid was looking tenuous.

But Hawaii has survived it all -- the gaudy start, the mid-season collapse, the angioplasty underwent by coach Riley Wallace and the Texas whipping handed them by Billy Tubbs' TCU squad, to remain alive in the Rainbows' chase for the pot of gold.

Hawaii, 19-7 overall and winners of five straight, knows this is it. A win tonight at 8:30 over UNLV in the opening round of the 1998 WAC basketball tournament puts the Rainbows in great shape come Selection Sunday. A loss to the 16-12 Rebels at the Thomas & Mack Center and it's goodbye NCAA, and maybe aloha NIT as well.

"We feel we need another win to get in the NCAAs," Wallace said Monday. "We've got a lot of things going for us. We're playing well right now. We've won three straight on the road. We've overcome some injuries. We're healthy.

"This team has shown the ability to bounce back the last two years. But this is a very tough game for us. UNLV is still very good and they're playing at home."

Star guard Anthony Carter has been playing hurt all year with a nagging shoulder injury. Yet he remains the focal point of this team, as does backcourt mate Alika Smith. When they're on, Hawaii is tough to beat, no matter who the opponent or where the site is.

But after getting off to an 11-1 start, which included wins over Indiana and then-No. 2 Kansas, Hawaii, which broke into the polls at No. 21, lost to San Diego State at Cox Arena. A couple of weeks later, Wallace, who had been feeling ill during a road trip at Rice and Tulsa, underwent angioplasty surgery. But he coached a couple of nights later against San Jose State, only to feel ill again a few days later.

This time, the doctors told him to take two weeks off. He bargained for one after the team lost three in a row to drop to 14-7. Wallace came back and the team responded with five straight wins and some much-needed momentum heading into the WAC tourney.

"I feel great," Wallace said. "I've lost 20 pounds. I exercise every day. That time off was really needed."

The players admit not having their coach didn't help the situation. But it was more a matter of team pride that turned things back around.

"When we got blown out at TCU, we said, 'Let's start over,' " Smith said. "We've put the pedal to the metal and it was like, 'let's go.' "

Forward Micah Kroeger said the Rainbows may have been a bit overconfident after starting the season so strong and beating Indiana and Kansas.

"It's possible," he said. "We're not the most talented team in the world and when we looked at our ranking we thought we were pretty good.

"But we also knew we were a good team when we worked hard and played as a team. It was just a matter of getting back to doing the things that got us to that point."

Hawaii is doing it at both ends. Saturday, the Rainbows used a 1-2-2 zone defense to stymie Fresno State and beat the Bulldogs 92-78 at Fresno. UNLV coach Bill Bayno knows his team will see a lot of that 1-2-2 tonight.

"We've got to be patient and not rush shots," he said. "We saw a lot of zone against Colorado State and we did a good job against it because we were unselfish and we moved the ball and we were quick.

"Same thing against Hawaii. We can't be impatient. Guys have to screen and move."

The big concern for UNLV tonight is the status of Greedy Daniels. The 6-foot freshman guard injured his right hamstring against Colorado State and did not practice Monday. He is listed as questionable and Bayno said Daniels' availability will be a game-time decision though Daniels said he intends to try and play.

"It doesn't look good right now," Bayno said. "Hopefully, it'll get better. If not, we'll use Tyrell Jamerson. Tyrell has fresh legs and he was our most active player in practice. He deserves a chance to play."

UNLV-Hawaii notes

* AWAY AT HOME: Tonight's game may be on UNLV's home court, but the Rebels are the visiting team because they're the lower seed. That means wearing the road red uniforms and sitting on the other side of the court by the tunnel. ... It also means that fans attending tonight's game and all sessions of the WAC tournament should be prepared to shell out for parking. It'll cost $4 to park at the Thomas & Mack for each session. ... And with the neutral court, it means no pregame fireworks and light show.

* CLOSE CALLS: If last year's trilogy with Hawaii is any indication, expect another nip-and-tuck affair tonight. The Rainbows won two of the first three battles, the first by one point, 66-65, the second meeting by two, 66-64, and UNLV won the third game, 89-80 in the second round of the NIT. However, the game went to overtime after being tied 76-76 at the end of regulation. ... The series stands 16-7 in favor of the Rebels. ... UNLV is participating in its second WAC tournament. The Rebels are 1-1 after defeating Rice last year and losing to Tulsa in the quarterfinals. Hawaii is making its 15th appearance in the WAC tourney and the Rainbows are 12-13.

* NESBY STILL SEARCHING: He's getting closer, but UNLV senior Tyrone Nesby is still 38 points shy of the 1,000 mark for his career. "I'm trying not to think about it," he said. "But sometimes, it's hard not to." Nesby has really struggled down the stretch, with just 23 points total in his last three games. If Nesby ever gets there, he'll be the 27th player in school history to reach the 1,000= mark.