Boys basketball

By Paul Honda It could be a spectacular week for the Kahuku Red Raiders. Or the Mililani Trojans. A loss tonight eliminates one of them. Then comes a matchup with Moanalua on Thursday. A victory there and it’s a championship game on Saturday for the Oahu Interscholastic Association Red Conference crown. There are some complaints about the multitude of playoff games in the OIA since it adopted a double-elimination format last season. Me? I love it. Though I still have […]

It ain’t simple, but it makes sense. The Interscholastic League of Honolulu has become a bit of a loner when it comes to sound and sensible playoff formats. The ILH still rewards its regular-season winner with an automatic state berth; the OIA hasn’t done that in ages (if ever) and the BIIF dropped the automatic berth this season due to budget restraints. So, when Trevyn Tulonghari’s 3-pointer gave ‘Iolani a last-second 50-49 win over Kamehameha on Saturday, the Raiders claimed […]

Some notes on tonight’s key battle for second place — and a state-tournament berth — in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu between Kamehameha and Punahou. Defending state champ Kamehameha (20-5) is ranked No. 3 in the Star-Bulletin Boys Basketball Top 10. Punahou (19-3) is No. 2. • The game is at Punahou with a tipoff time of 6:30 p.m. There won’t be a lot of homecourt advantage, though. Kamehameha won at Hemmeter Fieldhouse on Jan. 29, 60-49, behind 19 points […]

In some circles, fundamental basketball is considered corny. Boring. Anti-fun. The Moanalua boys think otherwise. They move the ball upcourt after misses and makes alike. Passes first, dribbles second on most possessions, since passes cover more ground in less time. Whether it was Josiah Kauhola or Marcus Keene or any other Menehune ballhandler, the ball got upcourt as fast as any team has done it all season. The result? Forty-nine first-half points en route to an 84-64 win over fifth-ranked […]

By Paul Honda For a half, Kailua was brilliant. En fuego. The Surfriders went inside-out, pounding it down to massive Jordan DeCorte for his feathery-soft bank shots (12 first-half points). Rhys Nakakura caught fire (nine points), speedy Corey Lau weaved in and around traffic (four assists) and even reserve Luis Valenzuela chipped in a 3-pointer as Kailua zoomed to a 34-17 lead by intermission. Kailua was 14-for-23 from the field (61 percent), 3-for-6 from the arc, owned an 18-4 edge […]

It’s one thing to knock off the frontrunners of your division, as the Leilehua Mules have done lately. It’s another to take the court, as they did at Moanalua last night, with a combination of height and athleticism in the front court, and good ballhandling in the backcourt. Leilehua is a team built to upset a season-long elite squad, which is what Moanalua is. It’s what makes the playoffs that much more interesting. For several minutes in the second quarter, […]

Some additional notes and thoughts on last night’s battle at Kekuhaupi‘o Gym, a 67-63 win by No. 3 ‘Iolani over No. 1  Kamehameha. • ‘Iolani led big early and fought off a few Kamehameha runs. The visitors used straight halfcourt man-to-man defense from the opening tip and zoomed to a quick 14-5 lead. Kamehameha chipped away and took its first lead, 21-20, on a Christenson pull-up jumper midway through the second quarter. • ‘Iolani closed out the first half with an 9-0 […]