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RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM Daniel Phillips is one of the weapons used by Sabers coaches Sol Batoon and Kenneth Tangjian.

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Sabers wield power
in wild West

When it comes to the Wild West of Oahu Interscholastic Association boys basketball, Campbell has earned its share of ink.

But an old-time coach like Gerald Lum of Nanakuli knows better than to forget history too quickly.

"Mililani is still the team to beat. And Radford is always there. And you can never put out Leilehua, too. And from what I've seen, Waianae has some great guys this year," the longtime coach said. "And Sol's team is playing well. And you never know what Darren (Camello) has at Kapolei."

Campbell has emerged as a giant-killer. The Sabers knocked off second-ranked Punahou in early December and went 7-2 before taking a two-week break before season play begins. Campbell also dominated the Leilehua summer league.

Having a bull's-eye on their backs could be good or bad for the Sabers. It wasn't until mid-December that all of their players became eligible. Even they don't quite know how good they can be.

One of their reasons for being confident comes from a strong showing at a summer tournament in Las Vegas, where they reached the quarterfinals. The Sabers were in a division of 19-year-olds.

The regular season, as always, is merely for seeding purposes in the OIA. The top two finishers in the West and East earn first-round byes and nothing more.

In all, the top six squads on each side qualify for the playoffs. If Campbell -- or anyone else -- dominates the regular season, it will mean nothing once the playoffs begin. The path to the OIA title is littered with the remains of teams that were unbeaten only to be upset in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs.

The OIA is the only league in the state that doesn't reward its regular-season winners with automatic state berths. Conversely, with 12 teams in the East and 11 in the West, the system gives any competitive team a real opportunity to make the playoffs. A team that gets hot late in the season can dream of waltzing at the Big Dance.

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The teams

Here's a look at the wild and woolly West.

Aiea Na Alii

Coach: Amosa Amosa.
Key returnees: Nick Helsham, C, 6-4, Sr.; James Hadley, F, 6-1, Sr.; Kali Kuia, G, 5-11, Jr.
On paper: Helsham and Hadley have been consistent scorers for Na Alii in preseason. Aiea was good enough to beat smaller teams, but struggled against better teams like Punahou, Saint Anthony and Kalaheo.
The skinny: Amosa could use a few players as good as he once was.
X factor: It's easier to get good production from guards than big men, so Aiea has an advantage. Time will tell if Na Alii get more production from the perimeter.

Campbell Sabers

Coach: Sol Batoon.
Key returnees: Tristan Bailey, F, 6-3, Sr.; Robert Morris, PG, 5-10, Sr.; James Bannister, F/C, 6-4, Sr.
On paper: The arrival of Daniel Phillips, a 6-8 senior from Washington, accentuated an already formidable team.
The skinny: The Sabers have plenty of post scorers, including Bannister and 6-3 Tristan Sealy. The improved play of Morris is a big factor. He spent part of the summer at "point guard college," a camp at Cal Poly Ponoma. Add to the mix Kamehameha transfer Ikaika Shelton, a 6-3 defensive standout, and Phillips, and the Sabers have more size than any team in the OIA.
X factor: Back-court play will be key. The Sabers haven't faced much full-court pressure, and their guards haven't been truly tested.

Kapolei Hurricanes

Coach: Darren Camello.
Key returnees: Jefferson Gaygay, G, 5-8, Sr.; Brad Padayao, G, 5-8, Jr.
On paper: The Hurricanes have a mix of experienced guards and unproven post players. They had mixed results against two playoff teams, beating Kaimuki and losing to Roosevelt in preseason.
The skinny: Gaygay and Padayao are streaky perimeter shooters, and the 'Canes have enough size to be highly competitive.
X factor: Po'okela Ahmad and Darcus Coleman anchor the paint, but Kapolei's presence inside disappears at times. Whether they can maintain intensity is a big question.

Leilehua Mules

Coach: Keith Spencer.
Key returnees: Anthony Palomares, G, 6-2, Sr.; Edward Garcia, G, 5-10, Jr.; John Gory, F/C, 6-1, Sr.
On paper: The Mules got off to a slow start, partly because of the late arrival of their football players. In three weeks, however, Leilehua has gone from blowout losses to highly competitive games.
The skinny: Clayton Laurel is a solid post player. Leilehua is hurting for consistent perimeter shooting, but from a defensive standpoint, the Mules are tough. They have five players over 6-feet, and their athleticism is a big plus. Spencer is a strong proponent of hustle and good defense, and those ingredients give the Mules a good shot to make the playoffs.
X factor: Point guard Kennedy Orteza's ACL injury left the Mules with a big hole. Palomares fills in capably, but the Mules miss his scoring ability. He's still capable of scoring in bunches, but in the long run, Leilehua needs another guard to step up.

Mililani Trojans

Coach: Mike Coito.
Key returnees: Ryan Shular, G, 5-9, Sr.; Jon Santos, F, 6-0, Sr.; Nick Rogers, F, 6-1, Sr.; Scott Neumann, G, 5-8, Sr.
On paper: The Trojans have an army of capable contributors, which is both a blessing and a curse for Coito. Finding a consistent rotation will be a challenge when it is easier to platoon.
The skinny: The addition of transfer Ken Moses gives Mililani a rebounder who can shoot the 3-ball. That will be a bonus for a team that has a blend of athleticism and experience, but no clear-cut go-to scorers.
X factor: Until the Trojans find some consistent outside shooters, there will be little margin for error. That means they need to execute on both ends of the floor, and make free throws.

Nanakuli Golden Hawks

Coach: Gerald Lum.
Key returnees: Justin Luavasa, C, 6-3, Sr.; David Balicao, PG, 5-5, Sr.; Alika Enos, G, 5-6, Sr.
On paper: Luavasa has, at times, been a force on both ends.
The skinny: Making decisions is key for the Golden Hawks. "We'll play well for spurts, but then they decide to do their own thing. If we keep the turnovers, make free throws and make good decisions, the West is wide open," Lum said. "We have the talent to do it. It's a matter of taking care of the problem areas."
X factor: The Golden Hawks will be searching for players to complement Luavasa.

Pearl City Chargers

Coach: Lionel Villarmia.
Key returnees: Brandon Jackson, Rollie Salvacio, Travis Cruz.
On paper: The Chargers have had nice individual contributions, but haven't had a lot of success putting it together so far.
The skinny: Jackson scored 20 against No. 7-ranked Konawaena in a tournament game, but the Chargers still lost by a double-digit margin. Salvacio had 17 in a battle against Hilltop (Calif.), but the team lost again by double digits. On the plus side, the Chargers stayed close in a 41-38 loss to Kailua, the sleeper in the East.
X factor: The West is wide open, which leaves a lot of opportunities for teams like Pearl City. Coming up with multiple scorers will be key.

Radford Rams

Coach: Kai Enos.
Key returnees: Mike Davis, G, 5-9, Sr.; Justin Quinones, G/F, 6-0, Sr.; Juan Lewis, F, 5-10, Sr.; James Herron, F/C, 6-2, Sr.
On paper: Davis has been a stalwart leader from the point, while Quinones has a knack for making timely defensive plays. The Rams have been ranked as high as No. 9 in the Star-Bulletin Top 10.
The skinny: Few teams play with as much effort as Radford. That cohesiveness will come in handy for a team that doesn't have a lot of offensive weapons. Davis is usually the Rams' leading scorer.
X factor: Like several other OIA teams, the Rams don't have a large margin for error. That means a lot of patience will be required, both for players and fans.

Waialua Bulldogs

Coach: Virgilio Basilio.
Key returnees: Ikaika Hina, F, 6-0, Sr.; Mark Langaman, G/F, 5-11, Sr.
On paper: The Bulldogs lost several key contributors to graduation, which makes this year's team a work in progress. They've gone 4-4 against a schedule of teams with similar, smaller enrollments, including a second-place finish at the Hanalani tournament.
X factor: Sherwin Lawi-an, originally from Waialua, transferred from Florida. The 5-11 senior provides much-needed rebounding and size. With several sophomores in the mix, Basilio hopes team chemistry develops quickly. Shooting has been an area of concern. "Outside shooting and free-throw shooting have been our nemesis," Basilio said.

Waianae Seariders

Coach: King Wong.
Key returnees: Xiro Naovalath.
On paper: Naovalath has been a consistent scorer for the Seariders so far. Leroy Lee-Kia'aina has also helped with the scoring load.
The skinny: Naovalath has the potential to lead the West in scoring, but will it be enough to get the Seariders into the playoffs?
X factor: Ultimately, Waianae needs scoring balance.

Waipahu Marauders.

Coach: Abe Villanueva.
Key returnees: Stan Abasial, G, 5-6, Sr.; Ricky Noble, F, 5-11, Sr.
On paper: The Marauders are not tall, not consistent from the free-throw line, and yet, they've been competitive. Waipahu went 5-7 in nonconference play. Guards Jomar Pedro and Rowel Rivera have been welcome additions from the JV program.
The skinny: They've made up for some of their weaknesses with great hustle and fairly good execution.
X factor: "We need to be patient and keep the ball as long as we can. Not a stall, but to take good shots," Villanueva said. With that approach, Waipahu has beaten solid teams like Castle. However, on a bad night at the line (8 of 24), the Marauders lost to Punahou II.
The addition of first-year player Austen Benito, the all-conference quarterback in football, is one of Villanueva's surprises. "He gets after loose balls. He's very active," Villanueva said of the 6-foot senior. "He's still learning the offense, but he has good basketball sense."