Boys' and Girls' Basketball '19-'20

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Hooper
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Re: Boys' and Girls' Basketball '19-'20

Post by Hooper »

After watching Akana the past couple of years, I’m still trying to figure out how good he is as a coach. Don’t get me wrong, he’s gets results and wins ball games. However, I’m not sure if it’s because his coaching or because his recruiting. His first year he had 3 D1 players in his starting lineup which is unheard of in Hawaii. In most years we rarely get 3 D1 players in the whole state let alone from one team. Two years ago he had Tolu who carried them to the state championship game but got beaten by Punahou. Last year there weren’t any recruits, although they made the state tournament, they didn’t do very well even though there were 3 starters returning from the previous year. I’m not against Akana, I’m just trying to figure out how good he really is. If you tell me being a good recruiter is a big part of being a good coach I would totally agree with that statement. But if you determine good coaching by crunch time decisions, I need to see more of Kahuku’s games.

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Re: Boys' and Girls' Basketball '19-'20

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Hooper wrote: Tue Jan 21, 2020 9:00 pm After watching Akana the past couple of years, I’m still trying to figure out how good he is as a coach. Don’t get me wrong, he’s gets results and wins ball games. However, I’m not sure if it’s because his coaching or because his recruiting. His first year he had 3 D1 players in his starting lineup which is unheard of in Hawaii. In most years we rarely get 3 D1 players in the whole state let alone from one team. Two years ago he had Tolu who carried them to the state championship game but got beaten by Punahou. Last year there weren’t any recruits, although they made the state tournament, they didn’t do very well even though there were 3 starters returning from the previous year. I’m not against Akana, I’m just trying to figure out how good he really is. If you tell me being a good recruiter is a big part of being a good coach I would totally agree with that statement. But if you determine good coaching by crunch time decisions, I need to see more of Kahuku’s games.
@Hooper: I don't know; to me, a good coach is one who gets the most out of the players he has. If we define a good coach as one who recruits well, to me that speaks more of his ability to recruit. What about his ability to coach the game? I think recruiting and coaching are two separate things. Seems to me that recruiting skills and coaching skills are two different things. If a coach is a basketball mastermind, it doesn't seem fair to me that he should also have to worry about recruiting.

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Re: Boys' and Girls' Basketball '19-'20

Post by Hooper »

HS Football Fanatic - I totally agree a good coach gets the most out of his/her players. However, there are a lot of people who claim a coach is good or bad by their win/loss record. I don’t think this is right, but I know this is really common. If Akana coached at a school with no athletes, didn’t recruit any talent, and never made it to the state tournament,
I don’t think too many people would be calling him a good coach other than some of the parents of the players. I do believe recruiting and coaching are two separate skills; however, the line gets blurred because good players make it easier to execute plays and win games. Not saying it’s right, but it is common.

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Re: Boys' and Girls' Basketball '19-'20

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Hooper wrote: Wed Jan 22, 2020 8:38 pm HS Football Fanatic - I totally agree a good coach gets the most out of his/her players. However, there are a lot of people who claim a coach is good or bad by their win/loss record. I don’t think this is right, but I know this is really common. If Akana coached at a school with no athletes, didn’t recruit any talent, and never made it to the state tournament,
I don’t think too many people would be calling him a good coach other than some of the parents of the players. I do believe recruiting and coaching are two separate skills; however, the line gets blurred because good players make it easier to execute plays and win games. Not saying it’s right, but it is common.
@Hooper: I agree, many guys judge a coach by his won/loss record. But guys should scratch the surface and look deeper. Take a school like Kamehameha, which usually has adequate basketball talent (and right now, they're ranked #1). If Akana coached there, he would almost certainly have a better won/loss record than he would if he coached a school like, say, Waialua, which rarely has a lot of basketball talent. Yet, he's obviously the same guy, the same coach. I still think that if a coach really is really good, word would get around, no matter which school he's coaching. You gave the example that, only some of the players' parents might know. But, those parents would likely talk to other guys about it, and I think that eventually the overall basketball community would hear about it. I feel that if a coach is good, it will show, somehow, someway, eventually. No matter which school he's coaching. Certainly coaches of opposing schools would know it, even more than the parents. Then those coaches will likely mention it to others.

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Re: Boys' and Girls' Basketball '19-'20

Post by Naz »

The first year Akana took over Kahuku, he inherited the team midway through the season and nearly took them to the finals if not for a terrible officiating call that awarded Punahou a timeout when they clearly didn't call it during a crucial time of the game with seconds left. I think it was a situation where Punahou was inbounding and almost got a 5 second call and nobody on the bench called a timeout but the ref gave it to them.

His second year, he brings in the Big 3 and has an amazing supporting cast of role players to go along with them. I personally feel that this was the best team assembled in the history of Hawai'i basketball. He wins the OIA and the state championship but gets snubbed of any coaching awards and they give it to McKinley's coach who accomplished.... nothing basically. To me, that was the other coaches giving him the cold shoulder due to the influx of talent to Kahuku that year.

The third year, he gets Tolu to come to Kahuku but the supporting cast around him is terrible. The fact that Tolu even took the team to the finals basically single-handedly was amazing in and of itself.

Last year was probably his quietest year of all he didn't really have any transfers come in and they did pretty average for a Kahuku team prior to his coaching tenure. Still, that team overachieved and gave Moanalua a run for their money in the OIA semifinals.

This year, he's got them contending. There are athletes on the team that have come up through the freshman and JV system that are producing for him this season. The transfer, Cheng, is a key piece but he is not the go-to guy that he was made out to be.

All in all, I feel like Akana has elevated basketball. He is not a coach to go up by 5 points and play stall ball. His teams have always played as if there was a shot clock. Most people downplay Akana's accomplishments as a coach because of the talent he has proven he can bring in. I would put his Xs and Os against anyone in the state. And he doesn't need 10 assistant coaches on his bench like a certain ILH school. Akana gets results and however you look at it, he's the only coach that was good enough to get to the D1 level.

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Re: Boys' and Girls' Basketball '19-'20

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@Naz: Wow, dude. That was an outstanding post. It's become increasingly obvious that you really know your stuff about prep basketball here in Hawaii. What really intrigues me is that you said Akana's second-year team was the best in Hawaii history. I mean, that's saying a lot. One would think that Punahou School or Maryknoll School might have had the best team in state history. But Kahuku High? Like, most guys think football when they think of Kahuku High. Now, if other coaches are snubbing Akana, well, again, that's pretty small of them. Akana is apparently a lot better as a coach than I thought. I mean, I never thought he sucked, but you're making me see that he's an absolutely outstanding coach. Kahuku High is lucky to have him. Looks like he might become the "Cal Lee of basketball."

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Re: Boys' and Girls' Basketball '19-'20

Post by gopunahou »

Doc Mugiishi already holds the claim as the “Cal Lee of basketball.”

Kamehameha has stamped itself as an official contender by sweeping Maryknoll. If they win states, their coach ought to be COY. Beating us and Maryknoll on the road in consecutive days is huge.
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Re: Boys' and Girls' Basketball '19-'20

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gopunahou wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2020 5:09 pm Doc Mugiishi already holds the claim as the “Cal Lee of basketball.”

Kamehameha has stamped itself as an official contender by sweeping Maryknoll. If they win states, their coach ought to be COY. Beating us and Maryknoll on the road in consecutive days is huge.
@gopunahou: I don't know; the way Naz described Akana, Akana might edge Mugiishi. Certainly, Mugiishi did a great job at Iolani School. But Akana is coming on, and, I think Kahuku High usually has less basketball talent than Iolani School. Guys need to factor that in, and give Akana a few more "points," to compensate.
Regarding Kamehameha, well, they are ranked #1. But, the last time they played your alma mater a few nights ago, the game could have gone either way, actually. I do agree that Kamehameha coach Park should be coach-of-the-year, no matter what.

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Re: Boys' and Girls' Basketball '19-'20

Post by gopunahou »

HS Football Fanatic wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2020 6:17 pm
gopunahou wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2020 5:09 pm Doc Mugiishi already holds the claim as the “Cal Lee of basketball.”

Kamehameha has stamped itself as an official contender by sweeping Maryknoll. If they win states, their coach ought to be COY. Beating us and Maryknoll on the road in consecutive days is huge.
@gopunahou: I don't know; the way Naz described Akana, Akana might edge Mugiishi. Certainly, Mugiishi did a great job at Iolani School. But Akana is coming on, and, I think Kahuku High usually has less basketball talent than Iolani School. Guys need to factor that in, and give Akana a few more "points," to compensate.
Regarding Kamehameha, well, they are ranked #1. But, the last time they played your alma mater a few nights ago, the game could have gone either way, actually. I do agree that Kamehameha coach Park should be coach-of-the-year, no matter what.
Who cares about current rankings? We started the ILH season 2013-14 as the #1 team in the state and failed to qualify for the state tournament!
Punahou Football: 12-1, 2008 ILH and State Champions! 11-0, 2013 ILH and State Champions, a team for the ages!

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Re: Boys' and Girls' Basketball '19-'20

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gopunahou wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2020 6:43 pm
HS Football Fanatic wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2020 6:17 pm
gopunahou wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2020 5:09 pm Doc Mugiishi already holds the claim as the “Cal Lee of basketball.”

Kamehameha has stamped itself as an official contender by sweeping Maryknoll. If they win states, their coach ought to be COY. Beating us and Maryknoll on the road in consecutive days is huge.
@gopunahou: I don't know; the way Naz described Akana, Akana might edge Mugiishi. Certainly, Mugiishi did a great job at Iolani School. But Akana is coming on, and, I think Kahuku High usually has less basketball talent than Iolani School. Guys need to factor that in, and give Akana a few more "points," to compensate.
Regarding Kamehameha, well, they are ranked #1. But, the last time they played your alma mater a few nights ago, the game could have gone either way, actually. I do agree that Kamehameha coach Park should be coach-of-the-year, no matter what.
Who cares about current rankings? We started the ILH season 2013-14 as the #1 team in the state and failed to qualify for the state tournament!
@gopunahou: Well, that was kind of my point. Kamehameha is ranked #1, but Punahou could have beaten them the last time they played them a few nights ago. At the same time, Punahou is ranked #3. As a Punahou alumnus, does that mean nothing to you? Having said that, there's a possibility that Punahou might drop to #4, as they lost to Damien a night or two after the Kamehameha game. But as you implied, current rankings are not ironclad; Damien is ranked below Punahou. By the way, Damien smashed Iolani tonight, 60-41. Though I dislike Iolani School, I'm feeling a little sorry for them. Their boys' basketball team is losing most of its games, and, while their girls' soccer team tied Punahou School, 2-2, they aren't going anywhere, as Kamehameha and Punahou have locked-up the two ILH berths to the state tourney. This might piss you off, but Punahou and Kamehameha were tied for first in the ILH, but when Iolani tied Punahou, and Kamehameha beat Pac-Five 5-1 the same day, Kamehameha won the ILH D1 title by half a game. That tie with Iolani cost Punahou the ILH D1 title. Kamehameha finished the ILH D1 season with an 8-0-2 record, while Punahou finished 7-0-3.

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Re: Boys' and Girls' Basketball '19-'20

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My view is, as long as we make the state tournament, we’ve got a chance (although I wouldn’t like our chances if we were to enter as the #3 seed). I’ve seen us twice win the state tournament (2008 and 2018) when we didn’t enter as the ILH champion.
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Re: Boys' and Girls' Basketball '19-'20

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Doc Is the top of the basketball mountain because he has multiple state titles. If Akana wins 4-5 more, he will definitely be in that conversation. Akana has definitely elevated Kahuku basketball and is taking steps up the mountain. He is definitely the best at recruiting players from outside the state. As for the x’s And o’s, I need to watch more Kahuku game when it’s a close ball game. I hope to watch more of their games in the state tournament. If they reach the title game this year, I think he should get recognized for that.

Go Punahou, your team has the potential to beat the top teams, but they aren’t as consistent as the past 4 years. It’s going to be a battle to get into the state tournament.

Regardless, this is the best time of the year for high school basketball.

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Re: Boys' and Girls' Basketball '19-'20

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HS Football Fanatic wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2020 7:05 pm
gopunahou wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2020 6:43 pm
HS Football Fanatic wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2020 6:17 pm

@gopunahou: I don't know; the way Naz described Akana, Akana might edge Mugiishi. Certainly, Mugiishi did a great job at Iolani School. But Akana is coming on, and, I think Kahuku High usually has less basketball talent than Iolani School. Guys need to factor that in, and give Akana a few more "points," to compensate.
Regarding Kamehameha, well, they are ranked #1. But, the last time they played your alma mater a few nights ago, the game could have gone either way, actually. I do agree that Kamehameha coach Park should be coach-of-the-year, no matter what.
Who cares about current rankings? We started the ILH season 2013-14 as the #1 team in the state and failed to qualify for the state tournament!
@gopunahou: Well, that was kind of my point. Kamehameha is ranked #1, but Punahou could have beaten them the last time they played them a few nights ago. At the same time, Punahou is ranked #3. As a Punahou alumnus, does that mean nothing to you? Having said that, there's a possibility that Punahou might drop to #4, as they lost to Damien a night or two after the Kamehameha game. But as you implied, current rankings are not ironclad; Damien is ranked below Punahou. By the way, Damien smashed Iolani tonight, 60-41. Though I dislike Iolani School, I'm feeling a little sorry for them. Their boys' basketball team is losing most of its games, and, while their girls' soccer team tied Punahou School, 2-2, they aren't going anywhere, as Kamehameha and Punahou have locked-up the two ILH berths to the state tourney. This might piss you off, but Punahou and Kamehameha were tied for first in the ILH, but when Iolani tied Punahou, and Kamehameha beat Pac-Five 5-1 the same day, Kamehameha won the ILH D1 title by half a game. That tie with Iolani cost Punahou the ILH D1 title. Kamehameha finished the ILH D1 season with an 8-0-2 record, while Punahou finished 7-0-3.
Sorry, Punahou lost to Damien a night or two before the Kamehameha game, not after.

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Re: Boys' and Girls' Basketball '19-'20

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gopunahou wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2020 7:45 pm My view is, as long as we make the state tournament, we’ve got a chance (although I wouldn’t like our chances if we were to enter as the #3 seed). I’ve seen us twice win the state tournament (2008 and 2018) when we didn’t enter as the ILH champion.
@gopunahou: Well, theoretically, even the #3 seed could win it, right? If the top three seeds were nearly even, then it's any school's tourney.

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Re: Boys' and Girls' Basketball '19-'20

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Hooper wrote: Sun Jan 26, 2020 1:20 pm Doc Is the top of the basketball mountain because he has multiple state titles. If Akana wins 4-5 more, he will definitely be in that conversation. Akana has definitely elevated Kahuku basketball and is taking steps up the mountain. He is definitely the best at recruiting players from outside the state. As for the x’s And o’s, I need to watch more Kahuku game when it’s a close ball game. I hope to watch more of their games in the state tournament. If they reach the title game this year, I think he should get recognized for that.

Go Punahou, your team has the potential to beat the top teams, but they aren’t as consistent as the past 4 years. It’s going to be a battle to get into the state tournament.

Regardless, this is the best time of the year for high school basketball.
@Hooper: Akana is definitely working some magic at Kahuku High. Friday they murdered McKinley High, 61-36. McKinley doesn't suck; they could easily be ranked. For example, a week or two ago, McKinley lost to Kailua by only four points, and Kailua was ranked #8 at the time. You would expect Kahuku to beat McKinley, but not by 25. In my mind, Kahuku has solidified its position as the strongest school in OIA D1. I think the top three schools in ILH D1 had better keep an eye on Kahuku; be wary. As for Punahou, I think they're the 3rd-best school in ILH D1, but: If they're not careful, they could lose to Damien and/or St Louis. In fact, they did lose to Damien early last week, and Damien lost to St Louis the week before. So, as Punahou tries to maintain its position on the ILH D1 ladder, Damien and St Louis are just a rung or two below, pulling on the Puns' ankles. It's a jungle in ILH D1; the only school that seems to be out is Mid-Pac.

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