The most in-demand product after yesterday's two-hour practice for the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team wasn't water or Gatorade.

Every player wanted a basketball.

In search of more consistency, all 10 players put in overtime minutes yesterday, muscling each other after practice for room on one of the two available rims in the Stan Sheriff Center.

"You can tell it's a more serious atmosphere this week," junior guard Matt Lojeski said. "I know I've had a couple of bad games recently and we lost. So I'm staying after every day, working on my shot."

The extra work could come in handy tomorrow when the Rainbow Warriors host Nevada in a key Western Athletic Conference game.

At 1-0, Hawai'i has the early lead in the WAC standings. The Wolf Pack, which is 10-2 overall, was the overwhelming choice during the preseason as the top team in the conference.

The 'Bows are 7-4 overall, and much of their early success has depended on the success of their three top players — Lojeski, forward Julian Sensley and center Ahmet Gueye.

When all three score in double figures in the same game, Hawai'i is 6-0. When one of them does not score in double figures, the 'Bows are 0-4. (Sensley sat out one victory with an injury.)

"We don't have that one guy who can get us that big basket when you need it," Hawai'i head coach Riley Wallace said. "Every good team has one. We have guys who can score, but we're just not consistent with it."

Sensley, a 6-foot-9 senior, leads the team in scoring with 15.4 points per game, but he is averaging just 8.3 points in Hawai'i's four losses.

"We have a balanced team and any guy can step it up and lead us on any given night," Sensley said. "But we still need to be more consistent, and that's what I'm trying to work on."

It probably doesn't help that injuries and suspensions have depleted Hawai'i's bench.

Hawai'i's five starters — Lojeski, Sensley, Gueye, Deonte Tatum and "Big Matt" Gipson — each average at least 30 minutes per game.

"It's like you can't really have an off-night anymore," Lojeski said. "It's pretty clear that we need all five guys clicking."

Sensley is vowing to improve during the WAC season, and he wants to start on the defensive end. He said he volunteered to open tomorrow's game by defending Nevada's go-to player, Nick Fazekas.

"I want to take that challenge and see where I'm at defensively," Sensley said. "He's supposed to be the best player in the WAC, so I want to compare myself to see where I'm at."

Fazekas, a 6-11 junior forward, is averaging 20.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.