Thursday, December 20, 2001
Hawaii is a business trip for RedHawks
10th-ranked BC first Rainbow foe
By Ian Duthie
Enquirer contributor
OXFORD — Miami coach Charlie Coles wasn't looking forward to a trip to Hawaii. It's not that the longtime Midwesterner doesn't like fun in the sun, but the competition that awaits his young team has Coles longing for the snow and cold of an Ohio winter.
The RedHawks will have one of their toughest tests of the season when they play Boston College in the first round of the Hawaii Rainbow Classic.
The 9-0 Eagles are ranked No.10, one of only five teams in the Top 25 that are undefeated.
BC is led by Troy Bell, one of the most explosive guards in America.
The junior averaged 20.4 points a game last season and averages 24.8 points, 3.1 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 steals a game this season. He is shooting 54 percent from the field and 91 percent from the free throw line. He shoots 41 percent from 3-point range.
“He has proved himself as one of the top guards in the Big East and the country,” Miami guard Doug Davis said. “As a competitor, you always want to play the best. He is just that.”
Despite being in the middle of a three-game losing streak, the RedHawks are playing competitively. The three defeats include an overtime loss at Evansville (an NIT participant last season), a one-point loss at home to Notre Dame (an NCAA participant) and a four-point loss at Southern California last Sunday (another NCAA participant).
“We have been in every game,” said Juby Johnson. “It's tough. After awhile, you have to win a close game. We need to win a close one, because every game in conference is a close battle, and we would like to have one (a close victory) when (conference play) starts.”
Coles knew before the season that this was one of the most challenging schedules he has put together in six years as Miami's head coach. Boston College, like Southern Cal, reached the Sweet 16 last season.
More troubling for Coles is that his team will go more than a month without playing at home.
“I knew when I made the schedule it could get bad before it got better,” Coles said. “We want to win every game, but my hope is we learn and get better as we move closer to conference play.”
The RedHawks-Boston College winner will face the Georgia-Arkansas State winner, with the losers meeting Friday in the second round.
Miami will conclude its stay in Hawaii with a third consecutive game, Saturday, against Holy Cross, Iona or Portland.
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Hawaii is a business trip for RedHawks
