Thursday, March 6, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
For all the good Hawaii has accomplished this season, it could go for naught in a scant 40 minutes tonight.
The Rainbows, who tied for the WAC Pacific Division title and were seeded second in the division, meet New Mexico at 9 in the WAC tourney quarterfinals at the Thomas & Mack Center with Hawaii's NCAA hopes riding on the outcome.
Despite an impressive 20-6 record, Riley Wallace's team must win tonight to remain under consideration for the Big Dance.
Compounding Hawaii's problem is the Rainbows have dropped two of their last three, which goes against one of the criterion the selection committee uses, that being how well you're playing at the end of the season. Fresno State hammered the Rainbows by 18 last week at the Special Events Arena in Honolulu and many believe the Bulldogs have leapfrogged over Hawaii.
Thren there's the depth situation. Hawaii will have just nine players suit up tonight after school officials refused to reinstate two players -- Aaron Curry and Kelvin Anderson -- after the two were suspended for violation of the student-athlete handbook policy. A third player, freshman guard Quentin Gallon, was reinstated and is in Las Vegas.
Hawaii will also be without 7-foot-2 center Seth Sundberg. Sundberg suffered a ruptured spleen in a Feb. 8 win over Air Force and is through for the season. It makes for a tough matchup inside against Kenny Thomas, New Mexico's star sophomore center.
The Lobos come into tonight's game off an impressive 103-70 rout of San Jose State in Tuesday's opening round. New Mexico also beat Hawaii in Albuquerque after losing to the Rainbows in Honolulu in January.
It may come down to whose backcourt can dominate. Anthony Carter and Alika Smith have been carrying the Rainbows while Charles Smith is averaging almost 19 points a game for New Mexico.
In other tournament action today, UNLV played Tulsa at noon, Texas Christian met Fresno State at 3 p.m., and Southern Methodist was scheduled to face No. 3-ranked Utah at 6 p.m.
A win by the Rebels would have produced a third meeting against the winner of the Texas Christian-Fresno State game. The Rebels, who defeated Rice 71-61 and were 20-8 going into the Tulsa contest, swept TCU and split with Fresno State, each winning on its home court.
A loss would have dropped the Rebels to 20-9 and given them a week off until the opening round of the NIT either March 12 or 13 at the Thomas & Mack Center. Their NCAA dreams would likely have evaporated.
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