Hoops-intensive month ends in Paradise for Iolani's Low
By Kyle Sakamoto
Advertiser Staff Writer
Iolani School's Derrick Low completed a busy basketball-playing month yesterday with three games in the Basketball in Paradise tournament at Iolani.
Cory Lum • The Honolulu Advertiser
Low, a first-team all-state selection as a freshman this past season, started the day playing for Iolani. He scored 14 points in a 54-41 win over Oklahoma I, a team comprised of players from "real small schools in central Oklahoma," according to coach Dave Page. The players met one another the day before they flew here.
Iolani's Derrick Low, a first-team all-state selection as a freshman last year, played in Italy, St. Louis and Hawai'i in the month of June.
"Derrick's a real good player," Page said. "He penetrates real well and sees the floor real well."
In the second game, Low switched jerseys and played for the Hawai'i Raiders.
Low played about half the game and scored seven points as the Raiders defeated the Hawai'i All-Stars, 53-46.
"I guess the coach (Conrad Shidaki) sat me down because we have another game," Low said.
Leilehua's Eric Marshall, another first-team all-state selection, scored 21 points to lead the Hawai'i All-Stars. Marshall, who recently completed his sophomore year, will move to Augusta, Ga., late next month.
The Hawai'i All-Stars are preparing for the Adidas Invitational in Las Vegas. The players will leave July 23 and return July 30, according to coach Sol Batoon. Marshall, however, won't be making the trip back to Hawai'i.
"I'm going to leave from Vegas," Marshall said. "Then I'm going to Miami and we're going to live in Georgia."
After Oklahoma II defeated Oklahoma I, 64-39, Low had to decide which team to play for in the championship game between Iolani and the Hawai'i Raiders.
He played for both.
Low played the first half with Iolani, the first 9:30 of the second half with the Hawai'i Raiders and ended the game back with Iolani.
He scored 12 points for Iolani and zero for the Raiders.
The Hawai'i Raiders, who will also compete in the Adidas Invitational, won 57-54 behind 25 points from Kamehameha's Willy Melemai and 21 from Kealakehe's Eli Sather.
"I just played my game today, just getting to the right spots at the right time," Melemai said.
The Hawai'i Raiders led 41-30 with 8:56 remaining in the second half, but Iolani went on an 18-3 run to take a 48-44 lead with 4:42 left. After switching teams, Low capped the Iolani rally with a 3-pointer, an assist on a Bobby Nash basket, and a steal and layup.
But Sather scored eight consecutive points during a game-ending 13-6 run to put the Hawai'i Raiders up 57-54.
Iolani missed three 3-point attempts in the final 15 seconds.
Low started the month on Iolani's trip to Italy, which lasted from June 4-17. He averaged 27 points and was named MVP of a tournament in Vercelli, Italy.
On June 19-23, Low attended the Nike Freshman-Sophomore Hoop Jamboree in St. Louis.
"The camp was pretty good — a lot of good competition," Low said. "Everyone is at the same level so you're not going to stand out."
College basketball programs are taking notice of Low's ability, but recruiters can't approach any player until his junior year.
That doesn't stop colleges from contacting Iolani coach Mark Mugiishi.
"They send me stuff and ask me a lot of questions about him," Mugiishi said.
Mugiishi said some of the schools inquiring about Low are from the Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-10 conferences.
