Ahead of tomorrow’s Star-Advertiser girls basketball Top 10, here’s how I voted.
Pupule’s ballot
BKG 1/13/14
1. LAH (21-1)
2. PUN (8-2)
3. MS (14-2)
4. KS (10-3)
5. ROS (11-2)
6. MIL (17-2)
7. KON (18-3)
8. HIL (12-5)
9. IOL (10-6)
10. HON (18-9)
Summary: The Lady Lunas’ 51-50 win over Punahou may not mean a thing to the HHSAA seeding committee come February. For me, it’s the difference on my ballot. Punahou is on a roll after beating a lot of quality teams, the latest being Maryknoll. … Why Maryknoll at No. 3? The Spartans split with Punahou so far, and their only other loss was to a powerhouse Long Beach Poly team at the ‘Iolani Classic. They also have wins over Hilo 54-43, Kamehameha 35-33, ‘Iolani 42-33. … Kamehameha is in adjustment mode with the loss of point guard Tiare Kanoa. They’re 2-1 since her knee injury. The Warriors have the depth at guard to handle tough defensive pressure, and they’ve still got one of the premier playmakers in the state, Aloha Robins-Hardy. … The 5 through 7 spots are a Bermuda Triangle of sorts. Roosevelt, Mililani and Konawaena, and even Hilo are very even. (And you can throw in ‘Iolani, too.) Mililani has beaten Konawaena 49-41, but hasn’t played Roosevelt yet. Roosevelt lost to Konawaena 57-54, but hasn’t lost in almost two months during a nine-game win streak, and its only other loss has been to No. 2 Punahou. … Konawaena could beat any team in the state thanks to prolific scoring guard Chanelle Molina. Since losing to Kamehameha (with Kanoa) 46-44 and Mililani, the Wildcats haven’t lost in six weeks, winning six in a row. Much as Molina is dominant as a scorer, lack of experience and depth is a major issue. This might be Bobbie Awa’s biggest challenge ever. … Unlike last year’s state tourney, the element of surprise is no longer with Hilo. Though there’s are wins over Mililani 43-42 and ‘Iolani 58-48, there are losses to Maryknoll 54-43, Kamehameha 55-24 and Konawaena 58-45. The Vikings are scrappy and have an elite player in Aaliyah Pana, but the lack of size means precision and execution are at a premium. … ‘Iolani can shoot threes with the best of them, but the Raiders are also living and dying by them, which has led to wins over a lot of middling teams and losses to title contenders Punahou, Kamehameha and Maryknoll. With a 3-3 league mark, the Raiders are almost out of the regular-season title race (and the reward of an automatic state berth). That means their best shot at the state tourney is winning the ILH tournament.
Bubbly: Moanalua (10-5), lost to Honokaa 55-48; Nanakuli (10-3), lost to Moanalua 49-46; Leilehua (11-4), beat Nanakuli 35-26, lost to Moanalua 59-37; Kaiser (6-9), lost to Nanakuli, Honokaa, Moanalua, Kailua; Kailua (9-5), lost to HBA, Farington, Moanalua.
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