1) Iolani – defending champs until they lose. Returns arguably top player in Hawaii, Lily Wahinekapu. She will be surrounded by her sister Jovi Lefotu, the Huntimer twins, Kylie Yung, and Kyra Tanabe. Iolani at times like to go 5 guards which gives other teams fit. They like to play fast and spread the floor. Huntimer the pg creates for others and is surrounded by an abundance of scorers. 3 of their players have D1 offers, so this team is stacked. Wu graduated so let’s see who steps up as leaders for this team.

2) Waiākea – the defending BIIF champs brought it championship caliber Alika Smith. Coach Smith is surrounded by tons of talent. Everything starts with all state and UH commit, Kelsie Imai. She creates pace well and is Uber competitive. She can get to the hole, create shots for others, and hit timely outside shots. Her spirits rubs off on teammates. Waiakea has Destynee Williams, a very athletic slasher, and posts Keeli Smith and Jazzie Dorser surrounding her. Smith and Dorser are battle tested. This team is deep with Cabutbut and Honma. Assistant Coach Meyer’s daughter Alexa Meyer adds some extra outside shooting. Coach Smith’s winning pedigree could push this team over the top after being eliminated early last year in states.

3) Konawaena – Caylie Kaupu worked on her game and now steps out to 20+ feet. She is arguably the best player inside the post in the state. PG Salazar had an outstanding summer and has some D2 colleges looking at her. Her fearless play will help them in the top heavy BIIF. Freshman Braelyn Kauhi will bring an extra offensive dimension to this team. She can step out to 30 feet and is 5’11. That’s a mismatch for most teams. Coach Awa is the winningest coach in Hawaii history. Their kids compete, are never overwhelmed by the moment, and could possibly win states.

4) Kamehameha – Kapalama – Malie Marfil is in my opinion a top 3 player in the state. She can step out and hit 3’s. She can also take smaller guards inside and finish at the rim. Lagi is a nighmare for other posts. She competes, is versatile, and has a motor. She can score at the rim and defend multiple positions. Kapalama is loaded on the perimeter. Feary is an unsung player who stuffs the stats sheets and makes winning plays. Masaki, Pratt, and Naum compliment Marfil nicely and can all play a multitude of wing positions. They are long and can make significant offensive contributions at times.

5) Maryknoll – This team is still loaded without Tanuvasa. Had Tanuvasa returned, this is a top 3 team with as good a chance to win states as anyone else. They are still solid. Serenity Moananu is set to have a break out season. She can play inside and outside. She is sturdy enough to take girls into the block and nimble enough to step out to the perimeter. The Akaka twins have been improving every year. Both have college interest and it’s not surprising. They are a nightmare to guard. They are athletic, skilled, have a high level motor, and just make plays. A player to watch is Lily Koki. She traveled with 808 Basketball and had a really nice summer. She will be thurst into the PG position. I believe she will do well over the season. Faleafine from Maui brings some size. Other players like Neuman provide much needed depth.

6) Punahou – This team is loaded and deep. Tati Reyes is one of the top players on this team and arguably a top 6-8 player in the state. You can go 5 out or 4 around 1 with her in the game. When she is on, she has to be double teamed. She can shoot beyond the 3, has a nice mid range game, can handle the ball, and can score inside with traffic. Last year she played under 10 minutes. Hopefully their coach will feature her in their offense. She is that good. Mel Lum is one of the pg’s in the state. She has a gas tank that never gets empty. She plays 94 feet and is an outstanding ball handler. She can shoot and finish among the trees. Defensively, she can hound the opponents guards. There are tons of young players that should contribute. Tanea, Laynee, Shania, and Kuualoha. All 4 should get meaningful playing time to make their rotation much deeper. A nice guard they have is Hannah. She is physical for her size and might breakout this year.

7. Lahainaluna – Todd Rickard is a winner. That alone makes Lahaina a team to beat yearly. The Akamine Twins are outstanding. They can dribble and hit open j’s. They play uptempo, push the ball, and get after it defensively. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Lahaina in the final 4.

8. Hilo – Keirstyn Agonias might be the best player many people haven’t heard about. She is long and athletic. When dialed in, she can get to the hole against anyone. PG Kawaha is solid. She takes care of the ball and plays fast. Defensively she gets after it. Collins is a really good outside shooter if you leave her open. And Galimo makes plays outside and at the rim. She is a really nice complementary scorer to Agonias. Finally, Midel bring senior leadership and can also score at times.

9. Kahuku – Leiah Naeata. 33 points in the OIA title game last year. Divison 1 interest from several schools. Plays with a chip on her shoulder. She is surrounded by athletes and she is pretty much a one woman team. She will make plays and will bring another OIA title back to Kahuku.

10. Kaiser – New coach, new roster. Pretty solid roster. Blakeney is solid in the post. When she’s on, she is a tough guard. New PG from STF is not bad. Tsue and Hill can make plays and provide some outside scoring. Akiona would have been huge for this team before her injury.

Can someone please do their research. Jalen Tanuvasa moved to Las Vegas a while ago. Kalena tore her ACL is out for the season. Alayna transferred to Kaiser.

thanks, it has been corrected.