Chaminade embraces role of giant-killer | The Honolulu Advertiser

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Chaminade embraces role of giant-killer | The Honolulu Advertiser | Hawaii's Newspaper

Posted on: Sunday, November 20, 2005

Chaminade embraces role of giant-killer

By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer

EA SPORTS MAUI INVITATIONAL

At Lahaina Civic Center, Maui

Tomorrow

Quarterfinals

Game 1: Chaminade vs. No. 4 Michigan State, 9:30 a.m. (ESPN2)

Game 2: No. 9 Gonzaga vs. No. 24 Maryland, noon (ESPN2)

Game 3: No. 10 Arizona vs. Kansas, 4 p.m. (ESPN)

Game 4: Arkansas vs. No. 3 Connecticut, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

Tuesday

Consolation

Game 5: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 8:30 a.m. (ESPNU)

Game 6: Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 11 a.m. (ESPNU)

Semifinals

Game 7: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 2 p.m. (ESPN)

Game 8: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 4:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Wednesday

Fifth place: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 9 a.m. (ESPN)

Third place: Game 7 loser vs. Game 8 loser, 11:30 a.m. (ESPN2)

Seventh place: Game 5 loser vs. Game 6 loser, 2 p.m. (ESPNU)

Championship: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 5 p.m. (ESPN)

Chaminade (0-0)

Coach: Matt Mahar (1st year, 0-0)

Last season: 16-11 overall, 8-7 Pacific West Conference, fourth place

Top players: Chris Reaves (g, 6-3, sr., 16.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.5 spg, 62 3-ptrs), Zack Whiting (g, 6-3, jr., 14.5 ppg, 6 rpg, 6.8 apg, 2 spg), Corey Campbell (g, 6-2, sr., 11.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg), Dylan McCune (g, 6-1, sr., 8.2 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 63 3-ptrs), Chris Nelson (g/f, 6-4, sr., 5.9 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 40 3-ptrs)

Mahar said: "A lot of our kids come to our university because of the Maui Invitational. ... This is a great time for them to play in front of their family and friends on national television and try to make a name for themselves."

No. 4 Michigan St. (0-1)

Coach: Tom Izzo (11th year, 233-98)

Last season: 26-7 overall, 13-3 Big Ten Conference, second place

Top players: Maurice Ager (g, 6-5, sr., 14.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.8 apg, 53 3-ptrs), Shannon Brown (g, 6-4, jr., 10.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 31 3-ptrs, 1.2 spg), Paul Davis (c, 6-11, sr., 12.3 ppg, 8 rpg, .541 fg pct.), Drew Neitzel (g, 6-0, so., 3.5 ppg, 2.9 apg)

Izzo said: "We played Chaminade in my first year as a head coach (in 1995). We beat them by two. I know how important that game is to those kids."

No. 9 Gonzaga (1-0)

Coach: Mark Few (7th year, 160-37)

Last season: 26-5 overall, 12-2 West Coast Conference, first place

Top players: Adam Morrison (f, 6-8, jr., 19 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.8 apg, 37 3-ptrs), Derek Raivio (g, 6-3, jr., 13 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 4.8 apg, 1.6 spg, 77 3-ptrs), J.P. Batista (c/f, 6-9, sr., 12.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg, .605 fg pct.), Sean Mallon (f, 6-9, jr., 7.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg, .522 fg pct.), Erroll Knight (g, 6-7, sr., 6.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg), David Pendergraft (g, 6-6, so., 2.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg, .556 fg pct.), Pierre Marie Altidor-Cespedes (g, 6-0, so., 2 ppg, 2.42 apg)

Few said: "My heart sunk when Maryland showed up as our opponent here ... because I think they’re really, really good. We played them two years ago and they were really, really young. ... Now I think they’re experienced and (Maryland coach Gary Williams has) got a lot great athletes and some kind of toughness."

No. 24 Maryland (1-0)

Coach: Gary Williams (17th year, 335-178)

Last season: 19-13 overall, 7-9 Atlantic Coast Conference, tied sixth place

Top players: Nik Caner-Medley (f, 6-8, sr., 16 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 2.2 apg, 43 3-ptrs), Chris McCray (g, 6-5, sr., 14.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.2 apg, 38 3-ptrs, .903 ft pct.), Travis Garrison (f, 6-8, sr., 10.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg), Ekene Ibekwe (f, 6-9, jr., 8.4 ppg, 1.8 bpg), Mike Jones (g, 6-5, jr., 7.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg. 36 3-ptrs), James Gist (f, 6-8, so., 6.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg), D.J. Strawberry (7.1 ppg, 2.1 apg, 1.7 spg), Sterling Ledbetter (g, 6-4, sr., 3.4 ppg, 2 apg)

Williams said: "In Gonzaga, you’re playing a team that’s averaged 26 or 27 wins a year over the past five years. We did play them two years ago and lost in Washington, D.C. They play a style that ... people like to watch ... get up and down the court and they’re not afraid to shoot the ball."

No. 10 Arizona (0-0)

Coach: Lute Olson (23rd year, 549-164)

Last season: 30-7 overall, 15-3 Pacific-10 Conference, first place

Top players: Hassan Adams (g, 6-4, sr., 12.7 ppg, 6 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.9 spg), Ivan Radenovic (f, 6-10, jr., 8.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg), Mustafa Shakur (g, 6-3, jr., 8.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 4.5 apg, 1.2 spg, 31 3-ptrs), Jawann McClellan (g, 6-4, so., 5.8 ppg, 3 rpg), Chris Rodgers (g, 6-4, sr., 5.5 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 2.1 apg, 33 3-ptrs)

Olson said: "It’s probably the deepest team we’ve ever had. But it’s going to be a team that’s going to have to rely on very balanced scoring."

Kansas (1-0)

Coach: Bill Self (3rd year, 48-16)

Last season: 23-7 overall, 12-4 Big 12 Conference, co-champions

Top players: Christian Moody (f, 6-8, sr., 5.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg, .579 fg pct.), Russell Robinson (g, 6-1, so., 3.5 ppg), Jeff Hawkins (g, 5-11, sr., 3 ppg, 17 3-ptrs), C.J. Giles (c, 6-10, so., 2.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg, .532 fg pct.), Sasha Kaun (c, 6-11, so., 2.6 ppg, 2.3 rpg, .536 fg pct.), Darnell Jackson (f, 6-8, so., 2 ppg, 1.7 rpg, .548 fg pct.)

Self said: "I like this team. I think that we’re going to make a lot of mistakes early ... We’re going to be up and down. But I think it’s going to be a team that will continually get better."

Arkansas (1-0)

Coach: Stan Heath (4th year, 40-47)

Last season: 18-12 overall, 6-10 Southeastern Conference, fourth place West

Top players: Ronnie Brewer (g, 6-7, jr., 16.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.4 apg, 2.5 spg, 36 3-ptrs), Darian Townes (f, 6-10, so., 10.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg, .519 fg pct., 1.6 bpg), Jonathon Modica (g, 6-5, sr., 9.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 30 3-ptrs, .520 fg pct.), Eric Ferguson (g, 6-1, sr., 8.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 4.3 apg, 1.7 spg, 44 3-ptrs), Charles Thomas (f, 6-8, so., 5.5 ppg, 2.7 rpg), Dontell Jefferson (g, 6-5, sr., 4.1 ppg, 2 rpg, 2.1 apg), Steven Hill (c, 7-0, so., 2.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.8 bpg, .509 fg pct.)

Heath said: "We still have a lot of work to do. Facing a team like UConn that has great experience at the front line is awesome. And the wing players are terrific as well. ... We need to play against this kind of a field."

No. 3 Connecticut (1-0)

Coach: Jim Calhoun (20th year, 456-173)

Last season: 23-8 overall, 13-3 Big East Conference, first place

Top players: Josh Boone (f/c, 6-10, jr., 12.4 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 2.9 bpg, .609 fg pct.), Rashad Anderson (f/g, 6-5, sr., 11.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 46 3-ptrs), Rudy Gay (f, 6-9, so., 11.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.55 apg), Denham Brown (f, 6-6, sr., 10.4 ppg, 4 rpg, 31 3-ptrs), Hilton Armstrong (f/c, 6-11, sr., 3.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.2 bpg, .519 fg pct.)

Calhoun said: Arkansas coach Stan Heath has "got a terrifically athletic club which probably plays in and out of our hand. ... It could be a very interesting matchup between the two teams."

Zack Whiting knows his underdog Chaminade men's basketball team won't roll over and play dead against No. 4 Michigan State tomorrow in the EA Sports Maui Invitational.

But can the host Silverswords, whose upset of top-ranked Virginia in 1982 spawned the Invitational, pull off another shocker — as the University of Hawai'i did yesterday?

"For us, a Division II school to beat them, it's almost impossible," said Whiting, a senior guard. "They're better at every position than us.

Michigan State "thinks they're going to win," Whiting continued. "Our fans think they're going to win. Our classmates, our friends, think they're going to win. So really they have everything to lose. We have nothing to lose."

This year's field is considered the best assembled for an early season tournament. The invitational, which will be played at the Lahaina Civic Center, includes six former national champions (Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Kansas, Maryland and Michigan State), and four teams currently ranked in the top 10 (No. 3 Connecticut, No. 4 Michigan State, No. 9 Gonzaga and No. 10 Arizona).

"I don't know if a coach or player can ask for much more," first-year Chaminade coach Matt Mahar said.

Michigan State returns four starters from a team that advanced to the Final Four before losing to eventual champion North Carolina. And the Spartans won't lack for motivation, after suffering a season-opening 84-62 loss to UH yesterday.

"The scariest part of preparing for them is the way they run the floor, and they're very physical," Mahar said. "That's going to be a huge challenge for us."

Chaminade will start guards Chris Reaves (16.4 ppg) and Whiting (14.5 ppg, 6 rpg, 6.8 apg), Mahar said.

Whiting is the team's best all-around player and Reaves scored 33 points in the opening round against Texas last season.

The rest of the starting lineup "is up in the air," Mahar said. "We don't know if we're going to play big or small to start."

Mahar said he could fill the spots with 6-foot-1 guard Dylan McCune, 6-2 guard Corey Campbell, 6-9 forward Chris Powell, 6-10 post Marko Kolaric or 6-4 wing Chris Nelson.

"We all watch Michigan State on TV, I'm a big fan," Mahar said. "Our guys are going to give it their best effort, and see what happens. The bottom line is we're just trying to get better for the rest of the season, too."

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo earned his first victory when the Spartans beat Chaminade in the 1995 Maui Invitational.

"They won by two points," Mahar said. "So anything can happen. If we play a good game, and shoot the ball well, then we should be in the mix. I have total confidence in our guys."

Whiting said the Silverswords will be fired up.

"As far as playing hard, that's really the only thing we can control," said Whiting, who has overcome a severe right knee injury from the 2003-04 season. "If we play harder than them, and they still beat us, we can still be happy."

EA Sports Maui Invitational

Reach Brandon Masuoka at bmasuoka@honoluluadvertiser.com.

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