The “;what if”; of last season is no more.

Ofa Namoa is back.

With the talented senior, the Lady Lunas of Lahainaluna are back to where they started. As a sophomore two seasons ago, Namoa was outstanding against eventual state-tourney runner-up Punahou with 16 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots. Milika Taufa, only a freshman, was a force with 12 points and 10 boards. Potential and promise were in the air.

Last season arrived, but Namoa was long gone, sent to Kentucky, where she didn't play a second of hoops despite living in a state where the game is virtually a religion. Lahainaluna moved on, winning its fifth MIL crown during coach Todd Rickard's era. The Lady Lunas lost in the quarterfinals again, this time to Radford.

This season, with Namoa's return from the Bluegrass State, the pieces are there for a potential state-championship run. Coaches and media voted Lahainaluna (8-1) to a No. 3 ranking in the Star-Bulletin Girls Basketball Preseason Top 10.

“;Just for getting the recognition for being that high is good, but we still gotta get the job done,”; said Rickard, now in his 14th season as head coach. “;When it's all said and done the state tournament says it all. I've seen teams ranked third and finish 12th, voted (low) and finished at No. 2.”;

On paper: The Lunas won the First Hawaiian Bank Lady Na Menehune Preseason Peek Tournament two weeks ago with wins over Aiea, No. 6 Mid-Pacific and No. 5 Kamehameha.

Last weekend, they got 21 points from Taufa and 18 from Namoa in a 56-53 win over Marist (Ga.). After a victory over Kalaheo, the Lady Lunas fell to Konawaena 46-42, ending the win streak.

That defeat may work against the Lady Lunas when state-tourney seedings are drawn up, but at the very least, it gives Rickard's team the impetus to reach higher.

Taufa, at 5-foot-11, may be the finest center in the state. Soft hands, accurate shooting—occasionally, she'll launch fadeaway bank shots from the low post—and smooth footwork make her very tough to cover with just one defender.

Senior Rachael Rickard is versatile and can fill in at any position. Rickard can score, too; she had 21 points in the win over Kamehameha.

Sophomore Maiki Viela goes left as well as almost any point guard in the islands. Viela finishes strong with the left hand and has the green light to shoot.

Speedy Mele Filikitonga (5-8) is a prized part of the lineup as a defensive force and rebounder.

The key to it all, though, is Namoa. As a sophomore, she was probably the best shooter on the team even as a power forward. With Viela, she gives Lahainaluna another terrific passer—she's best from the high post—and could easily average a double-double as a senior.

The skinny: Since their tournament last week, the Lady Lunas have been in cruise control awaiting the MIL opener at King Kekaulike on Tuesday. There's always the threat of overconfidence and a bump in the road, but right now, there's no other MIL team standing in Lahainaluna's way.

If Namoa's conditioning brings her back to the kind of shape she was in two years ago, the Lunas will go beyond the quarterfinals of the state tourney.

“;Ofa will give us instant offense, instant rebounding, a defensive presence. If she wants to contribute more, she'll have to get into condition,”; Rickard said.

Konawaena's man-to-man defense revealed some flaws in the Lunas.

“;We've still gotta work on our turnovers. We threw away so many balls, and we've gotta convert our layups and free throws,”; Rickard added.

Nit-picking over an 8-1 start? Not really. Rickard has coached the Lunas and helped his Lahainaluna Locals menehune basketball club since his daughter, Rachael, was barely able to walk.

  “;When I first started coaching girls basketball, I looked at the Kalaheos, the Punahous, Konawaenas, Kahukus and I asked, 'What do you have to do to get to states and compete like this?'”; he said. “;Just picking up things from other coaches, spending 10, 11 months in the off-season, whether it's training and running, you know when a team has trained hard.

“;That's the respect I have for other teams. You can see what they put in.”;

X factor: Taufa and Namoa are their best scoring options inside. Both need to stay healthy now that the questions no longer begin with 'what if' for Lahainaluna. If they hit their peak by season's end, the Lunas could be looking at a sixth MIL crown and a trip deep into the state tourney.