Somewhere between the visit to Ground Zero and their games in New York City, the Kamehameha Warriors are thinking of home.

Coaches and media voted Kamehameha No. 1 in the Star-Bulletin Boys Basketball Preseason Top 10.

“;I just think we're so far from where we're supposed to be,”; coach Jesse Nakanishi said yesterday from the Big Apple, where the Warriors are playing in the Aviator Holiday Hoops Tournament.

“;I'm sure (the team) will find out about it, so I need to put it in perspective. It's an honor, but at the same time, there's the defending champs (Punahou) and 'Iolani is very tough,”; he said.

Kamehameha's trek East is a great challenge. The Warriors lost to St. Mary's (Manhasset, N.Y.) on Saturday and met Brooklyn Collegiate last night. The tourney concludes today and they'll return home with a lot of memories, including a trip to the Statue of Liberty, a practice session at the New Jersey Nets' facility and a Minnesota Timberwolves-New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden.

Nakanishi came up through the ranks at Kamehameha and knows enough about history to keep it all in perspective. Since the first state tourney in 1957, the Warriors have five titles: in 1962, '63 and '65 under Jack Herbertson; '76 under Jeff Mast; '92 under Jim Winchester.

Perhaps the biggest reason for Kamehameha's ascent to No. 1: a nonconference win over Punahou three weeks ago. Punahou was without some starters who were still in football season. A top ranking in December carries no weight for Nakanishi.

“;We'll enjoy it if we prove it on the court. We're 0-0,”; he said.

On paper: The Warriors were 25-7 last season (10-4 Interscholastic League of Honolulu) and finished fifth in the final Top 10. They won their state-tourney opener against Kahuku before losing to Konawaena 54-53 in the quarterfinals.

This winter, Kamehameha's nonconference slate has been rough and tough. With eight seniors, balanced scoring and a tall, quick lineup, the Warriors were 6-2 before last night's game.

Pii Minns, a 6-foot-3 senior, was busy with football early on, but has gotten his basketball legs back and averaged 15 points in four games at the 'Iolani Classic. The rangy guard/forward was already one of the top defensive returnees in the state. Now, he's developed as a mismatch problem on the perimeter, and his ability to find Micah Christenson for open 3-pointers is another concern for foes.

Christenson has been lethal from the arc, spotting up in the corners even in transition. At 6-5, the sophomore gives Kamehameha unique options. Minns and Christenson are perfect fits in Nakanishi's menu of defensive schemes.

“;They're forming a great tandem and getting used to each other. When it's full swing, it'll be exciting to watch. They're both long and can get in pass lanes and deflect balls,”; Nakanishi said.

The backcourt is savvy and steady with junior Chaz Bajet and senior Brandon Dumlao. Bajet has quickness and superior handles, but also runs the offense with the most important asset: discipline.

“;He's our best on-ball defender, too,”; Nakanishi said. “;We have big expectations of him on both sides of the ball. This is a big year for him.”;

Dumlao suffered an ACL injury during football season, but has been valuable as a timely shooter and decision maker.

“;He's not at full strength, but he's definitely using more of his experience and can still hit his shots,”; Nakanishi said of his co-captain.

Auwae DeRego, at 6-3 and 225 pounds, has become a force in the paint.

“;He's very physical, the most physical guy on our team,”; Nakanishi said. “;Auwae won't ever back down from anyone. He loves the challenge of physical play.”;

Like his fellow starters, DeRego is dangerous from 3-point range.

Blake Viena (6-4) and sophomore Koa Kaai (6-4) will share minutes in the post. Damien Teramae-Kaehuaea (6-0) and Ed Kamano (5-10) are key contributors off the bench.

“;They provide a lot of intangibles. Damien draws a lot of charges and Ed gets a lot of steals. Their energy sparks us, for sure,”; Nakanishi said.

The skinny: ILH teams earned a reputation over the years for defensive schemes—mostly man-to-man—without a lot of variation. Nakanishi prefers a diversified portfolio.

“;We're pretty deep. We can go small, big. It's a good problem that I'm still figuring out, the rotation,”; he said. “;Zone, man, we've got to fine-tune both defenses. We'll try to control tempo with whatever defense we're in.”;

The big lineup could look like this: 6-5 (Christenson), 6-4 (Viena), 6-3 (DeRego), 6-3 (Minns) and 5-7 (Bajet). Even when they go small, they still have capable rebounding with Minns, DeRego and Christenson. Quite a change for Nakanishi, whose teams have been average in height for years.

“;This is a different team. We have enough talent to make a run,”; he said. “;There's so much parity in the ILH.”;

True. There is also no team as tall and seasoned. Even in the first week, the Warriors had amazing ball movement and execution while they won the James Alegre Invitational.

X factor: He may be the smallest of the Warriors, but he has big-game skills. Shane Matayoshi (5-8) is a sophomore without hesitation. The super-sub can get hot—or cold—from NBA range very quickly.

“;Shane's been practicing great, still learning what we're trying to do,”; Nakanishi said.