Tuesday, February 19, 2002
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The time has come For Kalaheo basketball coach Pete Smith, preparations for this week's state tournament began back in December.
for Kalaheo
The defending champions
have been preparing for
this week all season longBy Jason Kaneshiro
jkaneshiro@starbulletin.comKalaheo must win three games in a row this week to defend their state championship, a grueling run Smith prepared his team for by entering the Mustangs in as many preseason tournaments as he could.
"We try to play in as many tournaments as possible so that we're used to it," Smith said. "Although that was a way back, to dig deep three nights in a row to win a tournament and get that experience, we tried to provide our guys with that early in the year."
Kalaheo, 13-0 and the Oahu Interscholastic Association champion, is the second seed in the Hawaiian Airlines Boys State Basketball Championship, which begins tomorrow with first-round games at Radford High School and Kamehameha's Kekuhaupio Gym.
Iolani (12-0) won the Interscholastic League of Honolulu title two weeks ago and is the tournament's top seed. Lahainaluna (13-1) won the Maui Interscholastic Federation to claim the third seed. Waiakea (11-3) is the Big Island Interscholastic Federation champion and the fourth seed.
The four seeded teams are granted a bye into Thursday's quarterfinal round.
Kalaheo won its own preseason tournament, the James Alegre Invitational at Radford and the Big Island Candies Holiday Classic in Hilo. The Mustangs also finished seventh in the Iolani Classic.
Along with preparing the Mustangs for the grind of the state tournament, the preseason schedule also gave Smith an early scouting report on the rest of the field. Lahainaluna is the only team in the tournament Kalaheo hasn't faced this season.
"We'll have a good idea about them, and they have a good idea about us," Smith said. "We're not going in completely blind. But it still comes down to shooting the ball well and playing good D."
Kalaheo hopes to become the first team to repeat as state champion since Moanalua won back-to-back titles in 1996 and '97. Prior to that, University repeated in 1987 and '88.
"It's a different team," Smith said. "We've got D.C. (Daniels) and Ikaika (Alama-Francis) back, but other than that, the other three guys are new starters. We just have to approach it as a three-game season."
Alama-Francis, a senior forward, averaged more than 23 points in three OIA tournament games, while Daniels hit for 42 points in Kalaheo's last two games.
Iolani earned the top seed by going undefeated in the ILH and is tired of finishing second.
The Raiders return the starting five from last year's squad that lost to Kalaheo in the state final, and most of the team played for the boys volleyball squad that lost to Kamehameha for the state championship in November.
"I think they're very hungry," Iolani coach Mark Mugiishi said.
If the tournament comes down to guard play, the Raiders have the advantage of having Derrick Low and Bobby Webster in the backcourt. Low guided Iolani through the ILH season with his scoring and passing skills, while Webster is one of the state's best outside shooters.
But the key to Iolani's quest for the title may be post players Tyler McCready, Jon Grobe and Bobby Nash.
"We have to board well," Mugiishi said. "We're tall, but not really physically strong. We've worked on that the last couple weeks, and I think if we can rebound well, we'll be a tough team to beat."
Iolani also added four seniors from its ILH Division II team for the tournament. Among the additions is guard Bronson Melemai, who Mugiishi said will back up Low at point guard.
Melemai returned to Iolani earlier this season after attending Castle in the fall and playing for the Knights' football team. Iolani would face Castle on Thursday if the Knights beat the MIL runner-up tomorrow.
Lahainaluna will have one of the biggest front lines in the tournament in Richard Murta (6-foot-7), Tevita Finau (6-4) and Maafu Finau (6-3). Waiakea is led by the inside-outside combination of forward Levi Bartholomew and guard Branden Kawazoe.
On the air: Starcomm Wireless will provide radio broadcasts of the tournament's final three days on KHNR 650-AM on Oahu.
The station will air two quarterfinal games on Thursday, Friday's semifinals and the championship game on Saturday.
Games involving KIF champion Waimea will be broadcast back to Kauai on KQNG. KHLO and KIPA will broadcast games featuring Big Island teams. Games with Maui teams will be aired by KMVI.
The championship game will also be televised live by KGMB-TV.
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