There's a "Special K" in the big Red East of the Oahu Interscholastic Association.
For boys basketball coaches who have to deal with Kaimuki and Kalaheo, it doesn't matter which "K" is boss. They're both tough to topple.
The regular season tips off tomorrow with three games in the East, including Moanalua at Kalaheo in an early test for the underdog Na Menehune and first-year coach Greg Tacon.
"It's a coin toss between Kalaheo and Kaimuki. They're physically superior to everyone else," Tacon said.
Longtime Kalaheo coach Chico Furtado and his team had a busy month. Shortly after returning from a four-game tournament in Las Vegas, they were busy with the Merv Lopes Holiday Classic, and now Moanalua awaits.
"Moanalua gave us a hard time," he said of the last battle between the teams. "It's an Ali-Frazier thing. One team does one thing well and the other has its own strengths, so it's a matter of who plays better with their strengths."
Kaimuki, which went 12-3 in nonconference play, scaled back its playing slate last week in anticipation of the busy OIA season. The defending league champion Bulldogs have a bit of a swagger to them. The high expectations are not a problem, coach Kelly Grant said.
"I don't mind. It gives the kids confidence and they know what they're doing. Of course, you like to be chasing, but the kids take it in stride," he said. "They have a little cockiness in them, they feel like they can't be beat, which is good."
This time around, with the birth of Division II state tournament play in boys hoops, the league has been sliced up. Coaches seems to like the notion of the throwback home-and-away schedule.
"That's the fairest way to do it," Roosevelt coach John Chung said. "Other years, sometimes you get the luck of the draw with certain teams at home, more games at home. This way, nobody can complain."
Castle Knights
Coach: Rocky Fraticelli, 18th year.
On paper: The Knights were 5-4 in nonconference play, including 3-1 in the Lopes Classic, where they pulled a stunning upset of Kamehameha-Hawaii. In that win, Scott Keiter-Charles was unstoppable on drives to the hoop and finished with 26 points. In addition, the Knights got stellar play from their bigs, including Keanu Bruhn-Nakihei.
The skinny: To run or not run, that's the big question. Against Kamehameha-Hawaii, they shot 55 percent with an up-tempo game. Whether Keiter-Charles, a 5-foot-10 senior, can lead the Knights to a title run is a big question.
"Will Scott play the game I want him to play? He creates opportunities, which is good," Fraticelli said. "He plays with reckless abandon and will have his share of turnovers. I want him to make better passes."
X factor: Bruhn-Nakihei. "He's talented. I want him to do what he did in (the Lopes Classic) -- rebound well, get offensive-minded and run up and down the floor," Fraticelli said.
Kahuku Red Raiders
Coach: Nathan James, 10th year.
On paper: The Red Raiders were blessed with experience and talent over the past few seasons, but now they're young and green. Kahuku went 2-6 in nonconference play despite a front line that includes 6-7, 310-pound Scott Au, 6-5 Willie Ching and 6-3 Onosai Wong.
The skinny: Kahuku is inexperienced at every position, but there is potential. Freshman Nihoa Akina and sophomore Erwin Ah-Hoy are learning on the job. In all, Kahuku's only returnees are Pele Soliai and Ian Fujinaga, and the latter is struggling with an ankle injury.
"It'll take time to find chemistry. We're still experimenting with lineups, and guys are learning the system," he said.
X factor: If the Red Raiders can make a commitment as a whole, they could emerge as a threat in the East. Taking care of business in the classroom and showing up for practice, however, is a challenge.
Kailua Surfriders
Coach: Tim Harrison.
On paper: The Surfriders (6-5) had some struggles last year, but Tim Maghinay, Ryan Naluai and Billy Oden return.
The skinny: Kailua has depth that most coaches hope for. Sammy Trueman, Zachary Akamine and Brian Rexroat give Harrison a nice group of scorers.
X factor: Kenny Ellis, a transfer from Kamehameha, could help soon. The 6-4 sophomore started for the Warrior JV team. He'll suit up for Thursday's opener at Castle.
Kaimuki Bulldogs
Coach: Kelly Grant, third year
On paper: The Bulldogs are peaking nicely behind the trio of Beau Albrechtson (6-5), guard Daniel Colon and Keone Reyes. They went 12-3 in nonconference play.
The skinny: Grant worries a little about his young bench.
"Last year, we started with 10 deep, now we're at seven or eight. And the seventh and eighth guys are situational," he said.
If the reserves can fill the gap, the 'Dogs could return to the state final. They are still a dangerous team from the perimeter thanks to Colon, reserve guard Ryan Kakitani and other sharpshooters. Craig Cabudol will give them a stopper off the bench.
Albrechtson and Reyes may be the best 1-2 low-post combo in the state. Albrechtson runs the court well, has good handles, shoots the 3 and is smooth around the basket. His penchant for shot-blocking occasionally gets him in foul trouble. At 6 feet, 255 pounds, Reyes is unstoppable on the low post.
X factor: "We need to stay healthy," Grant said. "And take care of our grades."
Kalaheo Mustangs
Coach: Chico Furtado, fifth year.
On paper: Tyler Caswell and Cheynne Lishman have been effective in nonconference play, but Furtado wants more consistency from both his starters and reserves. They went 10-6 against a tough slate that included top teams in Las Vegas and two local tournaments.
The skinny: Caswell's ankle injury, suffered on Friday, is a concern. Furtado's team has a number of athletic role players, from Deaux Burns (6-5) and Alika Kaanapu (6-3) inside to Chase Moses (6-3) and Clifton Pires (6-2) on the perimeter. Lishman's 3-point shooting has been prolific, but he showed signs of fatigue last week.
X factor: Finding a scorer off the bench when Lishman takes breathers is a concern, Furtado said. For now, though, they have shown that they can compete as Caswell's ankle heals.
Moanalua Na Menehune
Coach: Greg Tacon, first year at Moanalua.
On paper: An up-and-down December has Na Menehune 7-9. Tacon is drawing from his 20 years in coaching, including 10 as a head coach, to develop his team into an East threat. Point guard Stevie Austin is thriving in Tacon's system, and powerful Josh Kure is strong off the dribble against slower post defenders. He can also knock down the 3-pointer.
The skinny: "Stevie and Josh will handle most of the scoring load for us. After that, everybody can play. That changes from game to game. It's been a struggle for us to find consistency. Because we played well against some very good clubs. It's shown the kids that we are capable of competing for four quarters," Tacon said.
X factor: "I feel so strongly about this, that our guys buy into what we want to get done on the court, that they don't try to free-lance through certain situations. Structure in a good league is the only way to get through," he said. "We don't have the perimeter shooting to get away with it."
Roosevelt Rough Riders
Coach: John Chung, 21st season.
On paper: The Rough Riders were 5-8 in nonconference play. They don't have a tall team, but there's potential with Jeremy Harvest (5-10) and Daniel Arruda (5-10), two quick guards. Kenese Ola (6-1) has won the job at center.
The skinny: "The key for us is if we're able to rebound," Chung said. "We didn't do a good job of that in preseason. Our offense is slowly coming around, but we're giving up too many second shots. We're small, so sometimes you cannot help."
Ola is a key component. "If he can snag some boards for us, he can keep us in some games," Chung said.
X factor: Sophomores Jason Nutter, Matt Kualii-Moe and Lowen Kahooilihala are in the rotation. "If they stay on the JV, they can kick butt. But we're throwing them in the fire," Chung said.
