Prep Game Of The Week – 1/21/15

WINTER SPORTS
MOANALUA vs. ROOSEVELT
BOYS’ BASKETBALL
SATURDAY, JAN. 24 AT 7 P.M.
@ ROOSEVELT HIGH SCHOOL

Chris Hart

Here’s why you’re wrong (again), Gary: Moanalua has a top-five coaching staff led by Byron Mello, who has taught thousands of boys and girls the game of basketball through his Performance Basketball Clinics over the years. One, he’s a great teacher. Two, he has a great system. This is important for schools like Moanalua, which has such a high turnover of players because of their military parents. You never know if your underclassmen will return the following year. In the preseason, the only Hawaii schools they lost to were Iolani, Punahou, Kamehameha and Maryknoll. Of course, most schools that faced these ILH teams suffered the same result. Also, if not for a 1-point loss to a scrappy McKinley team, the Menehune would be 4-0 in league play at the time of this writing. The player to watch is the exact opposite of the team nickname. Big man Kyrie McRaven is 6-foot-4 and strong. The “Menes” win by 6.

Gary Dickman

First, my thoughts and prayers go out to Roosevelt head coach Steve Hathaway, who just lost his mother. As for the game, it will be interesting. Moanalua is very young this season, and coach Byron Mello told me last month he’s trying to see which players will step up. He knows it’s a process. Roosevelt, by contrast, is a veteran squad with eight seniors. The Rough Riders started OIA play 2-1, losing only to Kahuku by 8 points. Considering Kahuku’s size advantage, that’s pretty good because Roosevelt only has two players taller than 5-foot-11. I think the Rough Riders will win this game for a few reasons. They have more experience, play with a tempo that’s hard to defend, and most importantly they have guard Kevin Foster. He averages 18 points a game and is one of the quickest and most effective guards in the OIA. Senior forward Keanu Furtado has played well this year, too.