Teamwork Is Vital To Hawaii Select Hoops Success

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Hawaii Select traveling all-star team members (from left) coach Alika Smith, coach Wally Marciel, Aaron Fernandez of Kalaheo High School, John Whitty from Le Jardin, coach Ryan Hogue, and Kona Makaula, also from Kalaheo. Photo by Byron Lee, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

The search for cohesiveness is often never-ending on an all-star team, where personalities and talents must mesh in a short period of time.

On that note, it’s not surprising that the Hawaii Select coaching staff formed a team based as much on individual character as on athletic ability.

“It’s not about you at the big stage,” said Hawaii Select coach Ryan Hogue.“Everyone has to be able to play together. When you play with kids used to having the offense geared around them, the kids have to find roles they can fill to help the team.”

Hawaii Select didn’t have to consult a map to construct its back court this summer. Hogue and fellow Hawaii Select coaches Wally Marciel and Alika Smith quickly enlisted the services of Le Jardin’s John Whitty and both Aaron Fernandez and Kona Makaula of Kalaheo. The threesome have displayed the kind of play that Hogue hopes can help Hawaii Select make an impact at the Vision Sports National Tournament in Las Vegas later this month.

Hawaii Select is currently taking part in the Iolani Summer League, having won eight straight games heading into last weekend, including key wins over Punahou, Kamehameha, Saint Louis and the host Raiders, among others.Hawaii Select’s only two losses came in their first two games when most of the team was off-island attending to other commitments.

“It’s been a process, but they’ve started to look for each other now,“said Hogue, a former standout at Kalaheo and the UH-Hilo. “Figuring out how your teammates like the ball and what they can do with it is big thing (on an all-star team).”

While all three are technically guards, the trio still logs a lot of time on the floor together when Fernandez shifts to the No. 4 spot. Whitty will be a senior at Le Jardin in the fall and has started every game this summer, generally at the point guard spot. “John’s looking really good; he’s passing the ball well,” Hogue said of Whitty, who is 5-foot-10.“He sees the floor real well - he can create - and he shoots the open three at a high percentage.He’s also a big part of why we’ve jelled as a team.”

At 6-foot-4 and 6-foot-2 respectively, Makaula and Fernandez also bring size to the Hawaii Select lineup, in addition to being able to handle the ball well.They were key players for Kalaheo coach Chico Furtado during the winter, when the Mustangs made their 19th straight state tournament appearance.

“Kona is an aggressive kid who has become a strong weak-side rebounder,“Hogue said of Makaula. “He plays hard out there, and so he’s always going to get better.

“Aaron is a very good guard who can step out and shoot the three,“continued Hogue. “Right now, we’d like him to have more of an impact, defensively.He’s built long,and he can create havoc in the passing lanes. At 6-4, he can play on the perimeter, and his understanding of angles and reading a skip pass is something we want him to be able to do (consistently).”

Hawaii Select has played much of its schedule at Iolani with a depleted lineup, as many players are competing with their regular teams in the summer. Hogue expected to have his full roster available over the weekend when Hawaii Select was to host an eight-team tournament (Hawaii Select Boys’Jamboree) at Le Jardin Academy. The tournament guaranteed Hawaii Select five games in two days. The team leaves July 20 for Las Vegas, with the Vision Sports Tournament set to run July 22-26.

Hogue hopes the summer schedule serves as a good tune-up for the national stage.

“We know we’re going to see a higher caliber of play in Las Vegas,” he said. “We’ve been more concerned lately with the kids learning the system and filling roles than wins and losses.”