Inactivity doesn’t hurt ILH in S-B poll

Consolidation is in effect. When the Star-Bulletin Girls Basketball Top 10 was unveiled three weeks ago, 19 teams got at least one point in the voting by coaches and media.

Today, that number is down to 14. Why the sudden change?

There is a vast amount of turnover across the leagues, even within elite programs. Graduation and injuries have whittled down many teams, and there aren't many powerful new upstarts waiting to pounce.

That's why, even with 16 days of inactivity, Iolani still dominates the Top 10. The Raiders collected 18 of 19 first-place votes, and the only other No. 1 ballot went to two-time defending state champion Punahou.

In fact, when ILH teams last played, the league was represented in the Top 10 at No. 1, No. 3 and No. 5. Today, two nights before the league finally returns to action, there are ILH teams at No. 1, No. 2 and No. 6 -- virtually no change.

Moral of the story: Voters, many of whom had plenty of opportunity to scout OIA teams recently, aren't impressed enough yet with them to start demoting ILH squads.

Riding high

The Roosevelt Rough Riders are rolling smoothly even though they have yet to put together a truly great game in the eyes of coach Bobby Keanini.

After going 7-2 before the Oahu Interscholastic Association regular season began, Roosevelt has won its first five league games.

Keanini's team shot 1-for-23 from 3-point range and still managed to beat Kaimuki, then struggled at times in a minor upset of then-No. 2 Kalani. Then came a solid win at Moanalua, and now the voters are impressed.

Roosevelt zoomed up three notches to No. 4 today. Perhaps most notable isn't Roosevelt's lack of height or inconsistent shooting. It's the fact that Keanini takes risks to net high rewards, and his players respond well.

He moved point guard Dianna Zane to the low post against Kalani, and she promptly became a weapon. After drawing fouls down low, Zane attracted helpside defenders, then kicked the ball out to teammates like Tiyana Nakasone for open 3-point shots.

Best for last?

Kahuku, under coach Peni Latu, has relied heavily this season on fullcourt pressure to create easy baskets.

However, against Kalani on Saturday, the Raiders backed off into a halfcourt, man-to-man defense. They still scored a lot in transition. However, they didn't tinker defensively, and Kalani got into a groove, rallying from a 41-36 deficit for a resounding 17-point victory.

Perhaps it was a respect for Kalani's ballhandling skills that factored in Latu's decision. The host Falcons were surprised.

"I wanted them to press," Kalani coach Darold Imanaka said. "We can break it."

It was Kalani, actually, that offered a variety of presses before pulling back into an effective zone in the final quarter.

Will Kahuku let go of the leashes and press Kalani when they meet for a second time?

Latu won't say for sure, though he promised there would be some tweaks to the game plan.

---