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…

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 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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Former Iolani School standout Liloa Nobriga, who left the islands this summer to move with his family to Las Vegas, has reappeared at Palo Verde High School in Summerlin.

Currently, the 6-3, 220 lb. junior is a starting outside linebacker for the Panther Football Team. Later in the fall, he will compete for a spot on the basketball team which went 21-5 last season and was upset in the Sunset Region - Northwest Division tournament semifinals.

Considered a perennial contender, the Class 4A Panthers lost several players to graduation so Nobriga has the potential to make an immediate impact when he takes the court this fall.

[Photo: Star Bulletin]

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 »

With the shift in the girls basketball season, Hawaii fans will have the opportunity to see the island’s best and brightest compete against top level teams from around the country when the nationally renowned Iolani Prep Classic adds a girls division to its highly successful boys tournament in December of this year.

Announced today, the 2007 Iolani Prep Classic will feature an 8-team girls division which will run a few days prior to the boys tournament from December 13-15. While the final field has yet to be set, tournament coordinator Glenn Young has already received commitments from three California schools, two of which are considered among the top teams in the state.

Here’s a quick rundown of the California teams:

Narbonne Gauchos (Harbor City, CA) - Narbonne finished their 2007 season with a record of 26-3, going undefeated in league play (12-0) and winning the Marine League Championship, but were banned from the playoffs as punishment for using an ineligible player during the ‘06 season.

The Gauchos are among California’s top teams year after year and have even contended nationally earning the top spot in USA Today’s Super 25 rankings for two consecutive years in 2000 and 2001. Next season, Narbonne will return 5-8 guard Reiko Thomas and 6-1 forward Gabrielle Clark who recently was named the MVP of the Watts Summer Games after leading the Gauchos to an upset of Division I state champion Long Beach Poly.

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Currently the Student Activities Director at his alma mater, Kirk Uejio (Iolani ‘98) was named the 1998 Hawaii State Player of the Year in basketball after helping the Raiders win their third state championship (overall) in his senior season.

Though his numbers weren’t gaudy, Uejio was the unquestionable leader of a talented Iolani squad which featured 6-4 twins Cord and Brad Anderson as well as 6-7 center Shawn Christensen. With the ball in his hands, Uejio commanded the court, organizing and directing teammates each time down the floor like a general in the armed forces…

From the Star Bulletin:

When the situation required him to hurl his body into the bleachers in pursuit of a loose ball, he did it… If it required a pickpocket steal, he got it done… If it meant hitting the 3-pointer when the whole season hinged on it - as it did in the last minute of regulation in the state championship against Kalaheo - he hit it…

Star Bulletin article, 1998 Mr. Basketball »

After high school, Uejio went on to play at Division III Claremont McKenna College, but cut his career short to focus on school and explore opportunites to study abroad, a decision that allowed him to live in a remote village in Kenya for an extended time.

Derrick Low (Iolani ‘04) is featured in the May 2007 publication of SLAM Magazine under the heading “Picture Me Ballin” which lists three “Under-the-radar players who demand your attention”.

“Derrick Low, Washington State: The WSU Cougars are the shock of the Pac-10 with their 19-4 record as we go to press, and no one (besides perhaps their rising star of a coach, Tony Bennett) is responsible for that mark as this 6-1 junior guard out of Honolulu. Low puts up a team-high 15 ppg while serving as the go-to guy for the grind-it-out Cougs.”

He may not be the only one, but, technically Derrick Low (Iolani ‘04) is on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Can you find him?…

Game Highlights: Washington State vs. Oral Roberts (CBS)

Despite getting off to a slow start, the Washington State Cougars finished the first half strong and came alive in the second half to secure a 70-54 victory of Oral Roberts.

Through the first 19:50, the Cougs “hung around”… then with under 10 seconds to go in the first half, WSU guard Taylor Rochestie hit a soft runner in the lane and Kyle Weaver stole the inbounds pass for a dunk as the buzzer sounded to start a 24-5 run that saw Washington State turn a 6-point deficit into a 13 point lead midway through the second half. They never looked back…

Senior forward Ivory Clark led the Cougs with 19 points and 5 “monster” blocks while the three starting guards combined for 37 points (Rochestie 15, Low 12, Weaver 10). Derrick Low (Iolani ‘04) finished 5-7 from the field (2-4 from three-point range) with 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and no turnovers.

Washington State will face Vanderbilt on Saturday, March 17th for the right to go to the Sweet Sixteen. The Commodores easily took care of George Washington in the first round with a 77-44 victory.

Note: Honolulu Advertiser Sports Writer Wes Nakama is in Sacramento to follow Low’s progress in the opening round of the tournament. Read his article here, “National spotlight shining on ‘D-Low’” »

In an intense game between the two top-ranked teams in the state, the Iolani Girls Basketball team came away with a decisive 49-33 win at home against the Kamehameha Warriors. The Raiders were able to attack an early zone by the Warriors with precise passing and good shooting to finish the first quarter with a 17-9 lead and then continued their offensive output throughout the second half as Kamehameha turned up the pressure in a man-to-man. On the defensive end, Iolani used a mixture of “man” and “zone” to keep the Warriors off-balanced throughout most of the game and were able to hold them to just 11 points in the second half.

Iolani was led by junior Jamie Smith and senior Alana Matayoshi who scored 17 and 14 points, respectively. Leading the way for Kamehameha were Analee Viena-Lota with 13 (on 3 three-pointers) and Lindsey Wong with 10 points.

2007 ILH Girls Basketball Schedule »

The Washington State Cougars, who finished 2nd in the Pac-10, were given a #3 seed and placed in the East Region of the 2007 NCAA Basketball Tournament. Wazzu will face the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles on Thursday in Sacramento, California.

Oral Roberts won the Mid-Continent Conference regular season and the post season tournament title with an in-conference record of 12-2 and a 22-10 record overall. The Golden Eagles biggest victory was a 78-71 win over the Kansas Jayhawks early in the season on November 15th in Lawrence.

The Pac-10 Conference received six berths to this year’s tournament with the highest seed going to UCLA as the #2 seed in the West. The other teams receiving bids were the Oregon Ducks, USC Trojans, Arizona Wildcats and Stanford Cardinal.

See the Complete Bracket for the 2007 NCAA Basketball Tournament »

Notes: During the “Selection Show” on CBS, analyst Seth Davis predicted a first round upset by Oral Roberts over Washington State… but what does he know? Go Cougs!

Derrick Low (Iolani ‘04) is listed as #52 of ESPN analyst Pat Forde’s “Sixty-five reasons to celebrate the Tournament” Read the article »

Evidently, the third time was the charm for USC. After being swept by Washington State in two games during the Pac-10 regular season, the Trojans finally defeated the Cougars when it counted, bouncing them from the 2007 Pac-10 Tournament with a 70-61 win.

USC was led by junior guard, Gabe Pruitt, a 2006 Pac-10 All-Conference selection, who scored 26 points including 6-7 from three-point range. Overall the Trojans shot 47% from the field including 10-16 from three with 8 coming in the first half.

Derrick Low led the Cougars with 15 points on 5 three-pointers, but wasn’t able to hit shots when they counted allowing the Trojans to build the lead in the final minute and close out the game with a win.