Basketball analyst Jack Danilewicz breaks down tonight's upcoming women's match-up between Chaminade and Hawaii Pacific (5:30 p.m., KWHE).
What HPU needs to do on the offensive end: Work from the inside out and show patience in their sets. In Courtney Buster, Katelyn Urquhart and Nicole Fenumiai, HPU will have a size advantage in the post and needs to exploit it. Buster is coming off the best game of her career, having set a school-record with 19 rebounds in the win against BYUH and will be an especially difficult match-up for CUH. Depth should win out when it comes to post play, as all three are capable of being big contributors. Also, HPU will see a zone defense in this one and will likely face zone defenses for the rest of the year because of the match-up problems they create for opposing teams with their athleticism. Being patient and penetrating the gaps is the key against the zone. HPU need not take shots early in the possession that they could get at anytime.
What HPU needs to do on the defensive end: Force the ball to the corners and keep it there. Chaminade's offense runs through point guard (and Pearl City product) Jordan Ahakuelo, so a lot of responsibility will fall on HPU guards Taiyande Huskey, Paris Gravely, Melody Ladrido and Taylor Craig to keep her in check with their on-the-ball defense. On the block, HPU head coach Jeff Harada would like his “bigs” to be more consistent in providing a half front in the low post, rather than playing in behind the opposing offensive player.
HPU's MVP At The Moment: Mana Hopkins-Vandenakker. HPU's best offense is its defense, and it all begins with Hopkins-Vandenakker, who has been the Sea Warriors' most consistent defender to date. She has the size and a long reach to make life miserable for the player she is guarding and could check either a forward or a guard. Offensively, she's assertive and has the skills to get herself a shot when all else breaks down.
HPU's Glue Girl: Jazzmin Awa-Williams. Perhaps no one in the Pac West Conference is better at finishing scoring plays than Awa-Williams. She understands what she can do and what she cannot do, and her shot selection is always good. The shot fake has become a lost art in basketball for some, but not for her.
HPU's Wild Card: Melody Ladrido. The more I watch her, the more I think she's a coach's dream. She sees the floor well - especially when triggering HPU's fast break - she always makes good decisions, and she is going to be a great perimeter shooter by the time she leaves HPU. Most importantly, she takes pride in playing good on-the-ball defense.
The Future “Face” of HPU Women's Basketball: Skye Savini. Landing her was a huge coup in the recruiting process for HPU, as she has the potential to truly be a great all-around player. She has a high basketball IQ and doesn't play like a freshman on the offensive end. Her challenge right now is to become the defensive player she is capable of becoming.
Where the game will turn: In addition to their size advantage, HPU's transition game gives them a huge edge in this match-up. The Sea Warriors are always at their best when getting defensive stops, as they are able to jump start their fast break.
How it will play out: I like HPU in this game. This is a difficult match-up for Chaminade in a number of areas, and while HPU hasn't always made life easy on itself when it comes to delivering the knockout punch, their depth and overall balance should be the difference here.
