Challenging Preseason Should Shape Mules’ Game Plan
By Jack Danilewicz
E-mail this story | Print this page | Comments (0) | Archive | RSS | Share
Del.icio.usIf all goes according to plan for the boys basketball team this season, the Mules will be spending most of their time in the highest gear available.
“We’re going to look to push the ball up the floor more,” said coach Keith Spencer. “The strength of our team will be the back court, so we want to get back to an uptempo game, which we’ve had some success with in the past. We want to get the ball up the floor as fast as we can. Last year, we couldn’t do that.
Our big guys were our strength.”
The Mules, who can officially begin practice Dec. 1, went 8-4 in the OIA West last season, which gave them the league’s fourth seed for post-season. After they beat Kaimuki in an OIA Tournament first-round matchup, they dropped games to Kalaheo and Kapolei, the latter a state tournament play-in game, to close out their season.
Spencer is counting on veterans Hoku Kama, Andrew Manley and Dillon Pau to lead the way early on as he looks to solidify his rotation. He’s also hoping a 12-game preseason schedule will enable him to better evaluate his team. Except for a Dec. 16 home date with Castle, the entire slate will come by way of tournaments. Besides the James Allegre tourney at Radford, they also play in the Iolani Classic and Merv Lopes Classic. A game with LeFlore High School of Mobile, Ala., Dec. 17 as part of the Iolani Classic will highlight the schedule. LeFlore has the nation’s top-rated prep forward by recruiting services, 6-foot-11 Demarcus Cousins.
Kama and Manley both still are involved in football but figure to join the team well before preseason games begin. Kama is one of three starters returning to the basketball team and should be instrumental in implementing the uptempo approach. Spencer hasn’t ruled out a four-guard system alongside one post player. As part of dictating the pace of their games, they also are hoping their best offense will be their defense.
“We’ll press full court and use a half-court trap and mix up our defense, as always. We have to utilize our strengths. Right now we’re looking for a five (center) that can get up and down.
“We’re looking at Kama to take on the role of team leader,” Spencer added. “He’s a third-year varsity player and has a good sense of how to play the game. What can you say about Andrew? His athleticism will help us a lot.”
Among the more exciting developments is that of Pau, who started last season in the back court as a freshmen and was one of the West’s top newcomers.
“His strength is that he is a tough kid,” Spencer said. “He plays great on-the-ball pressure defense. We usually assigned him to the other team’s top offensive player. If he can develop a better outside shot, he’ll be an even bigger threat than last year.”
E-mail this story | Print this page | Comments (0) | Archive | RSS
Most Recent Comment(s):
