Kamehameha may best be epitomized by senior post player Ashley Ruff, who is 5 feet, 6fl inches tall and whose season high was 11 points. Ruff is not physically dominating and won't put up huge numbers, but her scrappy defense and knack for making big plays in crucial times were invaluable to the Warriors' late run culminating in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu championship.

"She's the heart and soul of that team," Punahou coach Mike Taylor said.

In short, this is a starless group of role players that collectively has developed into a No. 1 seed.

"I think a lot of it has to do with believing in themselves and their teammates," Kamehameha coach Clay Cockett said. "Megan is our best basketball player, but Ruff is a softball player, Lehua is a soccer player and Mounia (Nihipali) is a volleyball player. They're all good athletes who may not have as much basketball experience, but they've come to an understanding about how to play the game. They know the framework of a team sport, and they're doing their best job to make the smartest plays."

Punahou defeated the Warriors twice in the preseason and once in the regular season, but lost the past two meetings.

"They're relentless," Taylor said of Kamehameha. "They're not flashy, but their system preaches defense and they get the job done. Their kids understand their limitations, there's no one star. It's just one group working hard together for everything."

KALAHEO
(11-2, No. 2 seed)

Richardson, considered one of the state's greatest players ever, graduated last year along with two other starters. Yet the Mustangs still managed to win their fifth straight O'ahu Interscholastic Association title last Friday.

"They're a big, physical team; they're somebody to watch," Cockett said. "They should have some momentum and confidence now. They seem to be on the right frequency."

Taylor agreed.

"This was supposed to be a transition year for them, but they always bounce back when the going gets tough," Taylor said.

Leading the way this time for Kalaheo is sophomore center Latoya Wily, a transfer from Kahuku. Like the rest of the Mustangs, Wily appears to be peaking at just the right time.

She scored 19 points in Friday's 55-50 championship victory.

"Latoya had to adjust to a whole new system, not to mention fitting into a new school and new environment," Furtado said. "That takes a while, but she's made the adjustment. I always thought she was in that caliber of the (state's) best power players."

Furtado said the Mustangs will need more than Wily's power to win this year's title. He is looking for inside help from senior forwards Brina Fritzsche and Kelena Hatori, and outside scoring from sophomore point guard Bre Carson.

"We need to shoot better," he said.

KONAWAENA
(13-0, No. 3 seed)

The Wildcats are the state's only unbeaten team, and with only two seniors on their roster, the future looks even brighter.

But Konawaena may not have to wait to challenge for the crown.

Sophomore center Nancy Hoist can step out and take a 3-pointer or get by defenders off the dribble. In the Wildcats' 53-47 victory over Waiakea in last weekend's Big Island Interscholastic Federation championship game, she scored 21 points and grabbed 15 rebounds.

Freshman Jessica Hanato leads a group of talented guards that includes sophomore Kristin Kitaoka, senior Kara Taniyama and junior Jennifer Tayamen.

Konawaena is said to be much improved from the preseason, when it lost to Punahou by three points and Kalaheo by 22.

BALDWIN
(13-1, No. 4 seed)

The Bears, like Kamehameha, rely on several multi-sport stars. And like Konawaena, they are young.

Sophomore guard Kami Kapaku, an All-State forward in soccer, is Baldwin's top scoring threat and fellow guard Mahie Atay, whose play at goalkeeper earned her Advertiser State Co-Player of the Year honors, is the Bears' second-best point-producer.

Forward Jenna Mailou, a starting second baseman on the softball team, is said to be the Bears' top freshman basketball player since Nicole Garbin in 1998.

Baldwin has only two seniors on its roster.

PUNAHOU
(11-2, unseeded)

Until three weeks ago, the Buffanblu were almost everyone's choice as the state's No. 1 team.

Then they lost to Kamehameha, 47-40, and then fell to the Warriors again a week later, 44-39, in the ILH title game.

If the sudden fall affected the players' psyche, they didn't show it the day after the championship loss.

"That was the best 1 1/2 hours of practice we've had all year," Taylor said. "Their intensity was high, their confidence was up. They were really fired up, and their enthusiasm even raised the spirits of the coaches."here is reason for optimism.

Junior center Becky Hogue may be the state's top post player, and guard Rachel Kane could be Hawai'i's biggest threat in the open floor. Point guard Elyse Umeda sat out three weeks with a broken finger but is back in action.

And guard Shanna-Lei Dacanay is one of the state's top freshmen.

KAHUKU
(10-3, unseeded)

The word most commonly used when describing this year's Red Raiders is "athleticism."

"We played them in preseason, and the thing that impressed me most was their athleticism," Taylor said. "I think they're really underrated. They rebound well and they're physical. They're gonna be tough."

Cockett went a step further.

"Kahuku definitely looks scary," he said. "Their point guard (Kelci Naihe) is smooth, and they're a team to watch."

Naihe, a senior, was a highly regarded player in Texas last year.

One bright spot in the title game loss to Kalaheo was senior center Mereani Lewenilovo, who scored a season-high 19 points.

Other top players for the Red Raiders are junior forward Michelle "Tuli" Peters and sophomore guard Karla Tailele.

IOLANI
(9-7, unseeded)

If ever there was a tournament dark horse, Iolani is it.

The Raiders' record is very deceiving, because it was compiled mostly without senior guard Trisha Nishimoto, one of the state's best outside shooters. Nishimoto suffered a high ankle sprain in the season opener and did not return until last week, when she scored 14 points with four 3-point baskets in a 54-51 victory over Sacred Heart and then had 16 points to help the Raiders defeat Maryknoll, 60-44, to earn the ILH's third state tournament berth.

Iolani also played the regular season's final week without two other starters, forwards Ginger Gravelle and Fabriann Gin. Both returned last week, and Gravelle scored a season-high 18 points in each of the Raiders' victories.

"Their timing is perfect," said Furtado, whose Mustangs could face Iolani in the quarterfinals.

MOANALUA
(10-4, unseeded)

The Menehune are another possible dark horse team that has overcome injuries to land a spot in the tournament.

Junior guard Amy Kotani, one of the team's best players, has missed the second half of the season after suffering a concussion. In the regular season finale, point guard Patti Hardimon went down with an ankle sprain and sat out the second half of a loss to McKinley.

But a week later, Hardimon returned to help Moanalua upset the Tigers, 61-54, in double overtime to earn a ticket to the state tournament.

"There's no doubt in my mind that's one team that belongs," Furtado said of the Menehune. "They're almost a mirror image of Kamehameha."

In Kotani's absence, Moanalua also has had clutch performances from guard Christina Sierra (21 points vs. McKinley) and wing Kepua Lee (21 points vs. Pearl City).

WAIAKEA
(10-4, unseeded)

The Warriors played Konawaena close in the BIIF championship game, staying within a basket until the final minute.