Hawaii Basketball

You’ve heard about it… you’ve even seen the pictures… now here’s the video. Enjoy!
(Highlights of Derrick Low from the 2003 Iolani Basketball Season)

Their college careers maybe coming to an end, but it seems like just yesterday that Derrick Low and Bobby Nash were tearing it up as teammates on the court for Iolani School. During their time together, the duo combined for two state championships, the first of five in Iolani’s illustrious run, and were each named to the All-State First team in 2002 and 2003.

During the 2001-02 season, Nash (Jr.) and Low (So.) accounted for 28.8 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.1 steals per game for the Raiders who went on to defeat the Kalaheo Mustangs in the 2002 State finals.

Following that season, the pair was featured in a two-page article in the December 2002 publication of SLAM magazine. See it below…

With a strong performance at the 2007 Pan American Games, Derrick Low (Iolani ‘04) has improved his draft status, being placed in the latter part of the second round as the 53rd pick of the Chicago Bulls in NBADraft.net’s most recent mock draft for 2008.

While the site has no actual bearing on when or by whom he will be drafted (if at all), his being mentioned does show that he’s at least “on the radar.” At 53rd, Low is listed behind several other point guards including Darren Collison of UCLA, Drew Neitzel of Michigan State, Ty Lawson of UNC and a few incoming freshman phenoms - Derrick Rose, O.J. Mayo and Eric Gordon, though they are more shooting guards than point guards.

Low’s experience, toughness and shooting ability should draw some interest from NBA scouts who will be looking for a reliable player at the point who can handle the ball, defend and hit the open shot…

View the 2008 NBA Mock Draft »

UPDATE: USA Basketball reports Derrick has made the Final 12 and will be traveling to Brazil with Team USA. Read the release »

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Derrick Low and Washington State teammate Kyle Weaver are among the 14 players still in contention to make the final roster (of 12) to represent Team USA in the 2007 Pan American Games.

In Philadelphia since July 12, thirty of the country’s top players participated in five practice sessions over the last three days to compete for a spot on the 12-member team which will compete in Rio De Janiero from July 25-31. After the final session today, the USA Basketball committee, headed by Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim, voted on the list of 14 and will announce the final 12 players prior to the team’s departure next Saturday.

According to a report by ESPN citing multiple sources the roster includes: Roy Hibbert (Georgetown), Wayne Ellington (North Carolina), Shan Foster (Vanderbilt), Kyle Weaver and Derrick Low (Washington State), Eric Maynor (VCU), Bryce Taylor and Maarty Leunen (Oregon), Josh Carter (Texas A&M), D.J. White (Indiana), Drew Neitzel (Michigan State), Scottie Reynolds (Villanova), James Gist (Maryland) and Joey Dorsey (Memphis).

More from ESPN »

[Photo: USA Basketball]

Several of Hawaii’s top girls basketball players will be continuing the careers at the next level, though not all will be doing it in basketball.

2007 HawaiiHoops.com All-State selections and their college choices:

• Jazzmin Awa-Williams, Konawaena - Univeristy of Colorado at Colorado Springs
• Keisha Kanekoa, Honoka’a - University of Hawaii
• Ana Vienna-Lota, Kamehameha-Kapalama - Cal State Northridge
• Courtney Gaddis, Kalani - Whitworth University (WA)
• Nicole Fu, Maryknoll - Concordia University (CA)
• Chelsie Sato, McKinley - HPU (Soccer)
• Chelsea Deptula, Punahou - University of Hawaii (Soccer)
• Ashley Metcalf, Christian Academy - Rutgers University(Soccer)
• Alana Matayoshi, Iolani - Santa Clara University
• Shanadee Canon, Kalaheo - HPU
• Jamie Ronolo, Moanalua - Holy Names University
• C’ani Kealoha, Farrington - Holy Names University

If you have any further information on these or other recent graduates, please leave a comment below. Mahalo!

The Washington State Cougars closed out their six-game tour of New Zealand and Australia with a 73-65 win over the Cairns Marlins and will return home having won 4 of their 6 games against national and professional competition.

Senior guard Derrick Low led the team in scoring at 22.2 points per game over the 6-game stretch with highs of 35 and 30. His 35-point outburst came in a 102-101 loss to the 3-time National Basketball League Champion Sydney Kings, a game in which he hit 11 of 18 from 3-point range.

Players and coaches will visit the Great Barrier Reef tomorrow before returning home Friday.

Tour Scores and Statistics »

[Photo: GordonG.com]

The complete list of invites has been announced for the USA Team tryouts for the 2007 Pan-American Games in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil on July 25-29. As reported last month, Derrick Low and Washington State teammate Kyle Weaver are among the 30 top collegians who will be present at the trials which will be held July 12-14 at Haverford College in Pennsylvania. Selections will be made by the USA Basketball Men’s Collegiate Commitee, chaired by Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim.

List of 30 Team USA Invites for the 2007 Pan-Am Games:
Jon Brockman (Washington); Brian Butch (Wisconsin); Josh Carter (Texas A&M); Mario Chalmers (Kansas); Sherron Collins (Kansas); Brandan Costner (North Carolina State); Eric Devendorf (Syracuse); Joey Dorsey (Memphis); Wayne Ellington (North Carolina); Randal Falker (Southern Illinois); Shan Foster (Vanderbilt); Alonzo Gee (Alabama); James Gist (Maryland); Richard Hendrix (Alabama); Roy Hibbert (Georgetown); Maarty Leunen (Oregon); Chris Lofton (Tennessee); Derrick Low (Washington State); Wesley Matthews (Marquette); Eric Maynor (Virginia Commonwealth); Jerel McNeal (Marquette); Tasmin Mitchell (LSU); Drew Neitzel (Michigan State); DeMarcus Nelson (Duke); Ahmad Nivins (Saint Joseph’s); Scottie Reynolds (Villanova); Jon Scheyer (Duke); Bryce Taylor (Oregon); Kyle Weaver (Washington State); D.J. White (Indiana)

Villanova’s Jay Wright has been named the head coach along with assistants Mark Gottfried of Alabama and James Jones of Yale.

[Photo: Washington State University]

As the only NCAA sanctioned women’s basketball league in Hawaii, the D.ONE Summer League made its debut in 2006 and will continue on this summer from June 19th - August 7th at Manoa Gymnasium. The league is open to high-school graduates and has featured several current and former college players including Brittney Aiwohi, Melanie Azama, Kyla Evers, Michelle Gabriel, Dainora Puida and Ki’i Spencer-Vasconcellos as well as former UH standout and league president Nani Cockett.

What: 2007 D.ONE Hawaii Women’s Summer League
When: June 19 - August 7, 2007 (Tuesdays & Saturdays)
Where: Manoa Recreational Gymnasium

For those interested in participating, please fill out and mail in the League Application and attend the Mandatory Pre-Draft Open Gym on June 1st and 8th (Fridays) from 6:30 - 9:00pm at Kamehameha School’s Kekuhaupi’o Gym. There is an entry fee of $80 to be paid at the Draft Meeting on June 16, 2007.

For more information, email d.onebasketball@hotmail.com.

Former University of Hawaii basketball standouts and Hawaii high school stars, Nani Cockett and Brittney Aiwohi, were the featured models on the cover of Midweek in their yearly swimsuit edition. Renowned photographer Russell Tanoue shot the photos in the areas surrounding the newly developed Waikiki Beach Walk Project.

Other models included former men’s basketball team members Lance Takaki and Oa McGee as well as volleyball players Sarah Mason, Lauren Duggins (Chun), Mellissa Villaroman and Ryan Woodward and football players Matt Wright and Jeff Rhode.

Continue Reading »

Derrick Low (Iolani ‘04) and Washington State teammate Kyle Weaver are among the 35 players invited to tryout for the 2007 Pan-American Games USA Basketball Team. Tryouts will be held in Philadelphia on July 12 and the 12-member team will remain in the area until they leave for Brazil later in the month.

The 2007 Pan American Games will be held in Rio de Janeiro from July 13-29. The basketball portion runs July 25-29 and will feature teams from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Panama, Puerto Rico, Uruguay and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

In their most recent appearance in 2003, the USA finished 4th behind Brazil (1st), the Dominican Republic (2nd) and Puerto Rico (3rd). The last time they captured the title was in 1983 on a team that included Michael Jordan, Mark Price, Sam Perkins, Wayman Tisdale and Chris Mullin.

Unlike the Olympic Team, the Pan-American Team consists solely of college players (no pros). In 2003, the roster included current NBA players Josh Childress, Ike Diogu, Ben Gordan, Luke Jackson and Emeka Okafor.

[Photo: Washington State University]

In his first truly difficult task as the head coach of the University of Hawaii men’s basketball team, Bob Nash, announced yesterday that he will not renew the contract of 2-year assistant coach and former UH standout, Alika Smith.

Let’s examine the pros and cons:

Pros: Despite his lineage as the son of legendary Kalaheo Coach Pete Smith, Alika is relatively inexperienced when it comes to coaching at the college level. Since graduating from UH, he was an assistant under Jeff Law at the University of Hawaii - Hilo from 2001-2003 and was part of the Manoa staff for the last two years. His departure allows for the hiring of a “seasoned” assistant that could bring added knowledge to the staff or enhance recruiting. We’ll know more when the new coach is hired…

Cons: For a guy that received his first coaching opportunity 25 years ago despite his own inexperience, this was a disappointing move for the new head coach. Alika, much like Nash, was a standout at UH, but unlike Nash, was an all-state performer here in high school and the only true “kama’aina” on the staff. While his age, 31, may appear to be a hinderance, the importance of having a relatable presence on the staff is often invaluable to bridge the communication gap between the older coaches and the college-aged players.

Bob Nash has been named the new head coach of the University of Hawaii… now what? Seems like we should all know the guy after 26 years, so why is it so hard to figure out what we’re in for next season?

Well, despite his long tenure at the school, Nash hasn’t had many opportunities to do what he’s wanted to do (whatever that is), so it’d be unfair to assume one way or another that he’ll be just like Riley or completely different. All we can do right now is listen to what he’s saying in the media and hope for the best…

Here’s a few notable quotes from Coach Nash’s appearance on Stephen Tsai’s blog:

Asked about a shift to a high-paced game:

…we hope to bring an exciting brand of fast pace basketball back to the Stan Sheriff but we have to go out and get athletes to do that so we are goint to be out recruiting to find replacements for Lojeski and Gueye.

Response to a question about the returning players and their ability to adjust to a new system:

We have a good nucleus returning and when you look at Bobby Nash, Matt Gibson, those guys have alwasy been on the open floor and could shoot the ball. Those guys like the freedom to do that. Matt Gibson is good in the open floor. But we also have to grab boards and that’s where P.J. Owsley and Stephen Verwers come in.

We will also try to get the ball to them in the block.

Continue Reading »

Kelly Grant, the 2007 Hawaii State Coach of the Year for the State Champion Kaimuki Bulldogs, will be the featured coach at the Elite Basketball Academy’s Coaches Clinic on April 21-22 at the University of Hawaii Athletic Complex.

Coach Grant has an extensive basketball resume as both a coach and player. He has coached basketball at the varsity level for over 10 years, including two seasons at Kaimuki when the Bulldogs won back-to-back OIA Championships and reached the State finals twice, winning in the title in 2007. As a player, Grant was a star performer under Tony Selitto at Maryknoll High School and went on to play at the college level at HPU. More about Coach Grant »

The Clinic will include 2 hours of classroom time and 4 hours on the court. The topics that will be covered are: practice schedules, time-management, age-specific drills, various offensive sets, defensive schemes, secondary break, full-court press, breaking the press and more…

Date: Saturday & Sunday, April 21-22, 2007
Time: 9am - 12pm
Location: UH Manoa Athletic Complex
Cost: $60 (or $100 for head coach & assistant) - Includes T-Shirt

Elite Coaches Clinic - Flyer
Elite Coaches Clinic - Registration Form

For more information call 385-5925 or email esahawaii@yahoo.com.

Bob Nash has been named the new head coach of the Unversity of Hawaii Men’s Basketball Team and will get his opportunity to lead the very same university he once played for as a member of the legendary “Fab 5“.

Nash has been on staff with UH for the last 25 years, including being the assistant coach for the last 20 years under Riley Wallace who recently resigned following the 2006-07 season. During his time as an assistant, Nash was in charge of scouting future opponents as well as scheduling opponents for upcoming seasons.

By now, everyone seems to be pretty familiar with Coach Nash, so let’s just end the speculation and see what happens. Just be reminded what day today is… Friday the 13th. Let’s hope that means bad luck for all the other WAC teams. Haha.

Press Conference - Update: (From Stephen Tsai’s Blog)

Nash said he wants a “tougher basketball schedule.”

“Basketball wise, I’m a fast-paced guy,” Nash said, indicating the Rainbows will run a more uptempo offense. He also wants to have more of a pressing defense. He said he wants to give the players more freedom. He said he wants “to let these guys make plays.”