A State Tournament Tradition Main Goal For Sabers
By Jack Danilewicz
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In basketball, the numbers often tell the story.
At a glance, the Campbell boys basketball team is one of the most explosive offensive teams in the Oahu Interscholastic Association, averaging a whopping 61.0 points per game through its first 11 league games, including a season-high 87 recorded in a win over Radford last month.
As the Sabers get ready for this week’s OIA tournament, however, head coach Glenn Flores is hoping the best offense will be its defense. “The team that plays the best defense will be the team that comes out ahead (in the post-season),” he said. “We’re not playing our best defense yet, but we’re playing better and better. We’ve been able to mix it up between (manto-man) and zone.”
After a slow start that saw them drop their first two games in the OIA West, all is well in the basketball world for Campbell, which has battled through injury issues to win seven of their last eight, heading into last Friday’s finale versus Radford. The Sabers are seeking a fourth straight state tournament appearance, a feat they can achieve by finishing in the top five of the OIA postseason this week.
“The main goal is to try to have a tradition like Kalaheo or Moanalua, where we’re going to the state tournament every year,” said Flores, who is in his first year as head coach after assisting Bobby Samson last season. “We’ve been to the state tournament the last three years or so. That’s what we’re trying to build here.”
The Sabers are hoping veteran leadership can lead the way, beginning this week. In senior guard Mike Makinano, Campbell boasts one of the league’s top scorers. He is currently averaging 22.4 points-per-game and has tallied 31 points on two occasions. In one of those encounters, a 63-53 win over Waianae Jan. 8, he connected on seven 3-pointers.“Look out when Mike’s hot,“Flores said.“We’re hoping he’ll be hot in the tournament.”
Makinano’s supporting cast has centered around Eddie Gaines, Terence Tafai, Zach Manuel, Nicholas Daniels and Christian Storment of late. Injuries have slowed Patrick Ward, who missed Campbell’s first five games after sustaining a high ankle sprain Dec. 26, and guard Joe Atimua, who also missed time with ankle issues, but both could play big roles this week.
Both Gaines, a transfer from Washington state, and Storment, who was moved up at mid-season from JV, have been pleasant surprises for the faithful in the last month.
“Eddie adds another dimension to us,” Flores said of Gaines, who played guard on the Mainland at 6-foot-5.“Teams can’t key on Mike as much because of Eddie and the other kids we have that can help (with scoring). With our injuries, we had some need and brought Christian up, and he’s worked out really well for us.
“We really like the play of (Zach) Manuel,” he added. “He’s been the most consistent player for us, offensively and defensively, running our schemes. We thought he’d be a key contributor, but he’s been far more so than we expected. He’s blossomed quite a bit.”
Flores attributed the Sabers’ strong play during the OIA second round to team cohesiveness.
“Talent-wise, we always had it. It was a matter of being able to play together, which we’re doing now. That’s a big plus. This is the time of the year when it counts.”
The Sabers were to learn of their first-round opponent and seeding for this week’s OIA tournament over the weekend. A No. 4 or 5 seed seemed likely, meaning Campbell would need to win its first two games to guarantee a spot at states. High seeds haven’t always done well in the tournament, as Flores was quick to point out.
“Kaimuki is a good example of that,” he said of the Bulldogs, who won both the OIA and state titles last February after entering the OIA’s postseason as the fourth seed from the East.
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