One down, 29 more to go.

That's the approach the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team is taking after Saturday's 84-62 upset of No. 4 Michigan State.

"It's still exciting; it'll always be something special," Hawai'i senior co-captain Julian Sensley said. "But we have to move forward. That was only the first game. We have a whole season to go."

Indeed, if the Rainbow Warriors are to make it to the championship game of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament in March, they have 29 more games to play.

Perhaps fittingly, the Rainbow Warriors will go from the spotlight to the bright lights of Las Vegas. The 'Bows departed Honolulu yesterday afternoon for Las Vegas, where they will play at UNLV tomorrow.

"Absolutely, a lot of people will be looking at this game," Hawai'i head coach Riley Wallace said. "We probably caught a lot of people's attention across the nation, so they're all going to be looking at this game to see if we're for real."

The weekly Top 25 college basketball polls will be released today. Wallace said he expects Hawai'i to receive some votes, although probably not enough to break into the Top 25.

"It's still way too early," Wallace said. "If we had more wins, then maybe. But we're 1-0 and Michigan State is 0-1. You can't make too much out of that."

The Hawai'i players seemed to share a similar philosophy.

"I think we showed that we can compete with any team in the country," Sensley said. "But it's also just the first game. I think it takes at least a couple of games for a team to establish an identity. It'll be nice to be ranked, but it's not like it's going to ruin our season if we're not. We still have a lot of time to get recognition. If we keep winning, it'll come."

Senior forward "Big Matt" Gipson played on a nationally ranked Oklahoma team as a freshman in 2002-03. He said this season's 'Bows have the potential to be listed among the nation's elite.

"If we keep playing the way we are, then sure, we deserve the credit," Gipson said. "But we were 8-0 last year and ended up being a mediocre team, so we know it's way too early to celebrate anything. We need to show people that win against Michigan State wasn't a fluke. You know if we come out flat against (UNLV) that's what a lot of people are going to be thinking."

Wallace said he will also be at his coaching best this week to help the 'Bows avoid a letdown after Saturday's upset. The victory over Michigan State was the 300th for Wallace as head coach at Hawai'i.

"If this team is a real team, which I think it is, then they'll be ready for this next game," he said. "We made a tough schedule like this early on to prepare the guys for what's to come."

It appears the 'Bows will have to be at their best again against the Rebels. UNLV routed Long Beach State, 108-73, in its season opener on Friday.

"They like to run, so that means we're going to have to rely on our conditioning on the road," Wallace said. "And UNLV has always been very good at home. It'll be another tough one."

In order to avoid distractions, Wallace said he will not allow his players to linger in the casinos before the game.

The 'Bows were scheduled to arrive in Las Vegas late last night. They will practice tonight in the Thomas & Mack Center, where tomorrow's game will be played.

"We've been to Reno before, so the players know what to expect in a place like that," Wallace said. "They don't have money to gamble anyway."

Senior co-captain Deonte Tatum said he already senses a difference in attitude between this season's team and last season's team that finished 16-13.

"This is more of a business team," he said. "We all know what it takes, and when it's time to work, we work. If we don't come out ready to play (tomorrow) it'll be a big disappointment."

SEASON TICKET SALES EXTENDED ONE WEEK

Season tickets for the men's basketball games will remain on sale throughout this week.

Prices are $200 for adults, $89 for students ages 4 through high school, and $59 for UH students with valid identification.

The tickets are available only at the Stan Sheriff Center box office during normal business hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday). For information, call 944-2697.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.