Meet Petras Balocka

Here's a feature on one of Hawaii's newcomers, someone who leads the WAC in elpg's, a category Brian McInnis has created:

Basketball in Balocka's blood
Brian McInnis
Honolulu Star-Bulletin
December 15, 2008

Petras Balocka thanks his father for two things.

First, the Hawaii junior forward gives a nod of appreciation to his old man, Vytautas Balocka, for making him constantly strive to become a better basketball player.

Honors for the second item, his boisterous personality, are shared with his mother, Jurate.

"Yeah, I've always been (a) very emotional person," said Balocka, a junior college transfer who hails from Vilnius, Lithuania. "I think I take that from my father, who was an emotional guy. My mom is kind of emotional too, so I couldn't be a calm kid. I guess I gotta thank them for that."

The 6-foot-8, 250-pound Balocka has carried both traits - his passion for the game and his passion for everything else - with him to Hawaii this season from Pensacola Junior College (Fla.).

Through seven games for the 4-3 Rainbow Warriors, he's averaged 12.7 points and 5.1 rebounds in 21.5 minutes per game as a key big man. He's started all but one game and scores in bunches during his limited time on the floor...

Go here for the remainder.