Week in Review

Bryant Moniz talks to Stephen Tsai about trying to regain the trust of the team.

At the final team meeting of the spring, Moniz stood at the podium in the UH athletic complex auditorium, then issued an emotional mea culpa.

"It was hard to face your teammates and apologize for not being there," Moniz said. "It was rough, but I got through it. I'm very sorry."

Soon after that, head coach Greg McMackin announced that Moniz would rejoin the team.

Moniz said he has tried to keep fit by working out up to three times a day. He trains with his girlfriend's brother and several former high school classmates at Leilehua. He now weighs 207 pounds, 15 more than at the end of the 2009 season.

Jake Heun is a fighter.

Heun, who aspires to a career as a mixed-martial-arts fighter, will meet D.J. Poti of Maui in a heavyweight bout tomorrow in the Blaisdell Center Exhibition Hall. The 14-bout card begins at 5 p.m.

"It's something to do in the offseason to keep me in shape," said Heun, who trains at the Ultimate Fight School near UH. "I've got to start getting ready for life after football."

While coaches usually frown on off-field activities that are deemed to be "dangerous," UH head coach Greg McMackin gave his blessing to Heun.

"It's not dangerous if you win," McMackin said. "This is something he really wants to do. I support his decision."

UH has improved its NCAA APR score.

For the first time in the six years since the NCAA instituted its Academic Progress Rate report, none of the University of Hawaii-Manoa's athletic teams are at risk of losing scholarships for classroom under-performance.

All 18 teams surpassed the multi-year benchmark by which the NCAA measures academic retention, progress and graduation for athletes for the 2008-09 academic year, according to an NCAA report.

However, some UH opponents will be losing scholarships.

Colorado, Idaho and New Mexico State have all been sanctioned for failing to meet the NCAA's Academic Performance Rate benchmark for the 2008-09 year, the NCAA announced yesterday.

Another UH opponent will be losing scholarships, but for an entirely different reason.

UH has reached a settlement with Daniel Smith, who was suing the school.

The University of Hawaii has agreed to an undisclosed settlement with a former high school football recruit who sued the school claiming it reneged on a scholarship offer in 2008.

Daniel Smith of Boise, Idaho, alleged that the school did not fulfill its promise of a scholarship when it changed head coaches from June Jones to Greg McMackin in a case that took on national implications.

Some articles about how the massive conference re-alignments now taking shape may affect UH:

Who Will Take the Bait? by Ferd Lewis

Changing landscape could mean a much different WAC 'footprint', by Dave Reardon

UH faces scheduling quandary, by Lewis

With the Pac-10 and Big Ten conferences seemingly headed toward expansion to 12 or 16 members, UH fears its popular December finale could be impacted or face extinction.

"We're trying to find a way to keep the (Pac-10 and Big Ten) conferences in the mix," Donovan said.

One proposal under study, Donovan said, would be to strike a deal whereby the conference agrees to send a designated representative here. That way if, for example, Wisconsin qualified for the conference championship game, a division runner-up would come in its place.

"Either that or we could take out insurance on the (opponent)," Donovan said.