[ HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL ]
Punahou still favored
But Buffanblu coach Mike
Taylor shrugs off the label
Old reputations die a slow death in Interscholastic League of Honolulu girls basketball circles.
Indeed, in a year when Punahou could be spared the burden of being tagged the preseason favorite, Maryknoll coach Bobby Samson quickly returned the Buffanblu to the top of the heap.
"Punahou is always very, very talented -- they always have a base," says Samson. "They're still the favorite --they have the mystique."
Ask Buffanblu coach Mike Taylor to assess the conference race, and one of his first stops is Maryknoll.
"On paper, Maryknoll has probably the most talented set of five or six kids in the league," he said.
But while both coaches can hope to avoid the role of league favorite, they and their respective teams won't be able to avoid each other, given the league's scheduling format, which allows every team to meet twice over the next five weeks. Beginning tonight with a trio of interesting matchups, all signs point to a more balanced league race in the ILH this year.
"Our games will be close all year," conceded Taylor. "If you're not ready to play, you're going to get beat, and I wouldn't look at it as an upset. Every team has good scorers, kids who can fill it up."
Added Iolani coach Glenn Takara: "The last couple of years, Kamehameha and Punahou were a step above everyone else. This year, it will be very competitive every night out for everyone. I'd still give the nod to Punahou as the favorite. I haven't seen Kamehameha play much."
For their part, the Warriors welcome back three of the ILH's most established players in senior center Mounia Nihipali, senior guard India Soo and sophomore guard Tatriana Lorenzo from a team that finished as the ILH's runner-up last season.
Like the Warriors, Sacred Hearts boasts one of the league's premier post players in 6-foot-2 center Megan Burton.
"She's the Shaquille O'Neal of the ILH," Samson says. "If you're not in proper position, you're not going to stop her."
Taylor lost three key standouts in Becky Hogue, Rachel Kane and Elyse Umeda from last year's state championship team, but expectations remain high for the Buffanblu, who bring an 8-1 preseason mark into their league opener Saturday night at Sacred Hearts.
"You never replace kids like that, but we reload with the kids we have here and run with it," Taylor says. "We have some real talented kids, and we're looking forward to the challenge."
Since finalizing its roster, Punahou has lost only to state tournament runner-up Kahuku. Highlighting the list of returnees for the Buffanblu are two-year starters Shanna Dacanay and Christine Takara, as well as Eryn Chun. All three are guards and will be counted on to set the tone within Punahou's full-court pressing style.
"They're our focal point," says Taylor of the trio. "We don't have a lot of game experience, and we're not that big, so we're preaching our speed and tenacity on defense."
No team has more key returnees than Maryknoll (8-1), which brings back post players Sela Fisilau and Cheryl Lee, as well as guards Jessica Akamine, Tammie Andres, Whitney Wong and Jessica Ho. The Spartans only loss to graduation was at point guard, where 5-foot-6 freshman Nicole Fu has stepped in to fill the spot left by Samson's daughter, Diana. Samson expects Fu to rate among the top newcomers in the state this year.
"Her awareness and her presence are phenomenal," Samson says. "She's a natural out there. She's learning to play at the other (defensive) end. Once she does that, she's going to be a complete player."
"We're still a young team, but we're a very experienced team," adds Samson, whose Spartans received one of the ILH's three state tournament berths last May. "We have a lot of versatility. We just have to play on an even keel this year -- not too many highs, not too many lows."
Iolani (4-3) features one of the league's top players in forward Ginger Gravelle, the team's lone senior. How well the Raiders can bring along their supporting cast will go a long way in deciding the fate of their season. Iolani made the state tournament in 2001 and 2002, but lost the play-in game to Maryknoll last spring.
"Ginger is our strength -- she's basically a four-year starter," Takara says. "Even though she's a forward, she's our inside and outside threat. She can post up, and she can step back and hit the three."
Takara is expecting Hennasea Tokumura, Marci Kang, Alana Wall, Keilyn Fujioka and Chelsea Wong to help carry the load.
"It's been a slow process, but we're athletic," Takara says. "Once we find an identity --once we mesh as a team -- we'll be all right."