Diamond Head. Pearl Harbor. Sugar plantations. Magnum P.I. Lovely bunches of coconuts. Don Ho. Volcanoes. Sun-drenched beaches.
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A trip to Hawaii means different things to different people.
To Illinois-Chicago basketball coach Bob Hallberg, it means two things:
– A chance for his players to experience the enchanted islands for maybe the only time in their lives.
– And potential trouble.
After you`ve been to Hawaii, how do you get up to play Loyola?
That`s Hallberg`s concern as he gets his team ready to take on North Park Monday night at the Pavilion. Assuming the Flames dodge a bullet there-and given North Park`s status as a Division III power, that`s no certainty-it`s off to Hawaii Tuesday for two days of practice before the Flames meet Hawaii Friday night and then Chaminade Sunday.
Hawaii is led by sharpshooting juco transfer Ray Reed, a 6-6 forward, averaging 22 points and shooting better than 50 percent from the floor.
”We`re taking the team on a tour of Pearl Harbor and they`ll have some free time,” says Hallberg. ”But for us it`s a business trip. We don`t want to get caught up in snorkeling and forget what we`re going out there for.”
Next Monday night, the Flames leave Hawaii, arriving at O`Hare at 5 a.m. Dec. 17. Loyola, which may well have spent the week freezing its tootsies off in Chicago, visits the Pavilion two days later.
”A lot of coaches have told me the toughest part of going there (Hawaii) is getting your team reoriented to things when you get back,” says Hallberg. ”We`ll be off our schedule. That game against Loyola concerns me.”