OIA White (Division II)
Advertiser Staff
‘ANUENUE
Coach: Kameala Oana
Key players: Nalani Kamano (5-6, so., guard); Kala Lewis (5-3, so., guard).
Notes: 'Anuenue has four returning starters. ... Of the nine players on the roster, seven had never played organized basketball prior to high school.
Coach speak: "We'll slow it down. Most of the girls have never played before. We're starting from ground zero."
CAMPBELL
Coach: Nathan Macadangdang
Key players: Amber Kaulia (5-5, sr., point guard); Vai Confer (5-8, sr., guard); Oli Kila (5-8, jr., forward); Aloha Dias-Kekahuna (5-7, sr., guard).
Notes: The Sabers have four returning starters (see above). ... "It helps to have a veteran team," Macadangdang said. Kaulia has improved her perimeter game and will need to look for her shot. ... Confer, Kila and Dias-Kekahuna will look to score inside and out ... The team lost a pair of 6-footers from last year's team.
Coach speak: "We don't really have a 3-point shooter who is consistent. We need Amber to extend the defense. ... We aren't as big as last year, so we can't slam the ball inside."
CASTLE
Coach: Jeff McKeown
Key players: Candy Ames (5-2, sr., guard); Niki Kobashigawa (5-2, sr., guard); Kori Berinobis (5-2, sr., guard).
Notes: Ames is a four-year varsity starter; Kobashigawa is a four-year varsity member. ... Leesha Domingo (5-4, sr., forward) will start after being a key reserve last season. ... The Knights will go primarily with a four-guard lineup, according to McKeown. ... They can go big with Leisha Liilii (5-10, fr.) and Kree Espinda (5-10, jr.).
Coach speak: "Not many teams can outrun our team as far as speed. If we get our running game going we'll be fine. In the half court we must pressure the ball, front the post and box out."
KAILUA
Coach: Ramona Takahashi
Key players: Kristen Corrales (5-4, sr., point guard); Ashley Jacobs (5-4, jr., shooting guard).
Notes: Corrales, a four-year varsity starter, can slash, drive and shoot. She will play the point, wing and forward. ... Jacobs, a three-year varsity member, is the long-range threat ... Kahea Chang (5-10, sr., center) will be counted on inside. ... The Surfriders lost only two seniors off of last year's team.
Coach speak: "We have a deep bench. We can go 10 players strong, depending on what we need. We'll play uptempo and use our bench."
KAISER
Coach: Glen Higuchi
Key players: Kristyn Mathewson (5-5, sr., shooting guard); Leandra Poole (5-6, sr., post); Bailey Miller (5-6, jr., post).
Notes: The Cougars are short on numbers. Chelsea Okuma, the team's top player last season, will focus on soccer this season and see limited time on the court. ... In a preseason game against Campbell, Kaiser had only six players suit up (four had band commitments; two were injured). ... Three player were on the court after three fouled out.
Coach speak: "We'll do the best we can, that's it. I don't have speed, I don't have height and I don't have a shooter. It'll be a struggle, but it's based on teamwork."
MCKINLEY
Coach: Abel Werner
Key players: Crystal Tafai (5-9, sr., forward); Pearly Togiai (5-9, sr., forward); Jackie Tihano (4-7, so., guard); Kylie Sato (5-3, so., guard)
Notes: The Tigers have four returning starters (see above). ... Tihano is a solid shooter. ... Werner, a 2004 McKinley graduate, is one of the state's youngest coaches at 21. ... McKinley boys basketball coach Bob Morikuni will be assisting Werner. ... Werner will assist Morikuni for the boys.
Coach speak: "As a coaching staff we feel pretty good about our experience, but we lack depth. We play seven girls only. We'd like to play uptempo."
THOMPSON
Coach: Chris Sumiye
KEY PLAYERS: NONE
Notes: Thompson has three juniors, two sophomores and two freshmen. ... A majority of them had never played organized basketball prior to high school.
Coach speak: "It's a challenge because of the nature of Myron B. Thompson being an on-line school. I have a lot of respect for the students. They travel an hour, hour-and-a-half to get to practice, and practice for a couple of hours, then catch the bus and spend an hour, hour-and-a-half to get home."
WAIALUA
COACH: SANDI CARROLL
Key players: Kimberly Meyerowitz (5-7, sr., forward); Brittney Basilio (5-6, sr., guard).
Notes: The Bulldogs have eight seniors. Carroll was an assistant on the JV team the past two seasons. ... Meyerowitz and Basilio, the team's two returning starters, are the team captains. Both have solid all-around skills.
Coach speak: "We're solid all-around, having those eight seniors. We'll play uptempo since we're small here in Waialua."
WAI'ANAE
COACH: KEVIN NAKAMOTO
Key players: Dynasty Ayala (5-5, sr., forward); Chaelyn Manuel (5-2, sr., guard); Beverly Madrid (5-0, so., guard).
Note: There are four sophomores on the roster. ... Ayala, the lone returning starter, is fully recovered after tearing her ACL midway through last season. She is an aggressive rebounder. ... Manuel is a solid outside shooter, and Madrid will run the offense and lead the break.
Coach speak: "We keep telling them achieving our goals depends on how fast we grow up."
WAIPAHU
COACH: NADINE VILLARMIA
Key players: Rashia Chatman (6-1, so., center); Amber Javier (5-0, jr., point guard); Shanice Julio (5-5, so., forward).
Notes: The Marauders have no returning starters. ... Demi Samson and Brendalyn Burb, the team's top returnees, are out for the season with injuries. ... Waipahu's six seniors will come off the bench. ... Chatman has "good potential, but is very raw." Javier is the primary ball-handler and Julio is the most aggressive player.
Coach speak: "We're rebuilding. We're not going to slow it down. We'll play the way we want them to play next year, but they may suffer this year."
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