BYU-Hawaii Seasiders Already On Top In National Rankings
By Jack Danilewicz
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The attitude on rankings is usually unwavering in the college coaching fraternity: It’s not where you start, but where you finish.
That doesn’t apply to the Brigham Young University Hawaii men’s basketball program, however. Head coach Ken Wagner sees nothing but positives in its place at the top of the inaugural 2009-2010 Division II Bulletin poll released last week.
“It’s exciting to be No. 1,” said Wagner, whose team also was ranked second by Sporting News. “Everyone will want to beat you, but that ought to motivate us to work hard to live up to the ranking. It’s a tribute to last year’s team and what they accomplished.”
Although BYUH is the first Hawaii team to be No. I in D II, it’s coming off a riveting 27-2 season, which took it to the NCAA West Region Championship game. Only a 59-58 loss to Cal Poly Pomona kept it from advancing to the Elite Eight.
“This is the first time a team from Hawaii has been ranked No. 1 in our preseason Top 25,” said Gary Rubin, publisher of Division II Bulletin. “It was a difficult decision, but we felt BYU-Hawaii has the talent to carry onto the national stage.”
Even with returning NCAA DII Player of the Year Lucas Alves expected to be out of the starting lineup until December with a knee injury, hopes still are sky high. “This is an exciting, fun team to coach and not just because they’re good athletes,” said Wagner, whose team will hold its first official practice on Thursday. “They’re really good people.”
It all begins with Alves, who is versatile to go with his 6-foot-9, 230-pound frame. A senior from Brazil,he averaged 19.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game last year and was recently named a preseason First Team All-American by Sporting News. ESPN sees him as a potential second-round NBA draft pick.
“It’s a tough loss, but he’ll be back,” Wagner said of Alves, who injured his knee competing for the Brazilian National Team this summer. “It will probably make us a better team in the second part of the season. He’s just a good athlete, inside and out, and he’s tough to defend.”
The Seasiders also return Pacific West Conference Second Team All-Stars Marques Whippy and J. R. Buensuceso, a Cousy Award finalist, as well as the league’s Freshman of the Year, Jet Chang. BYUH has the usual international flavor to its roster. Whippy is from Fiji, while Chang hails from Taiwan. The two newest recruits, Heath Gameren and Mustapha El Akarri are from Australia and Lebanon, respectively.
Wagner credited assistant Brandyn Akana for diligent recruiting. His staff also includes Gabe Roberts and Harry Maxwell.
“If there’s a good player in Asia or the South Pacific, we generally know about him first, but we still have to beat the bushes. Brandyn does a great job. He’s really grown and gained more and more contacts. When you’ve been successful for a long time,people also have confidence in your program.”
It doesn’t hurt that all but two of BYUH’s home games will be live worldwide on BYU Television (available on DirectTV and several cable outlets).Home games also will air on the school’s TV station. Longtime Seasider radio play-by-play announcer Lad Panis is on board with color commentator Scott Lowe.
BYUH opens Nov. 5 with an exhibition game against UH at 7:05 p.m. at Stan Sheriff Center. They host the Asia Pacific Tournament Nov. 13 and 14 before opening the regular season at home against Oakland Nov. 25.
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