Wahine sliding down poll
By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Columnist
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"We were looking at Hawai'i No. 2 (behind defending national champion Nebraska)," said Dennis Steers. "Now, they're No. 5, but it is really hard to figure."
The Wahine shape up as somewhat of a puzzle, and probably not for the last time this season.
Even as they open training camp today at the Stan Sheriff Center, the "Lily Factor" that hangs over the Wahine is every bit as evident as the four national championship banners in the rafters.
With Kahumoku in the lineup a lot of people envisioned the Wahine, who finished 31-2 and third in the polls last year, a potential final four team again.
Without their go-to player and only All-American, who announced last week she is sitting the season out for "personal reasons," well . . .
Who knows what the Wahine might be capable of? Add the expected initial ineligibility of their prize recruit, national high school player of the year Jennifer Saleaumua, and the question marks, if not the plot, thicken.
Who will take Kahumoku's position on the outside? How will the team adapt to the loss of the player it looked to for the quick and sure kill? Can anybody come close to filling her sneakers?
The one thing the Wahine do know is that there will be no 11th-hour departure of assistant coaches Charlie Wade and Kari Anderson, who had both interviewed for the University of Washington head coaching job. That position was filled last week with the hiring of Jim McLaughlin from Kansas State, providing head coach Dave Shoji at least one bit of relief this summer.
To be sure, the team the Wahine do put on the floor will still have a lot of talent and experience with three returning starters, each an all-Western Athletic Conference performer. Nor is there much sleep to be lost over any lessening of their WAC domination. But after that it is anyone's guess when and how this season might end.
And, given the events of these past weeks, even how it will begin. For in just 16 days the Wahine debut in the State Farm Championship in Stockton, Calif., a kickoff for final four hopefuls Wisconsin, Pacific, Nebraska and UH. First up for the Wahine are the top-ranked Cornhuskers, the team that knocked them out of the NCAA Championships.
"I think Hawai'i is a Top 10 team," Steers said, "but it remains to be seen where."
Beginning today, the answers won't be far off.
