Pupule’s Top 10 ballot
BKB 2/10/14
1. FAR (22-4)
2. MS (22-3)
3. IOL (17-7)
4. PUN (21-4)
5. KS (18-9)
6. BAL (19-3)
7. HPA (15-3)
8. KLH (24-7)
9. KON (19-4)
10. STF (17-11)
First, a disclaimer.
My ballot is not scientific. I use head-to-head play as a primary criteria, but after Team A beats Team B which beats Team C, then Team C beats Team A… well, it becomes a bunch of guesses.
So, if you have a problem with my ballot, I understand. But please feel free to post your Top 10 so I can see where you may be coming from. Polls and ballots are whipped cream. Not much nutritional value, but fun to eat.
Now for my ballot. Farrington beat Maryknoll 90-83 (OT) at the ILH-OIA Challenge. Both teams had their full lineups. It was and still is the BEST game I’ve seen in preps this season. No surprise there. The top four teams are so good and even, picking one is like splitting hairs. So my ultimate criteria among these four is simple: At full strength, who has proven to be (slightly) better and best?
That would be Farrington. They aren’t perfect, as the close game with Moanalua last night showed (Moanalua played an awesome game, btw). But they do NOT implode. And that lack of poise from time to time is Maryknoll’s kryptonite, as it was in the loss to Farrington.
HPA moves up the list after a 53-52 win over Konawaena. At Konawaena. Impressive. And that’s the only time those two teams will meet since HPA is in D-II.
The 10 spot wasn’t easy. Unlike the girls’ game this season, the boys’ side has a lot of teams in this tier. Saint Louis continues to play good basketball, but they consistently lose close and eventually, you need wins. St. Francis struggled for awhile, but is now back to ruling ILH D-II. They have lot of quality wins — and losses — as do teams like … well, not a lot of teams do.
Bubbly
• Lahainaluna is a solid second in the MIL, still no signature win. Two losses to Maui, two L’s to Baldwin. One L to KS-Maui.
• Campbell has really improved since preseason. My ballot and the poll were done before Campbell’s impressive comeback win over Kalaheo in the OIA Red semifinals on Tuesday.
• Moanalua. Much like STL and LAH, a good team that hasn’t posted a lot of signature wins. Yet. They almost did it last night against Farrington.
• Mililani lost to Moanalua last week.
• Damien lost to STF last week.
• Kailua lost to Leilehua.
• Waiakea. Good team. I remember Lucas St. George being a factor as a sophomore when the Warriors played at Moanalua’s tourney.
Who else belongs here?
Hey Paul,
Lahainaluna does have the one win over Baldwin, not sure if you’d qualify that as a “signature” win. Also, they have not lost to Kamehameha-Maui. The swept all meetings this season. KSM’s lone league win was against Maui High.
So maryknoll loses the top spot from last weekend after beating iolani punahou and kamehameha and zero loses? Shouldn’t Farrington been ahead of maryknoll last week also? You clearly don’t use head to head every week especially when you ranked kamehameha #1. You don’t have to be scientific, but you could at least be consistent.
Maryknoll iolani Farrington punahou bal kal hpa kon Kam were my top teams in order. You clearly overrate Kam as they continue to get their lickings against the Spartans.
Man, are you kidding? Like I noted in a recent comment, this is NOT science, but man I do try.
As for overrating a team that beat the No. 1 and No. 3 team in one week, nope. They deserved a good ranking. Then they lost to Saint Louis and slipped. Nothing wrong with teams going up and down, Steve.
Did you just list Kalani (“Kal”) ahead of HPA, Konawaena and Kamehameha on your list?
I meant kaleheo sorry.
I’m not asking for science, just a little consistency. Not sure how you can notch marryknoll below Farmington this week when they were 3 spots ahead them last week especially when maryknoll played the tougher schedule over the past 2 weeks. How does the number 1 drop when it didn’t lose and won the regular season title in a tougher league?
Lahainaluna is 21-9 with three of those losses to mainland teams. They have beaten Baldwin and Waiakea which I would rank as signature. They did not lose to Kamehameha Maui
Paul just curious how much weight to you put in preseason meetings. I figure you put Farrington over Maryknoll (who didn’t do anything to drop) because Farrington won in the preseason against them. It was a great game to watch (Thank you ScoringLive), but it’s still the preseason in my book. Yeah just wondering how much stock you put into preseason meetings.
I didn’t see the pre-season game between Farrington and Maryknoll, but I did watch each team play. As far as Farrington, I don’t think they are worthy of the #1 spot. If Campbell had a decent coach, they may have won. Example: You can’t attack Farrington’s 1-2-2 zone defense with a 1-2-2 offense. You should have known that Farrington was something like 8 out of 20 shooting from the free throw line in this game. Should have fouled earlier. Anyway congrats Farrington. And Maryknoll. I would probably have to say they are #1. Hate to do that when your team consist of 2 players. But they are 2 damn good players. Tonights game will determine in my mind Maryknoll and Iolani’s seed in the states. Iolani game plans against Maryknoll well. Iolani has a legitimate shot of beating Maryknoll twice.
3Sec, here’s your chance to see FAR-MS.
Video: http://www.hawaiiprepworld.com/boys-basketball/video-farrington-vs-maryknoll/
TJ, here’s the video I shot of the fourth quarter and OT between Farrington and Maryknoll.
http://www.hawaiiprepworld.com/boys-basketball/video-farrington-vs-maryknoll/
Both teams were healthy and every player was available (no football obligations off-island).
I put enough stock in any game between two teams. You can make excuses for the losing team in any matchup, but HEAD TO HEAD does matter to me. Can you find a reason to brush off Farrington’s win? It was close and it was a great game to watch. But I’m not going to blow it off as “preseason.” It was one game, nothing more, nothing less. You’re pushing the “less” a bit much.
Consistency? In a poll?
Steve, polls and ballots are about adjusting to what happens on the court. For me, a lot of it is about head-to-head competition. I posted my ballot, flaws and all. But unless you post your Top 10, it’s all moot. There’s nothing to compare. Let’s see how consistent you are. I can’t argue against Maryknoll at No. 1 based on the strength of their accomplishments. The Spartans are having a great season. But I can make an argument for Farrington, which beat Maryknoll.
It was a great game, look at the start of the third quarter and you will see Maryknoll get shorted a point. School put in a dispute/complaint, HHSAA said it was preseason. Mona’s staff would answer. You may change your mind if you new they lost 76 to 75 on Joshua Burnett’s three pointer. It was not Farrington’s error, but they were help by it. What would Farrington’s record be if they had to play the ILH regular season with no weeks off while play Div II team.
Please check.
One point changes everything, so that’s pretty sad that the mistake happened.
As for projecting things like what if Maryknoll were in the OIA or Farrington in the ILH, that’s interesting. But this post is about ballots and Top 10 polls. I’m still waiting to see more of your Top 10s, people. Anybody?
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Then all I ask is how was maryknoll 1 last week and then dropped to number 2 this week when neither team lost? Farrington beat maryknoll 2 months ago. Shouldn’t have farrinngton been above maryknoll last week also if that was your argument? Maryknoll had tougher games than Farrington last week and they still dropped a spot?
This is like your kamehameha being ranked #1 over maryknoll, cherry picking events in the distant past to rationalize your picks.
Uhh Steve …
1. I picked Kamehameha No. 1 right after they had knocked off the No. 1 and No. 3 teams in the Top 10. There was no “cherry picking,” but if I do ever cherry pick, so what? Cherries are good compared to what you offer, which is no list of 10.
2. Did Farrington and Maryknoll play yet this season? Who won that game? That’s head-to-head and it was a great game — won by Farrington. Next time, it could be Maryknoll. Either way wouldn’t surprise me.
But what’s getting old is that you still haven’t posted your list for this week. If you did, I missed it. Please post it. Pretty please?
I did post it and you replied to it asking why I put kalani there but I meant kalaheo instead.
And maryknoll beat kamehameha by a huge margin and you still ranked maryknoll below Kam. You make zero sense.
Nothing wrong with Farrington being nber 1. But u fail to answer the question how Farrington was below maryknoll last week and now above maryknoll this week when NEITHER team lost during that week and yet maryknoll played the tougher schedule. So i will repeat myself again. Farrington did beat maryknoll a whopping 2 months ago. So please explain how Farrington was below maryknoll 2 weeks ago and then jumped ahead of maryknoll this week without even playing them again?
Your justifications for bumping Farrington up to number 1 contradicts itself when you couldn’t justify maryknoll being number 1 over kamehameha when kamehameha lost to maryknoll! The hypocrisy is obvious.
OK, Steve, my bad. I’m confusing guys now.
1. I liked what Farrington did in the past few weeks just a wee bit more than what Maryknoll has done. They’re two outstanding teams, but in my book, Farrington is playing better basketball right now. More balanced (low post), more composed (by far). And yet, they could lose to Maryknoll and that wouldn’t surprise me.
2. You can call me a hypocrite. I won’t deny that my thoughts about my ballot change week to week. As a voter, I retain that right. Helllllll yeeeah. I might add this, Steve. This is a ballot about high school basketball. Yet you choose to use the word “hypocrisy”, which is about moral standards, beliefs and behavior.
Is everything all right in there?
Jordan, thanks for the clarification! Helps a lot, though I hear the Luna boys lost tonight.
OK, got a better look at your 10, Steve. Let’s see…
1. Maryknoll
2. ‘Iolani
3. Farrington
4. Punahou
5. Baldwin
6. Kalaheo (corrected)
7. HPA
8. Konawaena
9. Kamehameha
You’re missing one team. You mentioned that Kamehameha is “overrated” because they keep getting “lickings” from Maryknoll. This mentality is the product of an ILH-oriented thinker. In your mind, since KS hasn’t beaten MS, you should punish KS on your ballot? This is a list of the 10 best teams, period. Not of the 10 teams that MS has beaten or played.
Open your mind, young Steve. Open your mind. There is a wondrous world out there. Now please add a 10th team before we move on to next week.