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Friday, June 9, 2000
Kalaheo's Brandy Richardson
repeats as the state's top playerCoaches Cockett, Pilialoha bring out best in their players
By Dave Reardon
FIRST | SECOND | THIRD | HONORABLE
Statewide Girls' Basketball All-Stars
and Tim Crouse
Star-BulletinWhen Brandy Richardson reports to the basketball team at Brea Olinda High School in California next season, she may have to choose a new number.
"They've got about six or seven retired jerseys," Da Houl said.
Houl should know -- the University of Hawaii assistant coach was the last Lady Bearcat to wear No. 10 before it was retired in 1983.
"Her number's 15? I don't think she'll have a problem."
For that matter, Houl (who also coached at Brea Olinda, 1989-92) thinks Richardson will have few difficulties at all adjusting to playing for the national prep powerhouse.
"She will make a major impact right away," Houl said. "It will be good for her."
Richardson completed one of the best girls' basketball careers in the history of Hawaii a year early last month, as she is moving with her family to Southern California this summer.
There are skeptics, especially since Richardson is landing in a defending-state-champion program -- but Richardson says the move is so the family can help care for her aging grandfather.
Although she couldn't quite carry Kalaheo over Kamehameha in the state championship game, Richardson was wise head and strong shoulders above all others for the second consecutive year.
Richardson, a 5-11 forward, averaged 21 points and 16 rebounds as the Mustangs went 26-3 overall and defended their Oahu Interscholastic Association championship. She repeats as the Star-Bulletin's Ms. Basketball Hawaii.
Teams totally changed their strategy because of her. The state title game was a perfect example, when Kamehameha went into a stall to slow her down."She is the best player in the state, the strongest to play here in a long time," said Kamehameha coach Clay Cockett, the cousin of Brandy's father, former UH football player Pat Richardson. "I think Brandy hasn't seen her best games yet."
Richardson joins a Brea program that won the past three state titles in Division II (California has five divisions, with I being the largest schools).
Brea Olinda was chosen the 1993 national champion by USA Today.
"Girls' basketball is huge there. There will be a lot of expectations, and it's very intense," Houl said. "It might be an eye-opener for her, but I think she'll be fine."
Richardson is used to being pushed, as her Kalaheo coach, Chico Furtado, is perhaps the most intense in the state.
"I'm going to miss all my friends, basketball and non-basketball," Richardson said. "The thing I'll miss most of all is playing for Coach Chico. I learned so much from him. He told us once that he's hard on us because he sees potential in us. But off the court he's nice, not like people see him on court."
Richardson plays in the Hawaii High School Girls All-Star Showcase, tonight and tomorrow at Kalaheo. Later this summer, she plays with Hawaii Select in Oregon and Nevada, before moving.
Because California plays girls' basketball in the winter and Hawaii in the spring, there is speculation Richardson will return next spring, play her senior season at Kalaheo and graduate a Mustang.
She said it won't happen.
If Houl has her way, Richardson will be back soon, anyway -- in a Rainbow Wahine uniform.
"We've followed her since she was a little girl," said Houl, who recruits in her Southern California stomping grounds. "I hope we're still on her list (of colleges)."
The rest of the Star-Bulletin's All-State team, which was chosen after consultation with coaches from around the state:
KEALANI KIMBALL (5-10 SENIOR FORWARD, KAMEHAMEHA):
The numbers (10 points, 12 rebounds and 2 steals per game) are deceiving as Kimball didn't play many minutes because of big Kamehameha leads. Kimball's attitude and presence set the tone for the Warriors.She was a tough player on defense and the glass who didn't let anyone outwork her.
"I think her leadership on the court and outside the gym made her such an important figure for the rest of the team," Cockett said. "She kind of carried everybody, even away from basketball, like at team functions."
MILIA MACFARLANE (5-5 JUNIOR GUARD, PUNAHOU):
Macfarlane led a young team to the state tournament semifinals with her passing and scoring skills.She led the ILH in 3-pointers with 19 while averaging around 15 points and 4 assists per game.
"She's a fantastic ballhandler, very unselfish. A lot of Punahou players benefited from her court vision," Iolani assistant Mark Mugiishi said. "And she has a great shot of her own, too."
JADE SAVUSA (5-8 SENIOR GUARD/FORWARD, MID-PACIFIC):
Despite a knee brace on each leg, she led the toughest league in the state in scoring at 16.9. Savusa also averaged 12 rebounds.Savusa was a versatile offensive player, able to consistently hit 3-pointers, and battle under the basket for tough points.
"She has the drive to win and the need to compete," Owls' coach Darin Lee said. "She's very competitive and knows what it takes."
RAELEN SELF (5-6 SENIOR GUARD, KAMEHAMEHA):
Self was a pure point guard who got the ball to the right teammates at the right times. Like Kimball, her statistics of 9 points, 6 assists and 3 steals per game aren't impressive because she didn't play huge chunks of Warriors' blowouts.She was the difference in the state title game, scoring 16 points. Self made 4-of-6 shots from beyond the 3-point line.
"That championship game, she was possessed," Nanakuli coach Darin Pilialoha said. "She's where everything starts for Kamehameha. She let the rest of the girls know what the coach wants."
Coaches Cockett,
By Tim Crouse and Dave Reardon
Pilialoha bring out best
in their playersSpecial to the Star-Bulletin
One coach exceeded expectations and the other fulfilled them in spectacular fashion. Darin Pilialoha of Nanakuli and Kamehameha's Clay Cockett are the Star-Bulletin's girls' basketball Co-Coaches of the Year.
"One took a talented team (Kamehameha) and made sure it achieved what it should, and the other took one (Nanakuli) from a lower level and advanced them," Iolani assistant Mark Mugiishi said.
Nanakuli was 1-8 coming out of preseason, but went on to post an 8-2 regular-season record, won three more games in the OIA tournament and nearly dethroned Kalaheo in the league championship game.
Cockett had a different task coming out of a preseason in which Kamehameha dominated, winning big over Moanalua and topping Kalaheo.
"The challenge was to get the (girls) to perform at a higher level. I think we got the most out of them," the fourth-year coach said.
The Warriors blitzed through the regular season and their first two state tournament games. They then made a dramatic comeback in the title game against Kalaheo.
"I know that last game wasn't a fan favorite (because of stalling), but I think at that point we needed to give the girls a chance to win," Cockett said.
His team responded by hitting big shots and shutting down the Mustangs' offense.
"Clay does a good job with fundamentals," Warriors' assistant Dennis Agena said. "We do it every day. They get tired of it, they get upset, but it pays off."
Pilialoha said the most rewarding part of the season was making it to the OIA championship game.
"There were a lot of doubters along the way, but I think we opened a lot of eyes," he said.
He also said hard work made the difference.
"It was an all-around team effort," Pilialoha said. "Even the girls who knew they wouldn't play much contributed in practice. Each girl accepted her role."
Said Cockett of Pilialoha: "He did a great job. Darin's girls had tremendous improvement. I really enjoyed watching them play."
Honolulu Star-Bulletin
All-State First Team
PLAYER SCHOOL HT. YEAR Milia Macfarlane Punahou 5-5 Junior Brandy Richardson Kalaheo 5-11 Junior Kealani Kimball Kamehameha 5-10 Senior Jade Savusa Mid-Pacific 5-8 Senior Raelen Self Kamehameha 5-6 Senior Clay Cockett Kamehameha Led Warriors to state title Darin Pilialoha Nanakuli Improved Hawks vastly All-State Second Team
PLAYER SCHOOL HT. YEAR Rosalinda Masler Maui 5-11 Senior Kimberlee Morikawa Moanalua 5-3 Senior Erika Tadio Honokaa 5-6 Soph. Monica Tokoro Iolani 5-3 Junior Sharon Wahinekapu Kalaheo 5-6 Senior All-State Third Team
PLAYER SCHOOL HT. YEAR April Atuaia Kahuku 5-9 Senior Nicole Garbin Baldwin 5-6 Junior Katannya Kapeli Kamehameha 5-8 Senior Maricris Sierra Nanakuli 5-6 Junior Sequoya Stokes Leilehua 6-0 Soph. Honorable Mention
Robynn Afe (Farrington), Samanta Alapa (Sacred Hearts), Keesha Aldridge (Aiea), Courtney Cole (Seabury), Jordyn Danner (Kapaa), Malena Feeney (St. Francis), Becky Hogue (Punahou), Kayla Kahuli (Leilehua), Rosemarie Kelly (Nanakuli), Chelsea Kohl (Seabury), Aritta Lane (Aiea), Mililani Monis (Pearl City), Jodi Nakashima (Kalani), Elizabeth Narkon (St. Francis), Tai Soo (Kamehameha), Mayumi Stevens (Moanalua), Traci Torralva (McKinley), Ashley Watamura (Mid-Pacific).
