Hawaii Basketball

You’ve seen girls dunk before (Lisa Leslie, Michelle Snow, Candace Parker)…. but not like this. At 6-8 with a 86″ wingspan, Brittney Griner, a junior center at Nimitz High School in Houston, Texas, started a frenzy when a local news station posted a clip of her on YouTube throwing down various dunks during practice over a year ago. Not much has changed since…

Griner has already been featured on SportsCenter on more than one occasion and nearly recorded a quadruple-double when she scored 29 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, blocked 11 shots and dished out 9 assists in a league game in mid-February. She has verbally committed to play at Baylor University.

Named the 2005 OIA West Player-of-the-Year after his senior season at Waianae High School, Xiro Naovalath, a Minnesota native, is now the #1 Asian Baller in the country according to AsianBallers.net.

After a one year stint in Hawaii, Naovalath returned to Minnesota and went on to attend Minneapolis Community College where he was named to the JuCo All-American 2nd Team (DIII) in 2006-07. He then transferred to Missouri Western State University (NCAA DII) for his sophomore year but left the team before the start of the season in November of 2007.

During his senior year at Waianae, Naovalath averaged just over 21 points per game with highs of 40 (Nanakuli), 32 (Radford) and 31 (Kapolei).

Special Note: Men’s league superstar John Lane is ranked #11 on AsianBallers.net and his team “The Chosen Few” is considered the top asian basketball team in the country.

Video of presidential candidate Barack Obama playing for Punahou in the 1979 State Championship game against Moanalua. The Buffanblu won 60-28.

Features 5-11 Iolani standout Kanoe Winchester ‘89 (00:29 seconds, blue shirt) and eventual champion Chris Mills (University of Arizona; Cleveland Cavaliers).

The Iolani Classic used to be televised back then. You can actually hear Jim Leahey’s voice on the intro. (Thanks, Brandon)

2008 Hawaii State Player-of-the-Year Shawna-Lei Kuehu is featured in the May 2008 issue of Slam Magazine. (Regional Covers - Eric Gordon, Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley; Released in March)

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…

The 2008 McDonald’s All-American Game will be played on Wednesday, March 26th, 2008 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee.

Hawaii nominees: Stevie Austin, Moanalua; Kien Aviero, Honokaa; Colton Collins, Kamehameha-Hawaii; Cheynne Lishman, Kalaheo; Mike Makinano, Campbell; Taylor Mounts, Iolani; Cole Shidaki, St. Louis; Earvin Sione, McKinley; Kameron Steinhoff, Punahou

No player from Hawaii has ever played in the game.

Two great dunks caught on film… but which one was better? (Leave comments below.)

A. February 28, 2003 - State Tournament Semifinals: Kamehameha vs. Iolani - Derrick Low (Iolani ‘04) on Waika Spencer (Kamehameha ‘05).

B. January 22, 2008 - ILH Regular Season: Iolani at Punahou - Trevor Crabb (Punahou ‘08) on Pablo Warner (Iolani ‘09).

[Photos: Honolulu Star-Bulletin (A) and D-Tech Hawaii (B)]

Called “the best pure-shooter in the Class of ‘08″ by Slam Magazine, Rotnei Clarke, a 6-1 combo guard at Claremore Verdigris High School in Oklahoma, is currently averaging 41.1 points per game and recently broke the career scoring mark (3606 points) in his home state. He has signed with Arkansas for the 2008-09 season.

Not all that impressive by “Clinic” standards, but just wait until he’s 6-5 with a 40″ vert and still got the same handle. Buy your tickets now for the Iolani Classic in 2014…

Four teams set to appear at the 2007 Iolani Prep Classic opened their season ranked in the USA Today High School Basketball Super 25 which was released today:

Montrose Chrisitan (MD), coached by Classic veteran Stu Vetter, will return to Hawaii as the No. 7 ranked team in the country with what he calls one of his “most talented teams”. That’s quite a claim when you consider the teams and players Vetter has coached over the years such as former NBA veteran Dennis Scott (Georgia Tech, Orlando Magic) and recent No.2 Draft Pick Kevin Durant (Texas, Seattle Supersonics). This season, Montrose is touted as having the best core of juniors in the country in 6-6 F Terrell Vinson, 6-7 F Tristan Spurlock and 6-7 F Isaiah Armwood. And if they weren’t big enough already, they also have two recently acquired transfers Temidayo Adebayo (6-10) and Brian Ameka Okam (7-0).

As last year’s New York State Runner-up, Rice (NY) will be back at the Iolani Classic this year with four returning starters. Their talented backcourt is led by Connecticut recruit, PG Kemba Walker, and All-State Selections SG Chris Fouch and Lamont Jones. Rice is ranked No.11 in the USA Today Super 25 and No.4 in the Sporting News.

2006 Iolani Classic Champion Leflore (AL) will be looking to defend their championship in 2007 when they return as the No.16 ranked team in the Super 25. Despite already sporting a huge lineup, the Alabama 6A champions got even bigger (and better) when 6-10 junior center DeMarcus Cousins, the No.3 center in the Class of 2009 according to Scouts, Inc., transfered to LeFlore in late October. 6-5 Marquette-signee Nick Williams, a 2006 All-Tournament team selection, will also be back for the Rattlers.

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The schedules have been posted for the 2007-08 OIA Boys Red & White Division Regular Seasons. Find them by clicking the “Schedules” tab along the top bar or click here.

Interesting Notes in the OIA Red Division:

• Season Opener - Kaimuki vs. Kalaheo - Right off the bat, the defending state champion Kaimuki Bulldogs face off with one of the favorites in the OIA Red in Kalaheo.
• Kalaheo Back-to-Back - Two nights after facing Kaimuki in the OIA opener, the Mustangs will take on another top Red Division contender in Moanalua, but this time at home.
• Tough Stretch for Kailua - Playing 5 games in 9 days is difficult enough, but the Surfriders, who have the potential to make some noise in the OIA Red, will have to do it against Kaimuki, Kahuku, Kalaheo, Moanalua and cross-town rival Castle.

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As tough as it was to pick the top teams in the ILH, it was equally as difficult to separate out the league’s top players. Because so many teams this year will rely on the collective efforts of several players to succeed, its hard to predict who will emerge as the ones with the most impact. (So, we just tried our best…)

Take a look at the 2007-08 HawaiiHoops.com ILH Preseason All-Stars:

First Team:
• Cole Shidaki, St. Louis, Sr. - A 4-year Varsity letterman, Shidaki will need to shoot a high percentage and carry the scoring load for the Crusaders if they expect to contend for an ILH title. Expect to see him making a living on short drives for pull-ups inside of 12-feet.
• Marcus Holyfied, MPI, Jr. - As possibly the top junior in the state, Holyfield has the potential to dominate the ILH with his length and athleticism. If he can add a consistent 3-point shot to his already impressive transition and mid-range game… watch out.
• Richard Herring, Maryknoll, Sr. - His supporting cast may not be enough to make his team a contender, but at 6-2, Herring is extremely versatile and will likely play every position on the floor at some point during the season. He has good range out to the three and finishes strong going to the hole.
• Dalton Hilliard, Punahou, Jr. - Though Punahou is the favorite to win the ILH, its hard to pick out an All-star from the Buffanblu team. Several players may eventually step up and stand out, but for now Hilliard appears to be the one who may have the biggest impact. His explosiveness and athleticism will make him one of the league’s top on-ball defenders and with Punahou’s style of play, he should have a ton of opportunities to score in transition.
• Taylor Mounts, Iolani, Sr. - Another of the 4-year lettermen, Mounts is the only player left in the islands with two state championships under his belt (2005 & 2006). At 6-5, he is a well-rounded big man with a good inside game and decent range out to the three. Look for him to average a double-double for an undersized Iolani team.
• Kawika Lyons, Kamehameha, Sr. - Fairly unknown, yet no less impressive, Lyons is among the top shooters in the ILH. His long, lanky frame will allow him to shoot over defenders on the perimeter and finish over bigger players on the inside while also being tough on the defensive end.

[Photo: Honolulu Star Bulletin]

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The ILH is expected to be a tightly contested race this season with as many as five teams contending for the title and one of the league’s three berths (actually more like 2.5) to the 2008 Hawaii Basketball State Tournament.

With practice opening today, HawaiiHoops.com previews the top teams in the ILH (in reverse order):

5. Mid Pacific Owls - With one of the top players in the state in 6-3 junior Marcus Holyfield (shown far right), the Owls have enough talent to be considered a legitimate contender in the ILH. Whether or not they live up to their potential will depend on their supporting cast as well as their coaching staff and the style they elect to employ. Several of the team’s core players already compete together in preseason NJB leagues which is a big advantage for the young squad, but it remains to be seen if these players will be able to transition to a different coach (School coaches are not allowed to coach outside leagues during certain time periods) and a different style.

Strengths: Holyfield and Devon Takenaka are two of the better players in the ILH and with their supporting cast of Kellar Ellsworth on the inside and Sampson Won at the point, they have a strong starting unit that thrives in transition and is very familiar with each other’s game.

Weaknesses: Beyond their top 4-5 players, there is a significant drop-off for the Owls, so it will be interesting to see how they deal with fatigue and foul trouble. The lack of depth may also hurt their ability to get out in transition which is one of their apparent strengths as they have been successful in the preseason getting out and finishing.

Prediction: The Owls may not have the consistency to finish in first or second, but they will provide the top tier teams with a few scares and possibly take one or two of them down. Look for Mid-Pac to give teams like Kamehameha and Iolani a lot of trouble when they meet up in January.

4. Kamehameha Warriors - The Warriors have a lot of gifted athletes, but it remains to be seen if they’ll be able to put it all together and play consistently at a championship level. Several players return from last year’s squad, but noticeably missing in 2007-08 will be ILH First Team guard Rykin Enos who graduated last season.

Strengths: With spot up sharp-shooter Kawika Lyons on the outside, Kamakoa Jovanovich on the inside and swingmen Conrad Scheidt, Pii Minns, Auwae De Rego, and Jon Hew Len roaming the wings, the Warriors have the pieces to make a strong run at the title. Add to that, talented point guard Brandon Dumlao and there could be even greater possibilities…

Weaknesses: Having so much individual talent could be the team’s biggest downfall as it will be their ability to play TOGETHER that will make or break them.

Prediction: Coach Nakanishi usually does a good job at finding a way to win even if its a little ugly so its likely that the Warriors will show flashes of brilliance at some point this season but will also lose a couple of games they probably shouldn’t. Look for Kamehameha to finish in a fight for third or fourth place - outside of the top two (who receive an automatic berth to the state tournament).

[Photo: Star Bulletin]

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