Associated Press
Coach Jerry Tarkanian is one of the reasons
Fresno State has done well.
B-I-G.
The Rainbows will slug it out with Fresno State on Thursday night at the Special Events Arena. And the prize is the Pacific Division title -- and a likely NCAA tournament bid.
"I don't think there's ever been a bigger game for us here in Hawaii," UH head coach Riley Wallace said yesterday after the Rainbows' light workout. "It's all on the line right here.
"We have the advantage of getting a chance to win the league championship at home. Your own destiny is right in your hands. You win it and it's yours. No excuses. There's no altitude, there's no travel, you're not tired. Nothing."
The game should be a sellout. UH officials said yesterday that fewer than 1,000 tickets remain for the showdown between the Rainbows (19-5 overall and 11-3 in the WAC) and the Bulldogs (18-10 and 10-4).
Hawaii then plays the regular-season finale against San Jose State Saturday at the Special Events Arena, while Fresno State winds up at San Diego State, also Saturday.
The Bulldogs beat the Rainbows, 80-74, in Fresno on Feb. 1.
"It's a big game now," said Fresno State head coach Jerry Tarkanian, who has seen his share of crucial matchups over the years. "It's up to us. If we win both our games we win the division."
The Bulldogs, however, have been turned into dachshunds on the road. They finished at 13-0 at home, but are only 5-10 away from Selland Arena.
"We played good at home," Tarkanian said, "but every time we go on the road we play like s -- -- --.
"Hawaii has had such a great year. It's a miracle what they have done. And it was an absolute miracle that they won at Wyoming and Colorado State. We lost both those games."
Junior guard Alika Smith, who hails from Hawaii, said he is psyched.
"All I know is that it's the biggest one of my career," he said. "People are talking about Hawaii never winning a WAC title yet. It would be a great accomplishment if we can do that -- and the only way we can do that is if we play as a team."
Junior forward Micah Kroeger is also looking forward to it.
"We've played good teams since I've been here, but there's never been so much on the line," he said. "It's so big because of the caliber of the team that we're playing and because it's at home -- and for the ramifications, obviously."
Will there be too much pressure?
"I don't think so," Kroeger said. "We're loose right now. If we play our game and play well -- we have the home-court advantage -- and we've had so much adversity this year that I don't think anything really affects us."
Wallace agreed.
"I don't think it will bother them," he said. "We want the fans in a frenzy, not the players."