Hawaii 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!

Since arriving in Japan on June 21st, Team Hawaii has played in one scrimmage and one game, earning two wins and making an impressive statement of consistency and strong inside play.

On June 23rd, the girls faced Hiroshima Minami School, the #1 high school team in Hiroshima, defeating them 54-33 in a 20 minute, two quarter scrimmage. The following day, Team Hawaii played against a combined “all-star” team comprised of college players from Hiroshima University and Hiroshima Bunkyojoshi University.

With a barrage of three-pointers, the team from Hiroshima opened up an early 18-1 lead, hitting six “threes” in the first quarter, but couldn’t hold on as Team Hawaii dominated the paint throughout the rest of the game to earn a 86-79 win. Team Hawaii was led by Iolani senior Jamie Smith, the 2007 ILH Player of the Year, who scored an impressive 37 points followed by recent graduates Ana Viena-Lota (Kamehameha) with 12 and Jazzmin Awa-Williams (Konawaena) with 11. The Hiroshima “all-stars” finished the game with 11 three-pointers and were led by Ikumi Matsumura (Hiroshima University) who scored 20 points with two three-pointers.

(Games are played under international rules which includes a four 10-minute quarters and a 24-second shot clock.)

Team Hawaii will travel next to Osaka and Kyoto where they’ll play four games against high school competition from the area.

** Information and photo provided from Team Hawaii assistant coach Brandon Flores

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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First Team:
Jamie Smith, Iolani, Jr. *POY
Ana Viena-Lota, Kamehameha, Sr.
Alana Matayoshi, Iolani, Sr.
Chelsea Deptula, Punahou, Sr.
Nicole Fu, Maryknoll, Sr.
Johnnelle Kapua, Mid-Pacific, So.

Second Team:
Dara Tompkison, Punahou, Jr.
Lindsey Wong, Kamehameha, So.
Kristin Canencia, Maryknoll, So.
Melanie Feldman, Punahou, Sr.
Janelle Nomura, Punahou, So.

Player of the Year: Jamie Smith, Iolani, Jr.
Coach of the Year: Glenn Takara, Iolani

Note: Selections for the ILH All-Star team are made by league coaches at their post-season meeting. Individually, coaches nominate players from their respective teams and then vote collectively to determine the selections and placement.

[Photo: Honolulu Advertiser]

With the backing of Island Movers’ chairman Don Takaki and the support of HHSAA executive director Keith Amemiya, a group of Hawaii’s top female players known as Team Hawaii will travel to the “Land of the Rising Sun” to compete in six games against teams from Hiroshima and Osaka from June 20-30.

Five of the six games will be played against high schools from Japan who will be participating in the their postseason regional and national tournaments when Team Hawaii arrives. The exhibition matches have been inserted into the current tournament schedules with the Japanese teams making special accomodations to compete despite being in the final stretch of their seasons.

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The 2007 Hawaii Girls Basketball All-State Team consists of the top 20 performers from this season as rated by HawaiiHoops.com. Seven players were named to the first team which is fairly unusual, but necessary in that the final two selections (Tagalicod & Lota) were among the state’s best despite not having the opportunity to showcase their talent in the state tournament.

Selections were based on both individual and team performances throughout the 2007 basketball season. Players were slightly penalized, though not completely, for their team’s inability to win big games while others were awarded for their team’s success.

The First Team (plus 2):
Jazzmin Awa-Williams, Konawaena, Sr. - Player of the Year - Awa-Williams was the unquestionable leader of the 2007 State Champion Konawaena Wildcats, averaging an impressive 20.3 ppg in three tournament wins. The Wildcats were also the BIIF Champions and finished the season with a perfect 17-0 record. The decision to pick Awa-Williams as the 2007 Hawaii State Player-of-the-Year over Keisha Kanekoa (Honokaa) was a tough one, but as they say… “to the victor goes the spoils.”

Keisha Kanekoa, Honokaa, Sr. - In this year’s state tournament, Kanekoa showed the rest of the state what the Big Island has known for years… that she’s really, really good. As the lone gun on an underpowered Honokaa team, Kanekoa was simply unbelievable in the state tournament averaging 23.8 ppg which included 31 points in an upset of #1 seed Roosevelt and 32 points in a close loss to Punahou in the semifinals. In her final game against ILH Champion Iolani, Kanekoa finished with 26 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists and hit a game-winning floater to earn the third place trophy.

Jamie Smith, Iolani, Jr. - A strong finisher with an endless motor, Smith was the powerful force behind Iolani’s run to the 2007 ILH Championship. On the season, Smith averaged a double-double of 15+ points and 11+ rebounds per game and continued her performance in the state tournament where she averaged 18.0 points and 10.6 rebounds in 3 games including 28 (points) and 13 (rebounds) in a semifinal loss to Konawaena.

Iwalani Rodrigues, Roosevelt, Jr. - Considered by many to be the most athletic player in the state, Rodrigues “wowed” crowds with her accurate jumper and smooth handle as she led the Roosevelt Rough Riders to the 2007 OIA Red Division title. In the open court, “Iwa” was virtually unstoppable, able to get to the rim and finish high above her opponents. She was equally as tough inside, ripping down tough rebounds on the defensive end and reaching up for putbacks on offense.

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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.

Two teams from the Big Island swept the Division I and Division II titles at the 2007 Hawaii Girls Basketball State Tournament this weekend taking down teams from the ILH in the finals at Stan Sheriff Center.

The Konawaena Wildcats completed their three-day “run for respect” with a 59-47 victory over the Punahou Buffanblu in the Division I Championship game. Despite going 15-0 in the BIIF, Konawaena was given the #2 seed and placed into a tough bracket along with ILH Champion Iolani and OIA 3rd place team Kalani. The Wildcats defeated the Falcons 58-46 in the quarterfinals and advanced to the semfinals where they overcame a 6-point halftime defeat to beat the Raiders 50-41 behind 27 points by star forward Jazzmin Awa-Williams. In the finals, Konawaena got a huge contribution from junior forward Mana Hopkins (26 points, 9 boards) and were able to take down a fiesty Punahou team, leading 27-14 at halftime and holding on for the win.

The 2007 State Championship is the second for Konawaena in the last 4 years. Since 2004, the Wildcats have two state titles (2004 and 2007), one 2nd place finish (2005) and one 4th place finish (2006).

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Disrespect versus improbability…

The Konawaena Wildcats will be out to prove they rightly deserved the #1-seed in this year’s tournament when they face the “no-one-expected-us-to-be-here” Punahou Buffanblu in the finals of the Hawaii Girls Basketball State Tournament. The two teams come into the game after hard-earned wins in the semifinals and will be looking to impose their style of play on the other and capture the 2007 title.

What will each team need to do to win?…

Konawaena will need to execute their offense effectively and get easy opportunities for star forward Jazzmin Awa-Williams who is coming fresh off of a 27 point performance in the semifinals against Iolani. More importantly, the Wildcats will have to handle Punahou’s pressure. If they are able to limit their turnovers and play the same “keep-um-in-front-of-you” defense that stifled the Raiders in the second half of last night’s game, Punahou will have a difficult time putting up enough points to win.

Important Roles: Awa-Williams will need to do it all. Besides scoring, she’ll have to help her guards handle the Buffanblu press and help the bigs control the boards. The Hanato-Smith sisters will need to limit turnovers and make the most out of their offensive opportunities while forward Mana Hopkins will play an important role as a finisher once the Wildcats get past the first wave of Punahou pressure.

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Well… just as suspected, the BIIF actually did deserve more respect than the the HHSAA seeding committee gave them. Despite a unblemished 15-0 record and a #1 ranking in recent polls, the Konawaena Wildcats were snubbed by the HHSAA in favor of the Roosevelt Rough Riders who at 14-1 were awarded the #1-seed over the BIIF champion. Though the Rough Riders were surely among the top contenders for the title, their loss to Kahuku should have given Konawaena the edge when it came to seeding. Even Roosevelt head coach Bobby Keanini questioned the decision, saying “We’re seeded 1? How did they come up with that? Konawaena and Iolani, they deserve their respect.”

The only teams remaining are from the BIIF and the ILH. Each one of the six OIA teams has been eliminated, including #1-seed Roosevelt who fell to the Honokaa Dragons 53-45 behind 31 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists from superstar guard Keisha Kanekoa. The Dragons will face Punahou tomorrow in one semifinal as the Buffanblu were able to defeat the #4-seed Lahainaluna Lunas 66-47, forcing 40 turnovers in the win.

In the other semifinal, the #3-seed Iolani Raiders will face the #2-seed Konawaena Wildcats in a matchup of the top teams from the ILH and BIIF. The Raiders advanced to the semifinals by defeating the Radford Rams 50-39 despite a 22 point, 21 rebound perfomance by Radford freshman Ta Nitra Byrd while the Wildcats opened up an early lead and held on for a 58-46 win over the Kalani Falcons.

The Final Four - Matchup Analysis:
(Games on Thursday, May 17 @ Stan Sheriff Center)

Konawaena Wildcats vs. Iolani Raiders - 6:00pm
In a matchup of the BIIF champion and the ILH champion, consistency will be the key. The two teams are fairly evenly matched, both able to execute their sets with precision. The game will likely be won by the team that’s more efficient on the offensive end and can keep its star out of foul trouble.

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The field is set and the schedule is made… so get ready for the 2007 Hawaii Girls Basketball State Tournament which starts on Tuesday, May 15th at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Full tournament schedule »

Here’s a quick rundown of the DI “contenders” (by seed):

#1 - Roosevelt (14-1): Last year’s state runner-up returns to this year’s tournament as the questionable #1 seed fresh off winning their second consecutive OIA championship on Friday over the Radford Rams. The Rough Riders are led by one of the most gifted players in the state, Iwalani Rodrigues, a 5-8 guard with a smooth handle, accurate jumper and unquestionable athletic ability.

Keys to victory: While “Iwa” will undoubtedly get her points, it will be Roosevelt’s supporting cast that will determine their overall success. Point guard Diana Zane will be instrumental in handling the ball for the Rough Riders and may be called upon to fill the offensive void left by injured guard Tiana Sugui. Sugui, one of the team’s top three-point shooters, missed the OIA final after turning an ankle late in the semifinal game against Farrington. Her return in questionable, but the team and coach Bobby Keanini are hopeful.

#2 - Konawaena (15-0): Despite going undefeated in league play and being ranked #1 in the latest Star Bulletin Top 10 poll, the Wildcats were given the #2 overall seed in the 2007 State Tournament, an interesting move by the committee given Kona’s unblemished record and past success. The Wildcats are led by 5-9 forward Jazzmin Awa-Williams, a 4-year varsity player who was a member of the 2004 State Championship Team and has been among the state’s best the last few years. In the finals of the BIIF Tournament against Honokaa, Awa-Williams scored 29 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to help her team secure the win.

Keys to victory: The biggest advantage the Wildcats have over the competition is that very few teams have seen then play “in-person” during this 2007 season. While the OIA and ILH have made appearances on TV, Kona has managed to stay “under-the-radar”, choosing to play most of their games on-island rather than travel to Oahu to face other local teams during the preseason. The Wildcats generally employ an uptempo style that overwhelms teams with pressure and transition baskets, but who really knows what they’ll bring when they get to Honolulu…

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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.

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UPDATE: All Varsity Levels will move in 2007-08 (JV and Intermediate seasons are still being decided).

The Hawaii High School Athletic Association executive board approved the realignment of the girls basketball season, among others, for the 2008-2009 school year. Currently, girls basketball is played during the spring in Hawaii while on the mainland and at the collegiate level their season is held during the winter. This fact has drawn criticism from local civil rights lawyer Jill Nunokawa who believes that female players here are missing out on college scholarship opportunites because they are “out of season.”

In 2008-09, Hawaii will realign some, but not all high school sports to follow the mainland calendar. Girls basketball will move from spring to winter, softball from winter to spring and boys volleyball from fall to spring. Boys and girls soccer, which is played during the fall at the collegiate level, will remain a winter sport.

Will this make things better or worse?… Let’s see.

Gym Space: Worse
Pros: None.

Cons: While this is an obvious problem for all schools, for the ILH, this is a nightmare. To offer more students the opportunity to participate, the ILH schools often field additional teams on the intermediate level and in some cases even add a second varsity. For a school like Iolani, they will need to figure out how to manage 10 teams, 5 each for girls and boys in Varsity I, Varsity II, JV, Intermediate I and Intermediate II. In the case of Punahou and Kamehameha, they face an even greater challenge with two teams at all levels including the JV.

The proposed solution to alleviate the scheduling problems was to move the JV to a different season, but that may also prove difficult because volleyball will be in the opposing seasons - girls in the fall and boys in the spring.

What do the ILH schools do?… Do they try and fit 12 teams into gyms that barely fit 6 or do they just eliminate the “extra” levels? Hmm…

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