With The Trojans On The Court, Things Could Get ‘Ugly’

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Mililani head basketball coach Ed Gonzales doesn’t mind forgoing the style points on occasion, if it means putting a better team on the floor.

“All the boys love to get up and down, and they want to play exciting basketball, but we’re going to come across teams that don’t want to run with us, and we have to be able to make the adjustment (to a half-court-oriented game),“Gonzales said.“We want to keep the score in the 30s and 40s, and sometimes it will be ugly.”

The Trojans thrived on the break last season, setting the pace in most of their games en route to an 11-5 season that included a (regular-season) co-championship in the Oahu Interscholastic Red West along with Campbell. Injuries and the grueling double-elimination format of the OIA Tournament took their toll on the Trojans, however, and have led to Gonzales putting the emphasis on “patience” and improving “shot selection” on the offensive end the past several weeks as the Trojans took part in the Kalaheo Summer League.

“Our style has really been to play up-tempo, but we also want to teach them to slow the ball down and make sure that we get a good shot,” Gonzales said. “The ILH teams - the Kamehamehas and the Punahous - they play solid offense in the half court set and do what they have to do. If we want to be an elite team, we have to be able to slow it down and make the other team play defense.”

The Kalaheo Summer League has given the Trojans an opportunity to play against some of the state’s premier programs. In addition to the host Mustangs, who have made 19 straight state tournament appearances, the league also boasts two Punahou teams, two all-star teams, as well as Kahuku, Moanalua, Kailua and Castle. Indeed, nearly every team in the Kalaheo league was either a Division I or Division II state tournament qualifier last February.

Mililani took a 6-3 record into its final game against Kahuku last Friday evening, although Gonzales isn’t measuring success this summer on wins and losses.

“It’s a learning experience for our eight returnees, hopefully,” he said.“It’s not about winning right now. We’re trying to prepare for the post-season of next year.”

Their schemes and execution aside, one of the Trojans’ strengths next winter figures to be their cohesiveness. Having been the head junior varsity coach before taking over the varsity job from Hiram Akina in 2008, Gonzales will be coaching the Trojans’ eight seniors for the fourth straight year, an arrangement that is, indeed, rare.

“Everybody’s on the same wave length,” Gonzales said, “and a lot of these kids are just pure basketball players - they don’t play any other sports - and we’re running the same system as last year, so they’re easy to work with. This summer, we’ve been trying to get everybody equal (playing) time. Every four minutes we’ve got a new five in there. We’re trying to develop a rotation (for next season).”

Among Mililani’s returnees from last year’s team are seniors Brandon Fujinaga, Ed Ocampo, Makena Kahoano, Reginald Griffin, Kekoa Paglinawan, Nick Kunz, Joe McGlamery, Taz Stevenson and junior Hassan Richardson.

Mililani’s 2009-10 season officially begins Nov. 30, the first day prep teams are allowed to practice. Gonzales announced that the Trojans will take part in the Kalaheo Christmas Tournament Dec. 10-12. He also hopes the Trojans will be able to participate in the Merv Lopes Classic, which begins Dec. 29. While the OIA slate is expected to be moved up a week this coming season, creating a potential conflict for the Merv Lopes Classic, Gonzales said the Trojans will have a conference bye that week from league play, enabling Mililani to play in the tournament. The Merv Lopes Classic has become one of the better tournaments on the Island, as it draws its share of Mainland powers.