Not For Long: Cards cut Laboy

By Fred Guzman
ESPN550.com

Here's the latest example of why NFL stands for, as Jerry Glanville so memorably noted, Not For Long.

Just one season after signing a five-year, $22 million contract with Arizona that included a $7.5 million bonus, former University of Hawaii defensive end Travis Laboy is looking for work.

Laboy was released by the Super Bowl finalist yesterday, along with the veteran running back Edgerrin James and cornerback Rod Hood. The roster moves allowed the Cardinals to clear $10 million in salary cap space.

Laboy registered 38 tackles and four sacks in 13 games in his first season with Arizona after spending his first three years with Tennessee. Those numbers apparently were not good enough. As a result, Laboy's on the job market at the same time as several players with Hawaii ties are about to begin their NFL careers.

Baldwin High grad Kaluka Maiava, chosen in the fourth round out of USC, reports to Cleveland's rookie mini-camp tomorrow. Another outside linebacker, UH's David Veikune, also will be in attendance. Veikune was picked in the second round by the Browns.

UH defensive back Ryan Mouton was drafted in the third round by Houston and long-snapper Jake Ingram was taken in the sixth round by New England. Also, Oregon offensive lineman Max Unger was picked in the second round by Seattle.

Meantime, former UH linebacker Solomon Elemimian will get a tryout with Buffalo after not being picked in the draft.

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Maui First: Maiava drafted by Browns

By Fred Guzman
ESPN550.com

The Valley Isle has two players in baseball's major leagues. And now, for the first time, a player from Maui was selected in the NFL draft.

Former Baldwin High standout Kaluka Maiva, who played his college ball at USC, appearing in four straight Rose Bowl Games, was chosen early in the fourth round, 104th overall, by the Cleveland Browns.

The outside linebacker will report this week for his first mini-camp, which begins Thursday.

Regarded as a bit undersized at 5-11, 229 pounds, Maiava's toughness and experience on special teams impressed the Browns front office, which is seeking to overhaul one of the league's most porous defensive units under new head coach Eric Mangini.

Maiava was not the only player with Hawaii ties selected by the Browns. Cleveland also picked ex-UH defensive end David Veikune in the second round, 52nd overall. The 6-3, 257-pounder will likely be moved to outside linebacker because the Browns are switching to a 3-4 defense.

Oregon offensive lineman Max Unger, a 6-5, 305-pounder who starred at Hawaii Prep, was also picked in the second round, 49th overall, by Seattle.
In somewhat of a surprise, Tennessee selected Ryan Mouton in third round with the 94th overall pick. A safety at UH, Mouton will have to make it in the NFL as a cornerback.
UH long snapper Jake Ingram was picked late in the sixth round, No. 198 overall, by New England because he was ranked by many scouts as the best at the position.
BASEBALL: Both of Maui's big leaguers enjoyed productive weekends.

Shane Victorino helped defending World Series champion Philadelphia to a three-game sweep of Florida.

On Friday, the first grandslam homer of Victorino's career triggered a seven-run outburst in the top of the ninth for a 7-3 win. On Saturday, he had a pair of hits and scored the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th after stealing a base and coming home on Chase Utley's single in Philly's 6-4 victory. And, on Sunday, Victorino collected another pair of hits and drove in four runs as the Phillies romped to a 13-2 win.

Oakland catcher Kurt Suzuki, meantime, drove in three runs as the Athletics defeated Tampa Bay 7-1. Suzuki is 9-for-17 over his last five games, lifting his season average to .333.

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Prep player tries no route to the NBA

By Fred Guzman
ESPN500.com

Brandon Jennings started the trend last year, when he opted to forego attending college for one season to comply with an NBA draft-eligibility rule and instead signed with a professional team in Italy.

Now a kid who played for his prep team in a tournament at the Lahaina Civic this past December, is taking things a step further.

Jeremy Tyler, a 6-11 junior, has dropped out of San Diego High School and says he will skip his senior year to play professionally in Europe.

The 17-year-old Tyler will become the first player born in the U.S. to leave high school early to play pro basketball overseas. He is expected to come back in two years, when he is eligible for the NBA draft.

Tyler had made a verbal commitment to Louisville. He has not signed with an agent or a pro team, but he probably will play in Spain, the although clubs from other European leagues are showing interest.

"If you're really focused on getting better, you go play pro somewhere," Tyler told the New York Times. "Pro guys will get you way better than playing against college guys."

Jennings, a 6-2 point guard, graduated last year from Oak Hill Academy and became the first high school grad to skip college and play pro ball in Europe. He is wrapping up his first season with a team based in Rome and is projected as a high pick in June's NBA draft.

In another draft-related development, Davidson junior guard Stephen Curry, who led the nation in scoring during the past season, announced will enter the NBA draft.

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Maui United wins under-13 soccer title

By Fred Guzman
ESPN550.com

During a weekend when many titles were contended for at the local high school level on the Valley Isle, a group of future prep standouts made their mark on Oahu as Maui United Soccer Club 96 captured the state under-13 boys soccer title in dramatic fashion.

Maui United opened with a pair of comfortable wins on Saturday, defeating Honolulu Bulls Kaele 4-0 and Ka Oi 8-0.

The challenge grew tougher on Sunday, and MUSC responded by defeating long-time nemesis and defending champion Honolulu Bulls Kaula 2-0 in Sunday's early game on goals by Blake Hooser and a penalty kick by Jaren Otani.

As a result of the point system used in the event, Maui United needed a tie against Real Rush to capture the title and earn a berth in the Far West Regional Tournament in Lancaster, Calif., on June 15-21.

Things didn't start well for United in the afternoon game. It gave up a sloppy goal in the first minute of play and Real Rush, playing its first game of the day, increased the lead to 2-0 by halftime.

But United turned things around after intermission as Mitchell Marrs tapped a ball from close range on Otani's corner kick two minutes into the second half. Otani then struck a 24-yard free kick into the upper right corner to tie the score at 2-2 in the 55th minute, giving MUSC the result it needed to secure the title and regional berth.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am one of the founders of Maui United, serve as vice president of the club's board and am involved as a senior coach with MUSC. Here's what I told the Maui News in the aftermath of the championship run.

"This was the culmination of a four-year process for this group of kids. Each year we closed the gap against the top teams on Oahu and, finally, the hard work, determination and continued development of this group paid off. Coming back from a 2-0 deficit against a rested quality team is quite an accomplishment. And, actually, we had a very nice goal called back that would have given them a deserved victory."

Other members of the championship team were: Nash Wuthrich, Matthew Foronda, Coran Yamamoto, Lily Higashino, Matthew Vanni, Logan Whitney, Juaquin Navarro-Bonilla, Daniel Quenga, Isai Barboza, Austin Gibson, Rhys Lendio, Ricky Casco, Nicholas Lawrence and Kahele Aroyan.

The under-13 boys are coached by Ted Eck, Matt Snyder, Alex Gonzalez and Guzman.

The MUSC under-15 boys finished second in their age group, winning three matches and suffering a 2-0 loss to eventual champion Real Rush.

The defending state champion MUSC under-15 girls missed qualifying for the finals despite not losing a game. The team opened with a 2-1 win over the Bulls and then tied eventual champion Ka Oi 1-1, with Ka Oi advancing by a single standings point.

Also entered in the event were Maui United's under-12 boys and under-12 girls, as well as Manuia's under-14 girls.

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SABERS WIN BASEBALL TITLE

By Fred Guzman
ESPN550.com

It wasn't pretty, but it was exciting. That, in a nutshell, describes last night's pivotal MIL baseball game at Iron Maehara Stadium.

Baldwin needed to sweep its regular-season-ending, three-game series against Maui High.

On Wednesday, the Bears took a step in that direction with a 9-8, nine-inning victory. Last night, Baldwin's comeback bid fell short as the Sabers held on for a 6-4 win to clinch the Division-I regular season crown and a berth in the state tournament.

There's still a lot of baseball ahead, providing the Bears – and the remaining MIL hopefuls – with an alternate road to states. They can qualify by winning next week's MIL tourney. And all still have a shot at the league's overall title.

After struggling during his first two innings, Maui High lefty Alika Aheong was in command through the next four frames, taking a 6-2 lead in into the bottom of the seventh.

But things started coming apart for him on the mound and David Sifton had to come in with the bases loaded and one out. Although the right-hander walked in a run, Sifton did preserve the victory by getting the final two outs of the game.

A two-run triple by Mike Diaz helped Maui High take a 4-2 lead in the third. The Sabers added two more in the fourth on a fielder's choice grounder and a throwing error on a pickoff play.

The Bears made it interesting, but ultimately came up short in the seventh.

BASEBALL: The University of Hawaii will try to regain is momentum as it opens a four-game series against Sacramento State tonight at Les Murakami Stadium.

More specifically, the UH pitching staff needs to get its stuff together after giving up 30 runs – 35 total – in 28.1 innings while dropping two of three games against Nevada in Reno.

As a result, coach Mike Trapasso has juggled his starting rotation. Former ace Jared Alexander is not scheduled to start this weekend after struggling in recent outings. In his last three starts, Alexander has allowed 14 runs and 20 hits in 20.2 innings.

On a more positive note, Kolten Wong has been on a tear. The freshman centerfielder from the Big Island was named WAC player of the week after going 12 for 18 with two homers, three doubles, 10 RBI and scoring seven runs during UH's recent four-game road trip.

UH is 20-12 overall and 4-3 in the WAC. Sac State is 20-14, including 1-3 in the conference.

MEN'S HOOPS: UH received national letters of intent from guards Dwain Williams and Jeremy Lay. The Bows still have two scholarships at their disposal for next season.

VOLLEYBALL: The men's volleyball team plays its final two matches of the season, hosting USC tonight and tomorrow as Mike Wilton's 17-run as coach winds down.

SOFTBALL: The Rainbow Wahine are on the road, opening a three-game series at San Jose State. UH is led by freshman right-hander Stephanie Ricketts, who is 8-2 with a 1.36 ERA.

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BELOVED SPORTSCASTER PASSES AWAY

By Fred Guzman
ESPN550.com

The Aloha State has lost one of its most distinctive and beloved voices with Tuesday's passing of sportscaster Les Keiter just two weeks shy of his 90th birthday.

After spending many years calling games in major markets and covering national events, Keiter began an extended run as Hawaii's leading sportscaster.

Personally, I have a lot of affection for Les Keiter. He was our first guest on when we launched a sports talk show some 16 years ago.
He was scheduled to be on-air for 15 minutes. He stayed on for an entire hour, cheerfully recalling highlights of his colorful and varied career in a trademark booming voice.

To many, he was simply "The General," a nickname given to him by Joe Moore, his long-time on-air partner on KHON-TV, after Keiter played that role in an episode of Hawaii Five-0.

A native of Seattle, Keiter began his broadcasting career in Hawaii after World War II. He moved to the East Coast and made a name for himself as a play-by-play man for baseball's New York Giants and basketball's New York Knicks, among others.

He is also noted for calling 14 heavyweight title fights, including Muhammad Ali's stunning victory over Sonny Liston in their first bout – regarded as one of boxing greatest upsets at the time.

Keiter returned to Hawaii in 1971 and became the voice of the Hawaii Islanders and University of Hawaii sports as well as serving as the long-time sports anchor on KHON.

Needless to say, this gracious and kindly man will be missed.

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MAUI WELCOMES UH FOOTBALL TEAM

By Fred Guzman
ESPN550.com

An estimated 3,000 fans attended the University of Hawai football team's visit to Maui on Saturday.

Hawaii went through practice drills and performed live 9-on-7 and 7-on-7 drills before inviting fans on the field for picture-taking and autographs.

This was a very nice outreach effort by head coach Greg McMackin to underscore his belief that this is truly Hawaii's team.

CHANGES: There will be two new coaches at the University of Hawaii. And neither change comes as a huge surprise.

On Saturday, UH men's volleyball coach Mike Wilton said he would not return next year. Out of respect for Wilton's accomplished during a 17-year stint, we will give him the benefit of the doubt as say he's retiring.

But after two seasons during which the once-proud program failed to reach the conference playoffs, it's highly doubtful his contract would have been renewed had he wanted to return. Further proof that Wilton wasn't in line for an extension was his announced intention of serving as an assistant for the BYU women next season.

There was a time that men's volleyball was a marquee program at Manoa.

In 1996, featuring Yuval Katz, UH suffered only one loss -- in an epic five-game classic to UCLA in the NCAA title match.

Six years later, led by Costas Theochridis, UH won the national title only to have it vacated because of an NCAA ruling based on their star having played alongside pro players in his native Greece.

It was a foregone conclusion that UH would make a change in women's hoops. Jim Bolla has been on paid leave since Feb. 13 when the school began a probe into allegations that he kicked a player in practice. The Rainbow Wahine finished with a dismal 8-23 record.

The new coach will not be in place before Thursday's national letter of intent signing date and thus will essentially miss on a recruiting class.

UH BASEBALL: You can bet your bottom dollar that UH's pitchers couldn't wait to get out of Reno. Not because they dropped too much money at the tables. The Bows' hurlers were simply awful while dropping two of three in a weather-shortened weekend series originally scheduled for four games.

The Bows rolled into town with a No. 23 ranking and a three-way share of the WAC lead. They left with marks of 21-12 overall and 4-3 in the WAC, largely because their pitchers gave up 30 earned runs – and 35 total – in 28.1 innings.

Things got off to a bad start Thursday as the Bows blew three leads in a 14-12, 12-inning loss, committing five errors and their six pitchers conceding 11 walks.

Hawaii was leading 4-2 going into the bottom of the second inning on Saturday when play was suspended because of bad weather. Because the series was supposed to conclude with a twinbill on Saturday, the fourth game was cancelled.

WAC rules do not allow three games to be played in a single day. Since there is no home-and-home series, there is no way to make up the game. That means the two teams will be one game short in WAC play.

On Friday, UH ace Jared Alexander up four runs on four hits in the first, marking the fourth straight start that he's lasted three innings or less, although the Bows held on when play resumed on Saturday for a 13-11 win. But UH then lost the nightcap, 10-5.

The Bows next host Sacramento in a four-game set that begins Friday.

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PHILLIES STUMBLE OUT OF GATE

By Fred Guzman
ESPN550.com

After capturing their first World Series title in 28 years, and only the second in the franchise's 126-year history, much is expected of the Phillies this season. But after two games, the Phils are 0-2, hardly the kind of start anticipated by the players and their demanding fans.

The City of Brotherly Love literally rolled out the red carpet for the conquering hometown heroes on Sunday only to see the team suffer a 4-1 loss to Atlanta.

The game ended on a pair of strikeouts by slugger Ryan Howard and off-season acquisition Raul Ibanez with two men on base.

Last night, things went from bad to worse as Atlanta blanked the Phillies 4-0.

So far, Maui's Shane Victorino – batting sixth in the opener and second yesterday – is still looking for his first hit of the season.

But the Phillies aren't alone in getting off to rocky starts.

CC Sabathia, who signed a $161 million free-agent deal with the Yankees was absolutely awful in his debut, giving up six runs on eight hits in 4.1 innings while walking five, throwing two wild pitches and failing to register a strikeout.

Reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee was equally awful for Cleveland, giving up seven runs and 10 hits in five innings. His NL Cy Young counterpart, San Francisco's Tim Lincecum, also struggled. Lasting only three ineffective innings.

Ah, but remember: It's a long, long season.

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FOR BASEBALL, IT’S ABOUT THE ECONOMY

By Fred Guzman
ESPN550.com

While the doomsayers in the media continued their obsession over the alleged black cloud hanging over baseball because of the steroids scandal, the fans continued to flock to major-league parks in record numbers and generating record revenues for the sport.

But there is a real fear among baseball owners that this trend could be reversing as a result of the depressed and uncertain financial times.

While the New York Yankees spent freely in hopes of luring more fans to fill the expensive seats, some going for as high as $2,600, at their new $1.5 billion stadium, 13 of 30 teams cut payroll.

Technically, the Yankees were among those reducing spending, trimming $7 million, although their annual payroll is expected to reach $200 million – about $60 million than any other team.

Still, the Yankees committed $423.5 million to secure the services of CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, and A.J. Burnett after missing the playoffs for the first time in 13 years and in an effort to bring a World Series title to the Bronx for the first time since 2000.

The San Diego Padres sliced more than $30 million, while the Chicago White Sox chopped more than $25 million in salaries. Only the Cubs and defending World Series champion Phillies raised spending by more than $20 million as most teams took a cautious approach.

So it is no longer business as usual for baseball owners, who will keep as close of an eye on attendance figures as they will the standings during the coming season.

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BASEBALL BOWS HAVE HIGH HOPES

By Fred Guzman
ESPN550.com

Expectations are running high as the University of Hawaii baseball team begins its conference campaign tonight against San Jose State in the opener of a four-game series at Les Murakami Stadium.

UH has played impressively during the recent non-conference portion of its schedule – including taking 3 of 4 against then-18th-ranked Coastal Carolina last week -- for an overall mark of 16-9 record.

But San Jose State's resume is even more impressive. The Spartans are 19-5 and feature arguably the best pitching staff in the seven-team WAC, which includes defending national champion Fresno State.

The two teams tangle at 6:35 p.m. today, play two tomorrow starting at 3 o'clock and close out the series at 1:05 p.m. on Sunday.

UH will send Jayson Kramer to the mound tonight, while struggling Jared Alexander and emerging Matt Sisto will on Saturday. Head coach Mike Trapasso has not designated a starter for Sunday's finale.

MEN'S HOOPS: Bob Nash received a one-year contract extension with an option for a second year if the UH basketball team wins 18 games or qualifies for a post-season tournament over the next two seasons.

More importantly, perhaps, Nash secured commitments from a pair of highly-touted athletes who he hopes will resolve one of his team's biggest needs – backcourt players who can shoot and handle the ball.

UH was 13-17 during the past season and is 24-36 during Nash's two years on the job since he took over for Riley Wallace.

The additions of 6-foot guards Dwain Williams and Jeremy Lay, he hopes, will elevate the level of Hawaii's backcourt.

Williams – one of the nation's top-rated prep guards -- was the starting point guard for Providence as a sophomore during the 2007-08 season and scored 23 points – including six 3-pointers – in a stunning upset of Connecticut.

Williams averaged 11 points and led the Friars with a .902 shooting percentage and shot 40.7 percent from behind the arc. He left Providence after the firing of its then-head coach and now has resurfaced at Manoa.

UH also landed Lay, who averaged nearly 17 points and more than six assists last season for a junior college in Oklahoma. He also led the team in steals.

If those two players pan out, they should dramatically elevate Hawaii's dismal three-point shooting a horrid ball-handling. UH is scheduled to return its entire starting five – including talented swingman Roderick Flemings.

VOLLEYBALL: The UH men continued to struggle, rallying late but still suffering a five-set road loss to ninth-ranked UCLA despite 28 kills by FR Steven Hunt. The two teams meet again tonight, with Hawaii having dropped to 6-16 overall and 3-14 in the conference.

SOFTBALL: The Rainbow Wahine are on the road this weekend, facing league-leading and nationally 22nd-ranked Fresno State in a three-game series. Hawaii is 15-19 overall and 3-3 in the WAC, compared to Fresno State's marks of 21-13 and 5-1.

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BIG DAY FOR UH GRID ALUMS

By Fred Guzman
ESPN550.com

Typically, these types of events are conducted on a university's campus. But in order to attract the maximum number of pro scouts, former UH players will be showing their stuff today at the Home Depot Center in the Los Angeles area.

Leading the way are defensive end David Veikune and safety Ryan Mouton, with defensive lineman Josh Leonard and linebacker Solomon Elimimian also in attendance.

Veikune is the ex-UH player most likely to be selected during the upcoming NFL draft, scheduled for April 25-26.

The 6-2, 260-pounder showed well during the Senior Bowl drills. He also put up some impressive numbers at the NFL combine, bench-pressing 225 pounds 35 times, fourth-best among all the participants. His 40-yard time ranked ninth among defensive linemen.

Last week, the Dolphins conducted a private workout for Veikune and three USC linebackers who are all projected as first-round picks -- Brian Cushing, Clay Matthews and Rey Maualuga. Earlier this week, Veikune had a private workout with Denver's linebacker coach.

With some many NFL teams employing a 3-4 scheme, Veikune's future is likely to be as an outside linebacker.

Mouton showed well at the East-West Shrine game and the combine. He had a 39.5 vertical jump and, despite slowing down near the end of the 40 with a strained hamstring, was clocked in 4.48 -- the fourth-fastest among defensive backs.

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MORE THAN MONEY TO CALIPARI’S EXIT

By Fred Guzman
ESPN550.com

Call me naïve, if you will, but I really think that it wasn't just about the money for John Calipari in his decision to leave a highly successful program in Memphis to take over the basketball coaching job.

Oh, he'll get a huge chunk of green for accepting the job in the basketball-crazy Bluegrass State. As in an eight-year deal that includes $31.65 million, plus incentives and a $2.5 million signing bonus.

In the end, it was the challenge of coaching for college basketball's winningest program and competing in a power conference that most attracted to Kentucky.

Although Tyreke Evans, the nation's best freshman, will likely leave for the NBA, Memphis still has a talented core. Don't put too much stock on reports the other kids will follow Calipari to Kentucky, because those players would have to sit out a season if they opted to transfer.

The real impact for Memphis is in the players that will not be coming into the program and are now likely to sign with Kentucky, instead.

Four of the nation's top 10 prep prospects were interested in coming to Memphis, including top-rated 6-6 wingman Xavier Henry and 6-11 center DeMarcus Cousins, as well as point guard John Wall and 6-5 shooting guard Nolan Dennis.

Add them to a roster featuring two of the SEC's best players in guard Jodie Meeks and forward Patrick Patterson, and Kentucky could make making a quick return to the nation's elite. Patterson plans to return for his junior season, while Meeks – named a second-team All-America -- is still considering his pro options.

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