Maui Basketball Camp A Success!

WAILUKU, Maui - 2009 marked another great summer for the Maui Sports Academy’s Hawaii High School Basketball Exposure Camp, solidifying it once again as the number one basketball camp in the state of Hawaii.

55 (five over the advertised camp capacity) of the state’s top players representing all five interscholastic federations and the top programs such as Iolani, Kamehameha-Kapalama, Punahou, Kalaheo, Kailua, Radford and Baldwin participated in the weeklong overnight camp held at the Lahaina Civic Center, the longtime home of the Maui Invitational college basketball tournament.

The camp included four Players of the Year; Lincoln Seto (MIL, Baldwin), Dakota Allen (BIIF, Waiakea), Darrell Lee (OIA Red West, Radford) and Christian Mendonza (OIA White West, Waianae) as well as Kainoa Chu (1st team ILH, Iolani), Marcus Monroe (1st Team OIA, Moanalua), Angelo Berardy (1st Team OIA, Kalani) and Dylan King and Michael Palmer (1st Team MIL DII, Seabury Hall), among others.

The camp again boasted a stellar coaching staff, which included former Iolani and Washington State University standout Derrick Low, as well as two other Hawaii high school graduates currently playing at mainland universities; Cody Tesoro (Baldwin/Linfield College) and Justin Endo (Seabury Hall/Webster University).

Mainland college coaches included Kaniela Aiona, formerly of the Big Island, of Lake Forrest College (IL), Casey Kushiyama, formerly of Oahu, of Whitworth University (OR), Mike Siener of Webster University (MO), Chad Lance of Missouri Valley College, Jim Herrera of Foothill College (CA), Steven Taylor of Linfield College (OR) along with camp director Alan Walls.

At the conclusion of the camp championship teams were crowned and various camp award winners were honored. The top prize was the Camper of the Week award which goes to not only one of the top players at the camp but also one that displays a great work ethic, self-discipline and a high level of character. In what was a tough vote by the coaches, the 2009 COW award went to Andrew Skalman of Iolani School.

The Coach of the Week award was given to camp rookie and MVC head coach Chad Lance. Coach Lance showed great enthusiasm all week and really got the campers excited about playing basketball.

The Lunch Box award, given to the camp’s hardest worker who competes and practices with a blue-collar work ethic and “brings his lunch box to work everyday,” was given to camp veteran Richard Handy of Keaau High School on the Big Island.

Participating in the annual Camp All-Star Game were: Lincoln Seto (Baldwin), Mitchel Shintani (Waiakea), Dean Viena (St. Louis), Darrell Lee, Michael Palmer, Micha Dunhour (Honokaa), Jacob Mayer (Maryknoll), Malik Johnson (Punahou), Dylan King, Mike Tuiloma (St. Louis), Kainoa Chu, Chris Gambill (Honokaa), Richard Handy and Andrew Skalman. Point Guard Michael Palmer was named the All-Star Game MVP.

The 5-on-5 League Champions were coached by Steven Taylor and Cody Tesoro and led by team MVP Andrew Skalman. Also on the team were: Darrell Lee, Michael Foster (Waianae), Frank Ho (KS-Kapalama), Theo Duplechain (Island Pacific), Bradey Norman (King Kekaulike), Hunter Lee (St. Joseph) and Dakota Allen.

Taking home the 3-on-3 League Championship were Darrell Lee, Tevin Togami (Le Jardin), Quentin Kimura (Radford) and Garrett Wiseman (Seabury Hall).

Without a doubt the 5-day camp was a huge success and all 55 campers and 10 coaches did an outstanding job, continuing to improve on the success of the previous camps and setting the bar high for next summer’s campers.


Yours in hoops,

Alan Walls
Owner/Camp Director - Maui Sports Academy

1419 Kilohi Street
Wailuku, Hawaii 96793

Economic Times Just an Excuse To Pass Leagues Wish List

The HIADA meetings are in full swing and reported is the attempt to cut down the state tournament field from 12 to 8 teams. On the surface it looks like the state athletic directors have benevolent pursuits in this change. However, it is no secret that the larger Oahu leagues have always wanted to cut the field down since the birth of the new division II championship tournament. The main goal of these Oahu leagues is to make the division I tournament an eight team elite tournament. With such a small field, the tournament could be done in three days. Sounds like a real cost cutting move to save an extra day.

The cost of travel for outer island teams to the HHSAA tournaments the last couple of years have been funded by the parents and fundraisers not the leagues themselves. So there is no significant savings in cost reduction. This field reduction only alleviates the hardship on outer island parents.
But if you were to ask the parents if they would have it any other way, they would gladly tell you they very much would honor such an achievement and raise the funds appropriately some way.

Ask the HHSAA if they reduce the field, then align it this way; two berths for the BIIF, MIL, OIA and ILH for division I and the same for division II with KIF added and one ILH berth eliminated. There would be so much opposition from the ILH and the OIA.

The HHSAA tournament is about showcasing the states best league teams and getting a good cross section of teams represented. It is not about having the best 12 or 8 teams in the state. This should not be the goal of the tournament.

Again, let us not use the economic issue as an excuse to pass hidden agendas of the past.

Tagalicod set to play for another Coach Cooper

Vicky Tagalicod, the BIIF’s most prominent female basketball player to dawn a Hilo High Viking uniform leaves for California in a few weeks. She will take some summer courses and expect to train at the multi million dollar sports facility at USC. USC Women’s Coach Mark Trakh resigned and was replaced by Michael Cooper.

Cooper comes with a lot of playing and coaching experience. Cooper played for the vaunted “Showtime” Los Angeles Lakers of the 80’s, where he helped them win five NBA Championships. His NBA career lasted 12 years as he played with players like Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Kurt Rambis and James Worthy. Cooper was known for his defensive skills and was instrumental in shutting down the Lakers opponents’ best scorer. Cooper takes over a USC Women’s program that was 17-12 and reached the conference finals. Cooper also coached in the WNBA where he guided the Los Angeles Sparks to two WNBA Championships in 2001-02. Cooper who has spoken to Tagalicod expects much from the much heralded freshman. Tagalicod was a three time all State first team player and also a fab 15 state selection. She also was named first team BIIF three years. While playing for Hilo High School, she played three years for assistant coach Gary Cooper (no relation). Gary Cooper was also a good defensive specialist in his playing days. Maybe the two Coopers share more common than we know. For Tagalicod it will be a great opportunity to play for a coach who has played on championship teams and also coached champions

Edwards and Dela Cruz Brought Out the Best In Each Other

Although rivals on the track, Jacob Edwards and Thomas Dela Cruz have benefited from their rivalry in Hawaii High School Hurdles. Jacob Edwards made history for the BIIF leading the small rural school – Ka’u High School to a seventh place finish in the 2009 HHSAA Track & Field Championships. It is the highest finish by the rural high school for team standings. Edwards captured the gold in both the 110 and 300 hurdle events. Capturing silver in both events was Hilo High’s Thomas Dela Cruz.

Dela Cruz sat out his senior year in basketball where he lettered on the varsity squad last year. He wanted to concentrate on track where he had a promising future. Dela Cruz bolstered Hilo High into capturing the HHSAA boys’ bronze team medal (3^rd place overall). That was the highest finish for a BIIF school in many years.

All year Dela Cruz and Edwards were neck to neck in competition and changed slots several times at different meets. Both outdistanced the next closest competitors in the BIIF. If it were not for this rivalry, both would have not recorded these best times.

In essence they pushed themselves to the HHSAA one- two finish….in both events. Edwards only a junior most likely has a chance to repeat may go for three, maybe four gold medals next year. However, unless another Dela Cruz steps up to push Edwards, it may not be the same.

Dela Cruz also has ties to the small rural district of Ka’u. Thomas’ father Thomas Dela Cruz senior was a multi sport athlete and amateur boxer from Naalehu and graduated from Ka’u High School.

Like champion boxers Thomas Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvin Hagler, Edwards and Dela Cruz needed each other to bring their game to new heights.

Coming out of the small district has been only a small hurdle for these sensational athletes.

Ka'u Connection is Solid -Hawaii Sports Page -Must Read, Athlete ties to the small district