Kapolei Fields New Talent For Varsity Basketball Team
By Jack Danilewicz
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Del.icio.usOne in a series of prep basketball previews.
The by-product of a breakthrough season on the basketball court is usually a larger pool to choose from at tryouts the next time around, and that was certainly the case when the Hurricanes began preparations for the 2008-09 season.
“Whenever you come off a winning season, you have a lot more (interest),” said Gary Ellison, who was greeted by 32 varsity hopefuls. “It was one of the hardest tryouts we’ve ever had. We held four days instead of three because the talent level was so equal as far as guards go.”
That can only be good news for the Hurricane Nation because, in the area of game experience at least, Kapolei will not find itself on equal footing against many of its opponents this month during preseason play, having lost four of five starters to graduation last spring from a team that went 10-5 and recorded the program’s first OIA post-season win in the school’s short history.
The fifth starter, Keanu Montez, transferred to Kamehameha, leaving the Hurricanes with an entirely new lineup for last weekend’s McKinley tournament.
The coach is hoping the Hurricanes can overcome their inexperience through their deep talent pool.“The strength of this team is its athleticism,“said Ellison,who was named the Red West’s Coach of the Year last season after leading Kapolei to a 9-3 regular-season record.“It’s the most athletic group we’ve ever had, and it’s a group that plays together as a team. We won’t ever have to worry about individualism with this team.”
Despite the loss of all five starters, the team nevertheless has some leadership to build off of with seniors Magic Halmos and Jordan Ferreira back in the fold. Halmos is a shooting guard who also can play the three-spot, while Ferreira is a small forward who also will play on the wing.
“He (Halmos) is one of the most athletic kids in the school,” Ellison said.“His strength is his athleticism, and he makes sure everyone plays within the team concept and not out there doing their own thing.
“This will be Jordan’s third year on varsity,” he added of Ferreira. “The main thing he brings is his experience. That’s a big plus for us.”
Filling the void left behind by Montez’s departure will likely be junior Nathaniel Osada, who was not part of the program last year.
“He’s one of our first true point guards, and he’ll make a difference for us,“Ellison said.“He understands his role and the roles of everyone on the team. He brings a lot of smarts to the basketball court for us.”
Senior guard Pomai Mero also returns and figures to see his playing time expand after serving as a reserve last season.“He understands the game, and he learns fast. This year, we’re looking for him to be a leader.”
Ellison also is high on freshmen Austin Gaskins and Luke Kaumatule. Both could find their way into the lineup by Kapolei’s Red West opener at Leilehua Jan. 2.
“Austin is 6-3 and extremely athletic,” Ellison said.“He has no fear. Either of them could start.”
Newcomers Spencer Fountain and Michael Medeiros also are in the mix for playing time, after both were cut during tryouts in the past.
“Spencer was actually cut three years in a row, but he kept improving until he could make the team. Michael improves every single day. I’ve never seen a kid improve so fast in practice.”
Last year, the Hurricanes emphasized an uptempo game after having been a half-court team in 2006-07.With a roster stocked with solid guards again this year, Ellison said the fast-paced approach is here to stay.
“We’ll pick up the tempo even more this year - our kids love to run up and down,” he said.
The Hurricanes, who were to play at Kahuku Tuesday, continue their preseason at 6:30 p.m. Thursday when they host Waianae. A trip to Hawaii Baptist Academy follows on Saturday, with Nanakuli scheduled to visit Dec. 27 to close out the pre-season slate.
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