CLOSING THE BOOK: No. 5 Moanalua (20-10, 9-2 OIA)
> vs. Top 10: 5-10 (.333)
> Top 10 wins: STL, KAIS, KAIL, KLH, KAH
> Top 10 losses: KS, KAH, MS, MPI, PUN, WOOD, TSI, KS, KAH, KLH
> Non-Top 10 losses: None
> Home: 9-3
> Away: 5-2
> Neutral: 6-4
> Playoffs: 4-0
> HHSAA: 2-1
The script was like none other for Moanalua boys basketball in the 2019-20 season.
Through it all, the senior-heavy squad — 14 in all — persevered and repeated as league champion. Na Menehune defeated Campbell, Mililani, Kalaheo and Kahuku in the playoffs to defend their crown. They lost in the state quarterfinal round to Damien and finished fifth in the tournament after wins over Kamehameha-Hawaii and Baldwin.
Along the way, there were three different head coaches. Longtime coach Byron Mello resigned during preseason, on Nov. 27, for personal reasons. The cloud that covered the program included various rumors about philosophical differences between Mello and parent(s), but Mello never spoke about the issue. Na Menehune had played two preseason games (1-1) when he stepped down.
Moanalua began a search and installed Col. Michael Wingfield, the school’s JROTC instructor, as interim head coach. With most of Mello’s assistant coaches also gone, a new staff was formed. Moanalua cancelled preseason games with Campbell and Waianae, then hosted the OIA-ILH Challenge and played in the James Alegre Classic and ‘Iolani Classic. They were 5-6 under Wingfield.
After a win over Farrington to open the OIA East regular season, the school hired former HPU assistant Michael Johnson as head coach on Dec. 28. Johnson, 26, retained Wingfield as an assistant and brought a defense-first mentality. Moanalua lost its first game under the new coach at Kahuku, 63-60, before routing Roosevelt, 63-43, and Kaimuki, 63-44. After a 37-33 loss at Kalaheo, Na Menehune won their last six games of the regular season.
Then came their run to the league crown. Geremy Robinson, their junior guard, scored 19 points per game and 6-foot-5 senior DiAeris McRaven averaged 10, dominating the boards and controlling the paint as one of the top shot blockers in the state.
Coach Johnson chatted about his team, which finished No. 5 in the Star-Advertiser Top 10.
This season was ________.”
Johnson: “Memorable. This season was memorable to say the least. Not only will I personally remember this season as being my very first year as a head coach, but the players will carry this season with them forever. Of course they will remember being back-to-back OIA champions, but more importantly, they will remember conquering all of the adversity they faced throughout the season. I hope they carry that type of resiliency with them for the rest of their lives.”
This season was the movie ________.
There is not really a movie that sticks out to me when I think about it. I also am not the biggest movie person, so I have limited picks to actually choose from.
Review: Starters and key rotation/role players.
Geremy Robinson, 19 ppg, voted No. 6 in All-State Fab 15
Johnson: “It's no secret that Geremy is one of, if not the best scorer on island. He constantly contributed on the offensive end, but I think he made the biggest improvement on the defensive end of the basketball this season. By the end of the season, Geremy was a much improved on-ball defender, had double-digit rebounds in multiple games, and was even taking charges. One of the best things that Geremy adds to this Moanalua program is his competitiveness! He doesn't shy away from big moments, and I am excited to see what his future holds.”
DiAeris McRaven, 10 ppg, voted No. 14 in All-State Fab 15, No. 4 All-Defense
Johnson: “DiAeris was a key player for us both offensively and defensively. He gave us a legitimate scoring threat, but more importantly was a tremendous presence on the defensive end. He was able to constantly block or alter shots at the rim, and he was a great rebounder both offensively and defensively. He had a mismatch every time he stepped on the court. Bigger posts were often too slow to guard him off the bounce, and smaller players just couldn't handle him on the block. With that being said, one of his biggest strengths is definitely his athleticism. That athleticism coupled with his work ethic, grades, and overall character is what will allow him to have a future at the college level, whether it is basketball or volleyball.”
Elijah McGruder
Johnson: “Elijah was a solid player for us night in and night out. I truly believe that Elijah was and is the best rebounder on this entire island. He just has a knack for finding the basketball, and he goes hard to the glass EVERY play! However, I was more impressed with his overall character than anything else. It is not often that an MVP of a high school all-star game is asked to come off the bench. It is even more uncommon for a player to accept that role and thrive in it. That is exactly what Elijah did for us. He provided constant energy, and an immediate impact once he stepped on the floor. Elijah helped set the tone for this entire senior group about putting the team before themselves, and I couldn't be any more proud.”
Bryant Abalos
Johnson: “The best word I can use to describe Bryant is Spark. He constantly found a way to get our team going. It didn't matter if that was by playing tough defense and getting a steal that led to an and1 or coming off the bench to hit six or seven 3s in a game. He showed toughness day in and day out, and played with intensity every time he stepped on the court.”
Nainoa Kauhola
Johnson: “Noa is one of the best shooters in the state when he is on. He has great range, and was a constant outside threat. He helped our offense thrive by simply giving us a knockdown shooter on the perimeter, but more importantly I believe he is a much underrated defender. Opposing players had a hard time not only scoring on him, but even getting past him into the lane. We wanted to play tough defense and speed up the tempo of the game. Noa definitely played a huge role in that.”
Tyler Ybay
Johnson: “I don't even know where to begin when speaking about Tyler. He gave his all day in and day out. There's no question that he was a leader for this team. Tyler was not only tough, but played with such heart every game! Tyler was also our defensive leader. He played the most important spot in our zone, that required constant effort. He applied consistent ball pressure, and was a play maker in our press. It is easy to say you want to win, but it is entirely different to do everything in your power to make it happen. Whether it was boxing out players a foot taller than him, diving on loose balls, or absorbing contact and finishing at the rim, Tyler did it, and our team fed off of his energy.”
Kyle Hughley
Johnson: “There's no question that Kyle was our ‘glue guy.’ He did it all for us all year. One night he would be attacking from the high post and finishing at the rim. The next night he would be rebounding like crazy and taking charges on the defensive end. Kyle was a true competitor, and did everything he could to help our team win.”
Did the rotation change?
Johnson: “The rotation definitely changed throughout the year. In the beginning I was still learning more about the players and what I believed their strengths and weaknesses were. Eventually we got to a constant rotation, but even then things would change once in awhile depending on match ups or productivity. We had a large roster this year, and a lot of guys that I felt comfortable playing. The unfortunate thing about basketball though is only five people can play at a time.”
What or who surprised you most?
Johnson: “I think the biggest surprise for me was the overall buy-in from this group. They got a new coaching staff, and a new system half way into the year. It would have been easy for them to give up or not trust the new coaching staff, but they chose to buy into what we wanted to accomplish. We also had a large group of senior's that quite frankly all deserved playing time. Each player's ability to buy into a team first motto was very surprising, but it just speaks on the type of character our players had.”
What were the most adverse challenges?
Johnson: “There were many challenges we faced as a team this year. However, the toughest thing for me personally as a coach was trying to figure out what we could implement in such a short time, that would allow us to have the best chance of winning state. I wanted to be able to put us in a position where we could be successful right away, so the seniors could have a memorable season.”
What was the peak? What was the low?
Johnson: “The peak for the team and I is probably the same, but for different reasons. I believe our peak this season was winning the OIA championship. I believe this because we had to go through teams we lost to previously in the year to accomplish it. I was interested in seeing if we improved as a team or not throughout the season, and if we were playing our best basketball when we needed to be. Our team would probably say it was the peak because they got to experience the feeling of being back to back champions, which is extremely difficult to do in any sport, at any level.
“Personally, I don't believe we had a low this season. Of course some would say each loss was a low, but I couldn't be any more proud of what this group accomplished with the hand they had been dealt.”
What will you miss about this group?
Johnson: “I am going to miss just being around this group as a whole. They competed on the court which is all you can ask for as a coach, but off the court there was never a dull moment. We weren't together long, but I enjoyed every minute of being around them, and I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to coach each and every one of them!”
Johnson: “I am going to miss just being around this group as a whole. They competed on the court which is all you can ask for as a coach, but off the court there was never a dull moment. We weren't together long, but I enjoyed every minute of being around them, and I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to coach each and every one of them!”
Fourteen seniors will graduate. What are you anticipating for offseason and next season?
Johnson: “I am really looking forward to next season. We will have time to implement not only our culture, but basketball concepts. I don't think most people realize it, but we went the entire half of the season without multiple sets, inbounds plays, and a true offense. It will be good to have a solid foundation of each put in place. I am also looking forward to almost an entirely new group of young men. We had majority seniors this year, which means we have some roster positions to fill. Fortunately for us, we have juniors that are ready to step up, as well as an outstanding group coming up from the JV program. Our JV program has an amazing coaching staff, and has been extremely successful year in and year out.”
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