SoCalHoops High School News

Crossroads Takes Seventh
At Iolani Classic--(Dec. 22, 2000)

We were wrong. . . much to our chagrin and embarrasment, we were wrong when someone asked us on Monday or Tuesday if we knew where the Iolani Classic website had gone to and we responded by saying that we thought there was no site for the Iolani Classic this year.   Bad, bad, bad.  Wrong, wrong, wrong.   Not only did "Susan" once again host the Iolani site this year (we don't know who "Susan" is, but all the notes and stats and stuff on the site appear to have been written by her, and it's great stuff), but the site is better than it was last year.   Really, check it out and you'll see.

The annual Iolani Classic ran from Dec. 18-22, and featured   some of the top teams from around the country, including USA Today preseason No. 4, Montrose Christian (Md.) and California's Division I CIF defending state champion De La Salle. Other teams include Roman Catholic (Philadelphia), Miami Northwestern, Santa Monica Crossroads and Alameda St. Joseph Notre Dame (Alameda, Calif.). 

In total there are about three or four basic sources of information for finding out what's happening at this tournament.  The first, and best, is the Iolani Classic website itself (link above), a wonderfully produced site with full stats, pictures and game photos. It's the best. . . Then there's the Rivals.com "Hawaii Sports Network" site which has some game info, a message board, the usual stuff found at most of the Rivals.com sites.  Nice, basic, adequate.  Then there are also the two Hawaii dailies, the Honolulu Advertiser (not what it sounds like, it really is a newspaper), and the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.  Both of these have some info, but nothing is as good as the official Iolani Classic site and Susan's notes. (and if you don't believe us, just check the "Archives" on that site, and read any of her articles about any of the games. . . great stuff..

Since there was only one SoCal-based team in the Classic this year, we thought we'd put together a compendium of notes, pictures and stuff solely devoted to following the comings, goings and yes, even the antics of the Crossroads Roadrunners and their animated coach, Darryl Roper.  Here's what that wacky Mr. Roper and his boys have been up to for the past week.

Monday--December 18, 2000
First Round

Crossroads 64, Maryknoll 44--Crossroads moved on to the winner's side of the bracket, and in this 16 team tournament, that meant Crossroads advanced to the quarterfinals. Jordan Rush and Anthony Locke scored five points each in a 22-5 third-quarter run as Crossroads beat up on a smller, younger team.  Crossroads shot 15-28 from the line and basically dominated the game from start to finish. With Isaiah Fox (6'-9" Sr. PF), and a number of other guys at 6'-5" or 6'-4", Crossroads seemingly towered over the Spartans, whose tallest players are McShane Dator and Kamalani Rapoza, both listed at 6'-3".   Maryknoll started out slow, trailing 12-2, and just couldn't hang with the Roadrunners until the second quarter when Crossroads . Roadrunners went cold from the field in the second quarter, with 6-foot-9 senior Isaiah Fox missing consistently inside 12 feet, and Maryknoll rallied. Freshman sub Ryan Hirata hit a 25-foot trey to spark a nice run by the Spartans. Maryknoll cut the lead to 23-19 shortly before intermission.Fox led Crossroads with 13 points, making 3-of-8 free-throw attempts. Joe Abrahams (6'-3" Jr. SG) added 11 and Jordan Rush (6'-6" Jr. SF/SG)  had 9. Russell Sypowicz led Maryknoll with 14 points. Hirata finished with 10.

The following notes, much more insightful, were written by Susan, who maintains the Iolani Classic website, and who inputs all the stats from courtside and takes the pics which appear on the Iolani Classic website.  Here's what she had to say about the Roadrunner's first game:

"Game Notes by: Susan
Maryknoll kept it close in the first half, but Crossroads big height advantage took its toll on Maryknoll's shorter players. In the first half, Crossroads didn't take advantage of their inside height (Isaiah Fox missed easy layups). Crossroads has nice transitions on fast breaks. #3 (Ryan Hirata) of Maryknoll had a nice shooting touch from 3-point land. Fox had a hard time shooting free-throws, similar to that of Shaq. Maryknoll did not play a clean 2nd half."