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’Bows mix politics
and basketball
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Gamesmanship.
Honolulu mayoral candidates Mufi Hannemann and Duke Bainum yesterday shared the table in the conference room at the Hawaii basketball office to draft their respective teams for the Green-White scrimmage, which caps Friday's Midnight Ohana festivities. This debate was heated but good-natured.
In the race for one-upsmanship, however, Bainum got the nod. His fourth pick for the White squad was sophomore guard Bobby Nash, who graduated from Iolani School ... as did Hannemann.
Nash, who is eligible to vote for the first time this year, had a politically correct answer to playing for a non-Iolani graduate.
"I play hard for whoever is the coach," he said.
On paper, Bainum -- with help from assistant coach Jackson Wheeler -- appears to have a stronger campaign going. Bainum won the coin toss and chose preseason all-conference candidate Julian Sensley.
The White team ended up with two other veterans besides Sensley, a junior forward, and Nash. They have Jake Sottos (Sr., G) and Milos Zivanovic (Jr., C), as well as newcomers Deonte Tatum (Jr., G), Ryan Schmidt (Jr., G/F), Brandon Matano (So., G) and Nicholas Milan (Fr., G/F).
Hannemann and assistant Bob Burke have returning senior forwards Jeff Blackett and Vaidotas Peciukas anchoring the Green team. Newcomers are Matt Gibson (So., G), Matthew Gipson (Jr., F), Chris Botez (Jr., C), Kris Groce (So., G), Seth Caine (Jr., G) and Kenny Kelly (So., G).
"This should be a good opener for our team, a chance to show the fans what we're made off," Nash said. "Midnight Ohana is always fun. I've been around the program since I was a little boy and it always gives me goosebumps.
"No one else in the world has anything like this. It's great for the fans. I'm excited for the season to get started."
For the first time, the Rainbow Wahine will also have an intrasquad scrimmage. The celebrity coaches are KHON sportscaster John Veneri (Green), with assistant Pat Charity, and KGMB sports director Liz Chun (White), with former Wahine Natasja Allen Oderman, now a graduate assistant.
The Green team is comprised of Tanya Smith (Fr., F), Brittany Grice (So., C), Dalia Solia (So., G/F), Saundra Cariaga (Fr., G), Trisha Nishimoto (Jr., G), Amy Kotani (Fr., G), Bryony Crouch (So., G) and Janevia Taylor (So., G).
Making up the White team are Jade Abele (Sr., F), Milia Macfarlane (Sr., G), Callie Spooner (Jr., C), Pam Tambini (So., G/F), Amber Lee (So., F), Brittney Aiwohi (Jr., G/F), Shannon Nishi (Fr., G) and Amy Sanders (Jr., G/F).
The theme this year is "Superheroes of UH Basketball." Both men's coach Riley Wallace and women's coach Jim Bolla will appear as villains.
"I always look forward to this," said Wallace, who has portrayed various bad guys in the past. "Football's on a two-game winning streak, volleyball's 14-0 ... our teams are doing well. It's the perfect time to give some attention to basketball.
"But one of these years, I'm going to be one of the good guys. I'm talking angels with wings."