Ware brings hoops troop to Punahou for tourney

The path from Hawaii to Salesian, Calif., is relatively untraveled.

Robert Ware knows it well. The assistant coach of Salesian's basketball team is enjoying each moment of his team's trip to Hawaii, where the Punahou Holiday Classic awaits.

Ware, who played at Roosevelt from 1972 to '74, is proud of the Salesian squad, to say the least.

"I have worked to get my team -- a very urban, inner-city private school -- back to Honolulu for an opportunity to expose them to the islands and share a little of my personal history with them," he wrote by e-mail recently.

Salesian was ranked No. 1 in Northern California's Division IV at one point last season.

The tournament, which tips off tomorrow morning, features 16 schools, including Northwest powerhouse Mercer Island (Wash.). Six of the local entries -- Kalaheo, Campbell, Mililani, Kahuku, Baldwin and host Punahou -- played in last year's state tournament. Punahou has already defeated four-time defending state champion Iolani.

Punahou has gotten a boost from senior guard Danny Cho to complement scoring leader Miah Ostrowski and a frontcourt led by 6-foot-7 Spencer McLachlin. Greg Tacon's squad won the James Alegre Invitational title two weeks ago.

Kahuku is the defending Oahu Interscholastic Association champion but is adjusting to some new personnel in the backcourt. Okesene Ale, Devin Unga and Kevin Unga give the Red Raiders an athletic combination of swingmen and posts. Ale has played far more point guard this winter.

Windward rival Kalaheo will also be a contender. The Mustangs have a core of returnees, including savvy Marvin Judd. Center Tyler Caswell is nursing an ankle injury.

Kamehameha is among the more dangerous teams, but is slightly under the radar. Rykin Enos, a versatile guard, has already garnered MVP honors at one tournament.

Kamehameha-Hawaii is a dark-horse contender. The Big Island squad has a multitude of returnees but will have its hands full in the opening round against Punahou.

The first game of the tournament between Maryknoll and Radford tips off tomorrow at 9 a.m. The Spartans shot an impressive 22-for-22 from the free-throw line in one of their games at the Iolani Classic. Two weeks ago, Radford had a forgettable 20-for-61 performance from the line in the James Alegre Invitational.

Northwest bound: The Iolani Globetrotters, a.k.a. Raiders, are on another hoops adventure beyond. Under coach Mark Mugiishi, the Raiders have flown to far-flung basketball meccas as distant as Italy to broaden their roundball experiences.

Yesterday, Iolani departed for the Northwest -- Hillsboro, Ore., to be exact -- and will play in the annual Les Schwab Invitational. The Raiders will face one of the hometown teams, Hillsboro, in the opening round. Win or lose, they will play four games against top competition.

The tourney comes on the heels of the Iolani Classic, which is in an elite position as one of the nation's top events. Third-ranked Fairfax (Calif.) upset No. 1 Montrose Christian (Md.) in the finals.

Iolani went 2-2 in its tournament with a core of new players to go along with returning starters Vinny Nip, Kawika Shoji and former reserve Barry Kang.

Blending new talent with the old is an ongoing experiment for Mugiishi, a doctor by trade. That's why the trips play a key role in the program's success.

Among the new players who has established a role is freshman Liloa Nobriga. At 6-foot-2, he has a nice mid-range pull-up jumper and good sense of timing.

"Liloa will be a good player," Mugiishi said.

For more about the tournament, go to www.lesschwabinvitational.com.