Hawaii Basketball

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…

#3 - Iolani (11-2): Iolani won their first ILH title since 1996 in a one-game playoff against the Kamehameha Warriors who beat the Raiders twice during the regular season, but failed to make the state tournament after losing to Punahou in the finals of the ILH Tournament. The Raiders are led by 5-11 junior center Jamie Smith who finished the ILH regular season just four points off the scoring title with a 15.5 points per game average.

Keys to victory: Among the “contenders”, Iolani is perhaps the most inexperienced of the bunch having been kept out of the state tournament last season and advancing only as far as the fifth place game in previous years. This season, the Raiders secured the ILH championship on May 3rd and have had 12 days to prepare for a three-game run to this year’s championship. In order to win the title, Iolani will need strong contributions from Alana Matayoshi and Chanel Hirata, the team’s secondary scorers, and will need to overcome the jitters of a their first “seeded” appearance in 11 years.

Punahou (9-5): The Buffanblu haven’t had the greatest of seasons due in large part to the loss of twin forwards Shaena and Shawna Kuehu, but they have managed to fight their way into the state tournament with a win in the ILH tournament finale over the Kamehameha Warriors. Without the twins, Punahou has exhibited true “team” basketball playing as many as 12 players (if not more) and rotating subs in and out at nearly every dead ball. The team really doesn’t have any stars, but relies heavily on guard Janelle Nomura and forward Chelsea Deptula for scoring and leadership.

Keys to victory: Punahou has received probably the best “draw” of the tournament as they could potentially face Farrington, Lahainaluna and Roosevelt or Honokaa on their way to the finals - all teams they match up fairly well with and are capable of beating. In order for the Buffanblu to come out victorious, they will need to get easy points off of their press and avoid a slow half-court game. To help their chances, Shaena-Lyn Kuehu may take the court for the first time this season as she has been cleared to participate, but her availablity is still questionable. Twin sister Shawna-Lei, the 2006 Hawaii State Player-of-the-Year, is still recovering from ACL surgery and will not be ready to return.

Kalani (12-3): The 2006 Division II State Champion Kalani Falcons feature two of the OIA’s top players in transfer Courtney Gaddis and sharp shooter Megan Kamehiro. The Falcons are one of the few teams that have faced nearly every one of the state’s top teams this season, defeating Iolani and Punahou early in the preseason and falling to Konawaena in the Wahine Wildcat Classic.

Keys to victory: Kalani will need to have consistant performances from Gaddis and Kamehiro over the entire stretch of games which will include Kahuku and potentially Konawaena, Iolani and either Roosevelt or Punahou. Neither of the two stars can afford to have an off night for the Falcons who rely heavily on their contributions to be succesful.

Other “Dark Horses”:

Honokaa (14-3): Anytime a team has one of the best players in the state, they should at least be looked at as a “contender” for the title. Keisha Kanekoa, an all-state point guard, is a do-it-all-player for the Dragons who finished second in the BIIF to Konawaena. Honokaa clinched their berth to the 2007 state tournament by defeating the Hilo Vulcans, a game in which Kanekoa scored 35 points and out-dueled Hilo star Vicky Tagalicod in the win. In order to win, Kanekoa and the Dragons will need to get on track quickly as they could potentially face Roosevelt in the quarters and Punahou in the semis if they get by Moanalua in the opening round.

Radford (13-2): The Rams are led by freshman sensation Ta Nitra Byrd, an an agile 6-0 center who has tremendous versatility as a rebounder, passer, scorer and shot-blocker. Along with Byrd, Radford has an extremely athletic supporting cast which includes 2006 All-OIA player Marlena Malepeai and state 100 meter qualifier Brittni Fuller.

#4 - Lahainaluna (11-1) & Maui (10-4): The two teams representing the MIL come into this year’s tournament as virtual “unknowns”. While both sport impressive records, it’s difficult to determine how good each team is. The Lunas enter the tournament as the #4-seed and are led by inside players 5-6 sophomore Ofa Namoa and 5-10 freshman Milika Taufa. The two combined for 26 points in a 40-38 win in the MIL championship game. The Sabers feature an inside presence of their own in 5-10 Lilieni Laloulu-Saleimoa, 6-1 Annika Howland and 5-11 Hotia Vaaimamao who themselves combined for 28 points in the recent loss to Lahainaluna.

Both teams will be tested early as the Lunas will likely face Punahou in their opening game while the Sabers will have to get by Radford before potentially meeting up with ILH champion Iolani in the quarterfinals.