Confidence has never been a problem for Chaminade's Zack Whiting.

It's evident when he's playing basketball and when he speaks.

Whiting believes: "You have to be confident, right? Or you won't succeed."

The 6-foot-3 senior from Chico, Calif., last month was among 38 nominees for the Bob Cousy Award, which is presented to the nation's top point guard.

Whiting said "it was an honor to get it," and "I couldn't have done it without last year's team." He also wasn't overwhelmed.

"I wasn't surprised at all. I feel the nomination ... I feel that I'm just as good as some of the Division I point guards," said Whiting, one of three nominees from a non-Division I school.

Whiting averaged 14.1 points, 8.1 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game last season for the 19-9 Silverswords. The team won the Pacific West Conference and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division II tournament.

This season, he expects more success despite the loss of PacWest Player of the Year Chris Reaves, and seven newcomers on the roster.

"You should expect nothing less than the same thing we had last year — a winning season, 17 or more wins," Whiting said. "We have the same goals as last season, to make regionals. Anything less than that, I feel we'd be underachieving."

Chaminade coach Matt Mahar has high praise for Whiting, a two-time All-PacWest first-team selection.

"I believe he's the best point guard in Division II basketball right now," Mahar said. "He can play at countless Division I schools throughout the country."

Whiting has started 54 games the past two seasons, and this year he's the only senior on the team.

"The kid's a winner," Mahar said. "He'll do anything it takes to win whether that's score, pass it, defend. He's a kid we rely on so much, and he's also our team leader on and off the court."

When Whiting is on the floor, Mahar said: "He definitely has a swagger to him, he's confident, he knows he can play, but that doesn't get in the way of who he is on the court for us. He does the right thing for us."

Whiting walked on at the University of Utah after high school, but left the next season to attend Feather River College in California.

He was recruited to Chaminade by previous coach Aaron Griess, but played in only five games during the 2003-04 season because of an injury and redshirted.

"I think getting hurt my first year was the best thing for me in the long run," Whiting said. "We didn't have a very good year that year, and so it helped me adjust to the Division II level and I'm a fifth-year senior, so I think it's to my advantage."

As usual, the Silverswords will start the season at the Maui Invitational in Lahaina. They open the eight-team tournament against national runner-up UCLA tomorrow.

"We go there to win every year," said Whiting, a marketing and communications major. "It would be nice to start out with a win on the year, but sometimes we're not fortunate enough to do that."

In addition to Whiting, Mahar will be counting on 7-foot center Marko Kolaric and 6-5 guard/forward Stewart Kussler. Both juniors also are expected to provide leadership, according to Mahar.

Kolaric started six games last season and averaged 5.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.

"He rebounds and he shoots the ball extremely well. He has range out to 3-point (territory)," Mahar said.

Kussler, who made 23 starts and averaged 7.7 points last season, "beats people up the floor with effort plays."

But expect Whiting to get most of the touches and shots.

"He's the guy we've built this program around, he's the go-to guy in everything we run," Mahar said.

When he gets the ball, Whiting is thinking he'll either make the shot or find an open teammate. That's just his nature.

Reach Kyle Sakamoto at ksakamoto@honoluluadvertiser.com.