In addition to looking for a starting five, the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team is still in search of an assistant coach.

The Rainbow Warriors started practices last Friday, but the position of assistant coach has remained vacant.

Hawai'i head coach Riley Wallace said he recommended a selection two weeks ago, but it apparently has yet to be approved by the UH administration. He said he hopes to have an assistant coach in place by the end of this week.

Wallace did not want to comment on his recommendation or on any of the other applicants for the position.

Jeff Law, head coach of the Hawai'i-Hilo basketball team, said he expressed early interest in the position, but recently withdrew his name from the list.

"Riley and I have been friends for a long time, so I wanted to see what was going on with the position," Law said. "But the timing just wasn't right. My season here (at Hilo) was about to start and it wouldn't have been fair to just leave right before the season started."

Law was a part-time assistant coach at Hawai'i under Wallace from 1994 to '98 before becoming head coach of the Vulcans in the 1998-99 season.

Law said he knows several of the other applicants, including Loren Wallace, who is Riley's brother.

"I think that's who it should be," Law said. "He knows the game, and he knows Riley's system, obviously."

Loren Wallace is a long-time successful high school coach in Illinois.

Believed to be among the other applicants are former Hawai'i players Mark Campbell, Kurt Taylor, Tim Shepherd and Alika Smith.

The assistant position became open in mid-September when Bob Burke accepted an assistant coaching position with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Riley Wallace's current staff includes associate coaches Bob Nash and Jackson Wheeler.

TRANSFER FROM AIR FORCE JOINS TEAM

Jared Dillinger, a 6-foot-5 guard/forward, was added to the Hawai'i roster this week.

Dillinger played the past two seasons at Air Force Academy, but left during the summer for personal reasons. He was a reserve with the Falcons last season, averaging 2.1 points and 1.3 rebounds per game.

He was also a reserve player as a freshman on the 2003-04 Air Force team that went 22-7 and played in the NCAA Tournament.

Dillinger said he was also looking at Colorado, Dartmouth and Denver, but ultimately opted to walk-on at Hawai'i.

"All I wanted was an opportunity," he said. "I knew these guys had a good program, so I was willing to come out here even though they told me they didn't have a scholarship available."

As a transfer from another NCAA Division I program, Dillinger will not be eligible to play in games this season. However, he can practice with the team, and will be used on the scout team.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.