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Learning the ropes Coaches can yell all they want. They can diagram on a blackboard until the last piece of chalk runs out. They can give pats on the back until their hands get sore. But if they don't have good players, or at least ones willing to learn, none of it really matters.
The new HPU head coach must
Schools look to fill holes
learn a new game -- recruitingBy Brandon Lee
blee@starbulletin.comNew Hawaii Pacific head basketball coach Russell Dung knows this.
Since moving up from head assistant three weeks ago, it is the main reason he says he has been spending most of his 10-hour workdays "hot on the recruiting trail."
Though he doesn't officially take over as head of HPU hoops until July 1, Dung has already dived headfirst into recruiting for the very first time. It has been a bit of a whirlwind experience, but one he hopes will eventually contribute to a successful first season for him and the continued prosperity of the program.
"Good players are very important to the scheme of things," Dung said. "(Recruiting) is like piecing a puzzle together. It's a pretty thorough process of gaining information and eliminating players that may not fit.
"It's getting to be kind of exciting, the anxiety of it all," he added. "After talking with a few (recruits) on the phone, you get your tactics and speech down. You also need to do your homework because you don't want anybody falling through the cracks."
As an assistant coach, Dung didn't worry much about recruiting; recently retired head man Tony Sellitto took care of that aspect of the program. According to Dung, the two are now "tag-teaming" in recruiting through the transition, with Dung spearheading the effort and Sellitto consulting and offering his extensive contact network.
A TYPICAL DAY starts with Dung scouring his e-mails upon arriving at the office. Then he makes phone calls and usually has to wait for callbacks because of the time difference with the mainland. "It always works out that they all call back at the same time," he said.
Dung talks with the players and checks their eligibility. He solicits the opinions of various scouts, the players' coaches and parents, and the coaches who've faced the players. When he has spare time, he goes over different personnel scenarios.
Of course, in the end, the process boils down those players whom Dung decides to pursue, and whether they choose to sign on the dotted line. Some have already, and some have elected not to. Others are still considering their options -- as is Dung.
"We got turned down by a couple of players already, but that's how it goes," Dung said. "When they don't want to sign, you move on. I have three signed so far with four openings left.
"I may hold one of them for the chance at a late (impact player like former HPU star) John Strickland. But if the right player comes around, I won't hesitate to use up all my scholarships."
ALBERT TECUL REAL (6-foot-4, 185-pound guard, from Pensacola Junior College) and Mike Baron (6-6, 200-pound small forward, College of the Siskiyous) are two who signed before this week.
Tecul Real, from Barcelona, Spain, was on scholarship at the University of Hawaii three years ago before he transferred to the Pirates, for whom he played both the 1 and 2 spots. Baron, from Leverkusen, Germany, averaged 13.3 points and 5.6 rebounds last season for the Screaming Eagles.
Dung received the signature of Dante Sykes (6-2 guard, Skyline College) yesterday. Sykes averaged 11 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists last season, and Skyline coach Tony Raffetto said "he will be one of the big-time, most athletic guys you'll see in Hawaii next year." Sykes' brother, Bryon, has signed with Chaminade.
Dung lost eight seniors from this past season's 18-9 squad, but he isn't overly concerned about the number of holes still to be filled on his roster. He has already named returnees Nic Walters and Nate Block as team captains. He said the pair will serve as hosts for visiting recruits, and that he doesn't see any problem in getting another big man and several swing players to sign by the May 15 deadline.
Sellitto will join Dung on a one-week recruiting trip to the mainland beginning Tuesday, when the pair will host a tryout at the University of Louisville. Besides local products, a number of players from outside the Bluegrass state will attend.
EVEN AFTER all the signed letters of intent come in, a lot will still be up in the air until the players actually arrive in Hawaii. As excited as Dung is now in the pursuit of recruits, he's even more excited to get his players, both old and new, together on the floor.
"Who knows until the players are actually here how things will go," Dung said. "Hopefully we can get a lot of good players -- not necessarily great ones -- who can jell and have good chemistry. Then we'll be successful."
HPU Sports
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New head basketball coach Russell Dung is not the only Hawaii Pacific coach blazing the recruiting trail. Local schools looking
By Brandon Lee and Jerry Campany
to fill holes on rosters
blee@starbulletin.com | jcampany@starbulletin.comBaseball skipper Allan Sato received five signatures during the early signing period and is hoping to get six more during late signing, which lasts through May 15. Sato is looking to land one outfielder, one catcher and four pitchers with the six spots, but said that he will "give every single pitcher that comes out a look because pitching is where we have to beef up."
The five already signed are: Grandon Costa (5-foot-9, 175-pound shortstop, from St. Louis School); Brent Erickson (6-1, 185 RHP, Orange Coast JC); Chase Nakamura (5-11, 180 SS, Aiea High School); Brandon Sato (5-10, 175 2b, St. Louis); and Ryan Marcos (6-0, 190 3b, Orange Coast JC).
Softball coach Howard Okita will lose only three seniors from this year's team. With the signing of 5-4 utility player Amber Juan out of Sacred Hearts Academy and plans to give the remaining scholarship assistance to current walk-ons, his recruiting efforts are basically finished. He will give a tryout to an unnamed local player this weekend, though she would likely have to walk on for a roster spot, according to Okita.
Volleyball coach Tita Ahuna says she has received several verbal commitments but has not received any signatures yet.
Brigham Young-Hawaii
As far as recruiting goes, basketball coach Ken Wagner was in the perfect position this spring.He had few needs, and had more players coming back from missions and redshirt years than he had spots for. Then his point guard, Yuta Tabuse, decided to turn pro.
Tabuse's decision sent Wagner scrambling for a replacement to team with Jeremy Frampton and run the show for Hawaii's only Division II team to advance to the national tournament last year.
Wagner has four players coming back who sat out last year, and only one -- Dallas Jensen -- considering taking a year off this season. But recruiting is something a coach can never ignore, no matter how strong his team looks, so Wagner was working on finding athletes when Tabuse dropped his bombshell.
That immediately shifted the focus from finding athletes to filling a position, and Wagner says that the switch came easy, despite the short notice. He says he has three point guards interested and is simply waiting for them to commit.
The one trademark of last year's Seasider volleyball team was youth. And through recruiting, it will get even younger.
"When you don't win, you have to revamp everything," BYUH coach Wilfred Navalta said. "We went out and got a good nucleus of freshmen who have a lot of athletic talent, if not volleyball talent."
That athleticism starts with local product Natasha Tacgere of Waianae, a 6-0 middle blocker, and runs through Navalta's other two recruits: setter Crystal Casbolt from Texas and 5-10 outside hitter Mariah Goselin from California. The Seasiders' best recruiting effort came last year, when they redshirted a Taiwanese tandem -- Tina Lin and Julie Weng -- who will begin play in the fall. Navalta went into the recruiting season without any pressing needs, as none of his players have declared for missions and he expects them all to come back.
Chaminade
In his two years heading Silverswords basketball, Aaron Griess has turned a losing program around with back-to-back winning campaigns. Griess said that his current recruiting class is his best yet because his program is at the stage where he is no longer simply scrambling for the best available players -- he now recruits for positional needs.Griess said that seven of his top nine players are returning next season, but that he got the point guard he wanted in Roy Stigall (6-0, 170, American River JC), who could contribute right away after also generating significant interest from Division I programs. Stigall averaged 14.2 points, 3 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 3 steals last year.
After getting two players from San Joaquin Delta College last year, Griess turned the trick again with post player Mike Ross (6-9, 210) and guard Bryon Sykes (6-0, 175). Griess may redshirt both.
Griess' final recruit is wing player Jason Walters (6-5, 200), who sat out last season but played the previous two at Marshalltown Community College. He described Walters as "very athletic, an impact player."
Volleyball coach Glennie Adams has five scholarships available, with all of them accounted for. So far she has only three signatures, with the other two saved for local girls who are transferring home from mainland schools but haven't signed yet. Kanani Yockman (5-10 right-side hitter, Hilo High School), Mariel Arcos (5-10 middle blocker, Pasadena City College) and Stacia Ahina (5-11 rightside, Roosevelt High School) and the two unnamed transfers will join nine returnees.
Hawaii-Hilo
After losing leading scorer Scotty Prather to graduation, some thought Hilo coach Jeff Law had to hit the recruiting trail especially hard this year in search of a replacement.He didn't find one, mostly because he didn't look.
Law believes that two holdovers from last year -- Brady Hyde and Kimo Keiter Charles -- are more than capable of holding down the position for him, so he went into the recruiting process simply looking for the best players who have the ability to fit into his system.
"We are pretty comfortable with where we are at right now," Law said. "Recruiting is a yearlong process and we are still waiting for some guys to fall through the cracks, but we are happy with the pair we have brought in."
Law went looking where he usually starts his search, at the community colleges in and around Los Angeles. And he came out with his usual complement, getting 6-6 forward Oso Esene from L.A. City College and 6-3 guard Ryan Abrahams from L.A. Valley College.
Law has one more spot but has to wait for an answer on his top choice before filling it.