Three Big Island standouts have been named to the 2012 Team Aloha all-star girls basketball team, according to team spokesman Mufi Hannemann.
Hannemann announced the 12-member team Monday and the Big Island players include Waiakea junior Sefulu Faavae, Konawaena junior Courtney Kaupu and Kamehameha sophomore Casey Poe.
The team will depart Thursday for Los Angeles to participate in the Tournament of Champions LA, scheduled Saturday and Sunday at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana.
Also named to Team Aloha were Aiea sophomore Mich’lae Higa, Kauai junior Kristle Henry, Kamehameha-Kapalama sophomore Alohi Robins-Hardy and junior Lilia Maio, Hanalani sophomore Sarah Liva, Mid-Pacific junior Kiki Robertson, Iolani sophomore Jade Botelho, Kahuku junior Fia Tailele-Latu and Leilehua junior Carissa McBride.
Henry, Robins-Hardy, Botelho, and McBride were on last year’s Team Aloha.
Coaching the team will be Fran Villarmia-Kahawai, assisted by Hannemann. Villarmia-Kahawai, who is coaching the team for the third year, played for the University of Hawaii Rainbow Wahine and coached the Aiea High School Na Alii to a girls state basketball crown.
“Team Aloha is an outgrowth of the annual Jamboree I’ve been sponsoring since 1994 as the state’s only post-season showcase of girls high school hoops,” Hannemann said.
“I saw then that the caliber of girls’ athletics in the islands was outstanding, and hoped to someday take a team of Jamboree all-stars to compete against the best the rest of the nation had to offer. We’ve realized that dream and have since participated in five tournaments on the mainland.”
“The purpose of Team Aloha’s participation in these tournaments has been to give our local girls an opportunity to demonstrate their talents to college coaches and scouts. We’ve chosen underclassmen for these NCAA-sanctioned events, in order to maximize the girls’ exposure during the recruitment process. A number of the student-athletes have made the transition to college ball as a result of Team Aloha,” he said.
Past members of Team Aloha have included Jamie Smith of Iolani (Nevada Las Vegas), Shawna and Shaena Kuehu of Punahou (Hawaii and Idaho, respectively), Iwalani Rodrigues of Roosevelt (Utah), Keisha Kanekoa of Honokaa (Hawaii), and Violet Alama and Analee Viena-Lota (Northridge), Kalei Adolpho of Molokai (Hawaii), Kamie Imai of Waiakea (Utah State), Keaton McFadden of Mid-Pacific (Portland State), Vicky Tagalicod of Hilo (Hawaii), Jazzmin Awa-Williams of Konawaena (Hawaii Pacific), Nicole Fu of Maryknoll (Concordia), and Courtney Gaddis of Kalani (Hawaii), among other standouts. More recently, the team has included future collegiate stars Lia Galdeira and Dawnyelle Awa of Konawaena.
