It was previously announced that Brennan will sign autographs tomorrow at the Picture Plus store in the Pearl Highland shopping center. That session will run from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. To purchase a ticket for the autograph session, go to:

http://www.picturesplus.net/detail_image.asp?imageid=Blank_P&ID=192#

* * *

Senior slotback Aaron Bain is the rare player who does not have a tattoo. He mused that as a walk-on, he couldn’t afford one. Bain, who is scheduled to receive a football scholarship next month, has worked this summer as a counselor at a youth detention center in Makiki.

* * *

Slotback Kealoha Pilares, who is on scholarship, has a lot of ink.

* * *

Leon Wright-Jackson, who went home to Seattle for a few days, is back and working out daily. Wright-Jackson and Daniel Libre enter training camp as the co-No. 1 running backs.

To help prepare for the season, Wright-Jackson bought a pair of Under Armour cleats. UA is UH’s sponsor this year. The players won’t receive their UA cleats until training camp.

Kealoha Pilares, however, said he feels comfortable with his Nike shoes.

* * *

Jake Heun is expected to serve as a powerback in short-yardage situations. Heun was a skilled linebacker in JC — the “dark side,” he calls the defense — but he appears set to play offense this season.

* * *

Ray Hisatake is competing for the left tackle’s job and the title of Biggest Hair.

Right wideout Royce Pollard also has impressive hair.

* * *

Tight end Jeremy Stevens of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers worked out at UH’s grass practice field today. Stevens and UH defensive line coach Ikaika Malloe are good friends. Because it was an unsupervised workout, Malloe dropped off Stevens but wasn’t allowed to stay.

* * *

Ryan Henry has made a strong first impression, displaying quickness and sure hands during yesterday’s unsupervised workouts. Henry, a junior-college transfer, is competing at slotback. During workouts, he joins two other transfers — Mike Tinoco and Craig Bell. A fourth transfer, Jovonte Taylor, reports to training camp next month.

* * *

Leadership has many definitions. Adam Leonard, a senior, shows his leadership by bringing the water. No wonder so many players respect him.

* * *

Quarterback Greg Alexander is fitting in, participating in yesterday’s drills in bare feet. I’m not sure what Inoke Funaki is doing in the background.

* * *

Kawika Fuga, a former Leilehua High middle linebacker, has been working out with the fellas. This is a pretty good T-shirt:

* * *

Know that little voice in the back of your head? For those who cover UH football, that voice belonged to Dara Young, who was a member of the stat crew. Her knowledge of football is vast, her commitment deep. She once got married in the morning, then kept stats that night. Here’s Dara:

Football is like air to me – which is why I suffocate between February and August. My wonderful father, bless his heart, probably thought his eldest was going to be a boy. But, he still watched sports in my presence, and I asked him a million questions about sports. As a 4-year-old, my favorite players were Alex Kaloi and (gasp!) O.J. Simpson! I LOVED Joe Moore as the KGMB sports anchor, and even asked for Joe’s autographed photo for my 5^th birthday. I got my wish, by the way.

Remember those Troll Book orders in elementary school? Well, I ordered all the sports ones: “Ten Great NFL Quarterbacks,” and the list goes on. Dan Fouts, Ken Stabler, Tony Dorsett, Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris….they were all in the books I ordered. Then when I was 8, I got another gridiron thrill: my dad took me to the first NFL Pro Bowl in Hawaii!

As an Eastside rat who went to Kaiser, Scott Chan was my P.E. and health teacher. I had heard he was a pretty darn good player in the 1970s; he was a great teacher too. I dragged my girlfriend (a football hater) to the Kaiser games…then when we moved on to UH-Manoa, I somehow persuaded her to buy Super Rooter tickets with me. She was a quite a trooper and even stood in the rain with me and watched Jason Elam and the Rainbows beat Iowa!!! Think the rain did her in, because after that, I was on my own with UH football.

I got lucky and ended up working part-time in the UH Athletic Department first at the business office, then at the SID Office with Eddie Inouye, Thomas Yoshida, Lois Manin and Markus Owens. Great, great people – and UH still has fabulous people in that Athletic Department. I was a shy, quiet student who tried to soak up all I could under the “seasoned” students: The Advertiser’s own Dayton Morinaga and Henry Yamamoto, who served as the Wahine Volleyball P.A. during the Klum Days. After that, I became a UH Athletic Department barnacle – they just couldn’t get rid of me.

In between my job at the best hotel in Hawaii, I get to enjoy each UH home football game in person – sitting right behind Mr. Tsai, our beloved blog host. I’m lucky to be part of a great stats team who’s seen the lows and the highs. One of the most memorable games has to be the UH double overtime win over Fresno State in 1999…what a thriller!

And then there was 2007. What a season, what a finish. I just had to be there to join the Hawaii contingent in New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl because it was one of the few opportunities I had to scream my head off (can’t do that during the games in the press box) for the Warriors. Following the Sugar Bowl and the administrative changes, I decided it was time to step it up and really put my money by my mouth and support the program. On the day that Coach Mack was named head coach, I sat there watching the press conference putting down my deposit for 2 season tickets. Although I won’t be sitting in those seats, I’ll still be screaming loudly…to myself.

I will now go back to lurking…GO WARRIORS

Here’s Dara as the Warrior:

And here’s what our shy Dara sounds like during a football game:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btsJEjzVjBc

To purchase a ticket for the autograph session, go to:

http://www.picturesplus.net/detail_image.asp?imageid=Blank_P&ID=192#

* * *

Don’t think the offseason belongs only to the football players.
The Rainbow Wahine volleyball, soccer and softball players have been lifting and running and lifting some more.
Yesterday, Chelsea Deptula kicked okole in dodgeball, blasting away at some of the football players.
Here’s a picture of volleyball players Jessica Keele and Dani Mafua:

* * *

And here’s one of my favorite coaches, softball’s Dee Wisneski:

* * *

Of all of the athletic department administrators, associate AD Marilyn Moniz-Kaho‘ohanohano is one of the lowest paid. Jim Donovan said one of his priorities is to give her a well-deserved pay increase.

* * *

According to UH folks, conditioning coach Mel deLaura is in Oregon tending to a family matter. He returns to Hawai‘i on Monday.

* * *

Some blogs are fortunate to have one charismatic and energetic poster. We’re blessed to have “the twins.” A few weeks ago, we printed the bio of Midor7. Now meet her technological sister. Who knew the woman who entertained us with “Funky Cold Medina” at K-Calls was a finalist in the Brown Bags to Stardom competition? Meet UHFan808:

In the wee hours one September morning, I was born at Kapiolani Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii on the island of Oahu. My dad, a civilian machinist, worked the night shift fixing submarines at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. My mother, a homemaker and mother of three, loved to sew, garden, bake, and cook.

Both parents were “known” for their creative home projects. My mother grew beds of brilliantly colored flowers, the brighter the better. Everything in the yard had a purpose, whether for food or for decoration. Even the kitchen waste had its own composting hole in the garden. They were interesting people whose projects were so different that each was a featured in an article. My mother’s strawberry guava hedge doubled as an edible fence and my father’s life hobby was to build our house from metal, concrete, and glass.

Their other “project” was raising me.

When I turned three, my parents took me to swimming classes at the Richard Street YWCA. I was told I kicked and screamed bloody murder when introduced to the male teachers but finally calmed down when I met the nice woman teacher named Wendy. She was my teacher every Saturday until about fourth grade. Today — ahem, ahem — “Breaststroke” is still my favorite stroke.

For a short period, I hung out with a neighborhood gang of four girls and four boys. Sometimes we made dirt coffee, played house, or ran just around the neighborhood. We played chase-master, hide and go seek, sham battle, basketball, jacks, Chinese jump rope, jump rope, paddle tennis, and patty cakes, but most times we were climbing trees, riding our bikes, walking the streambed over rocks and boulders, fishing with scoop nets, and raising fish in tanks. Swordtails were my favorite but mom got those from the store. At the stream we would catch Indian tail guppies, baby Tilapia, jumping Opai, and dirt-brown and bright-red baby crayfish. I never fell into the stream except for the time we found a wooden box and it sunk in the middle of the stream.

I still remember playing on the grass fronting our house singing along to songs playing on the radio sometimes making up my own words while mother hung the laundry. Later they sent me to learn to sing and play the piano. I also learned to play the recorder and kazoo. Later on I took lessons from an instructor who earned his degree at Julliard.

On Sundays, we watched The Lawrence Welk variety show. It was a comedy, dance, skits, singing, and talk show. Bobby and Suzie were my favorite dance couple. My mom was a talented seamstress and I wanted to sew just like her. I always vowed to make the prettiest dress on the show using her sewing scraps.

When I was five, my dad took me to the elementary school after hours and we stopped to watch some boys practicing karate. I thought they were having fun so I asked to join them. By 12, I earned my second Dan (sp?) red belt. My favorite things were to avoid being tripped while sparring and “throwing” the opponent to the ground.

I also attended classes in Tahitian dance, ukulele, sewing, Chinese language, drawing & painting, arts & crafts, clay work, ballet, gymnastics, and cooking.

In my elementary and intermediate school years, we’d take family trips to the Rose Bowl to watch UCLA vs. USC football games. I remember going to watch the floats in the Rose Bowl Parade and sitting on the concrete stadium seats. Once we stopped to watch a Santa Anita race and I took a picture with the winning horse. The trips were similar every year, a combination of Las Vegas or Reno, and Chinatown L.A. No matter what, it always included a trip to Disneyland in Anaheim.

Attended Hokulani Elementary, Washington Intermediate, McKinley High School, and the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Hokulani Elementary School was like a private school with UH professor’s children going there. In the fifth grade, we were assigned an instrument. I wanted to play the flute but couldn’t make a sound so I got the Clarinet instead. From then on I went on many band trips mostly to the neighbor islands. Sometimes the boys would mix their leftover food with their milk and the resulting mixture would make me gag.

Somewhere going through intermediate school, I learned to speak Pidgin English. Parents said I was becoming too much of a tomboy and sent me to John Robert Powers modeling school. I was supposed to learn how to act like a girl. Continued with band and participated in science fairs. My favorite English teacher was Mrs. Tamanaha. Boy, she was the toughest and strictest and nicest teacher I ever had.

My parents and brother graduated from McKinley High and I wanted to continue the tradition. Continued with band and science fairs. Learned to speak Japanese from band friends. One year the band took a trip to Japan and China. As ambassadors from Hawaii, we performed Polynesian dances. I did the hula while wearing a muu muu and the Maori poi balls performance dressed in a sleeveless blouse and grass skirt. Our movements and garments were unusual and generated snickers and laughter from the audience. For the first time I was now in a band that played during football games. In my senior year, we started a marching band and a group of us gave up our instruments and marched as flag girls. Another group of friends and I entered the Brown Bags to Stardom talent competition. We won and entered the state competition. We took second place overall and first place in the music competition.

The yearly trips I had with my family convinced me that I would not appreciate going away for college. I loved it in Hawaii too much and could never consider being away from home. You can take the girl out of the islands but you can’t take the islands out of the girl. Guess I’m just an Island Girl. So I attended UH, played the clarinet during concert band, volleyball, and basketball games and marched with the band as a flag girl. Was fortunate to have attended all the football games and travel a few times to the Mainland to cheer for the basketball team. What’s funny is I would pay attention more to my friends than to the games.

Two weeks out of college, I got my first full time job in a lab analyzing wastewater. In elementary school, you would never imagine I’d get a job working anywhere near that kind of stench. Now I found it very interesting and rewarding!

Throughout my life I was always exposed to football. That changed in high school when I became more interested in watching men’s and women’s volleyball and baseball. Shortly thereafter, baseball became my favorite sport to watch. I enjoyed the Todd Takayoshi, John Matias, Randy Oyama and Markus Owens years. After school I began to watch football again. I loved it but didn’t know it. It took a few years of not watching or going to any games that I suddenly discovered I could not live another season without it. Since 2006, I’ve either gone to every game or watched the away games on the telly.

It was during last year’s UH football 2007 season that I discovered the Warrior Beat Blog. After the LaTech game, I began hearing news about their fans complaining about the Haka. I searched the internet and found the LaTech blog site. It was true! They just did not understand it was not meant to be a violent representation. Most of them were reasonable but were always extremely defensive at first.

Soon I discovered Tombo Ahi’s site. It was chock full of condensed and concise information about my beloved Warrior football team. I decided to post on his blog about the LaTech bloggers. It was my first time posting. He warmly welcomed me and congratulated for stepping over the lurker line. If I wanted to interact with other Warrior fans, he suggested I visit Stephen Tsai’s Warrior Beat Blog.

I checked it out. For a while, I lurked. Okay, it was only a short while. I could not resist their warmth and camaraderie. They told jokes and were very serious about the Warrior football team stories, information, and statistics. The bloggers had funny names too like at the other sites. The setup of the blog was unlike the others, it was one thread per day rather than hundreds of threads (topics) with posts attached to each. The more I lurked, the more I discovered I really liked the community and I began to blog.

Another game was coming up. It was the NMSU game. Kazz and BG put out an open invitation to all bloggers. Excited to attend, I sent an RSVP. At the Tsaiko-gate, some of the first Tsaikos I met were homey, al, and Koakane. They were so nice. Then I introduced myself to Wreck. Wreck says, “UHfan808. You’re a girl? I thought you were a guy!!! Wait till I tell Bulla!” Man, I blog like a guy?!? Well, my parents once tried to make me a girl. Guess I can’t have everything in life.

Now it dawns on me that the void in my life has always been football. Thanks for always knowing mom and dad! And while I will always miss that neighborhood gang, I think I’ve found a bigger one — Meet the Tsai-kos!

Thank yous, hugs, and kisses to everyone far and wide for your loving support and shared interest in UH sports. I consider you all a part of my family. Tsaikos will always be brothers and sisters to me for the rest of my life!

Hi there, I’m the UHfan that lives in 808. See you around and Aloha! UHfan808 = )

Here are the twins with Kanoa Leahey. That’s UHFan808 on the left, Midori7 on the right:

* * *

The SMU-UH goodwill trip to American Samoa was successful in many ways. Too often, coaches go to the U.S. territory solely for recruiting purposes. This time, the group of coaches went there to help, delivering medical supplies and teaching a two-day clinic.
The tour and the preceding golf tournaments on Kaua‘i and Kona gave closure to last year’s coaching staff. With the chaos surrounding June Jones’ sudden departure to SMU (followed by the departure of four UH assistants), there was little time for a proper goodbye. Jones and McMackin sat side-by-side on the flights to and from American Samoa.
“We just had a great time,” McMackin said.

* * *

Wideout Ryan Henry, a junior-college transfer, will arrive in town this week for Summer Session II, which starts next week.
But two other transfers — Jovonte Taylor and Dustin Blount — will remain at their JCs for the next few weeks.
It was hoped that Taylor and Blount would arrive early enough to participate in unsupervised workouts. But they still need to complete work at their JCs. They are expected to arrive in time for the start of training camp in August.

* * *

The donation money is being put to use. Each of the coaches received a new wide-screen television. Now, all of the practice and game videos can be shot in wide screen. Here’s offensive coordinator Ron Lee’s TV (with a video from a spring practice):

* * *

From what I’ve observed, several players have assumed leadership roles this season. The offensive leaders are Inoke Funaki, Tyler Graunke, Malcolm Lane, Leon Wright-Jackson, Daniel Libre, Dylan Linkner, Aaron Bain, Mike Washington, Jake Santos, Shane Austin, Ray Hisatake and Keith AhSoon. On defense, the guys running the show are David Veikune, Adam Leonard, Keala Watson, Ryan Mouton, Keao Monteilh and Blaze Soares. There are other leaders, of course, in other workouts.

This past weekend, Adam Leonard said, he went surfing for the first time. He said he went to Waikiki. Fortunately, he avoided the box jellyfish.

He is one of the few who embraces my camera:

* * *

It hasn’t been easy for Tyler Graunke to balance workouts with a busy academic schedule. But he has made the most of his time on the field. Graunke has been a helpful tutor:

And here’s Graunke with wideout Malcolm Lane:

* * *

Remember Jayson Rego, former state Offensive Player of the Year? He’s in the mix at running back. The No. 1s are Leon Wright-Jackson and Daniel Libre. Jake Heun and David Farmer are competing at power back. Mario Cox isn’t on the 105-player training camp roster, although he has been invited to rejoin the first day of school. Here’s Rego:

* * *

Big thanks to Dr. Dennis Watkins, who removed an inch-long cyst from my head today. He even did his own stitching. Quite a talented guy. Thanks again.

* * *

While the “skill” guys are out in the humidity, the big guys are in the sauna known as Klum Gyym.

Here’s Raphael Ieru:

Here’s Joey Lipp:

Here’s Levi Legay:

Here’s Clarence “Lafu” Tuioti-Mariner:

Here’s Sila Lefiti:

Here’s Tui‘atua Tuiasosopo:

* * *

Give players, such as Dylan Linkner (pictured below) and Dan Kelly, for supporting cancer awareness programs:

* * *

Had a nice chat with Riley Wallace, who offered these updates:
• Carl English became a first-time dad.
• Phil Martin is playing in Italy.
• Michael Kuebler played in Israel last season.

* * *

There used to be a time when sports marketing began with knowing and understanding the wishes of the customers. One of the giants, Conrad Passas, has left us. He’ll be missed, but we should remember that his basic concepts are applicable today.

* * *

From sports media relations director Derek Inouchi:
Sitting here in DC airport and looking at my mug on your blog. Thanks.
Tell ur bloggers new media guides will be online but don’t think we’ll be posting older ones. We’ll look into it, though. I’m headed to Tampa for our SID convention. Will be back July 7.

Derek
Sent from my iPhone

* * *

Bio schedule:
Tuesday: UHfan808.
Wednesday: Dara Young.

* * *

As Stretch noted, the second anniversary party has filled its slots. By the way, Stretch, add Jim Leahey to the list. But the committee is accepting spots on the waiting list. You won’t want to miss it, mostly because of the fun of drinking beverages out of the Stretch-designed mugs. Here’s Stretch’s mug shot:

* * *

On the other side, the goodwill travel party of the UH and SMU coaching staffs to American Samoa has arrived safely. These photos are courtesy of Kevin Kaplan of the June Jones Foundation:

* * *

Matt Gibson is averaging 19 points per game for the Marinos, a team in Venezuela’s pro basketball league. The Marinos are in the playoffs.

* * *

UH is going green. The football media guides, which will be circulated July 21, will be made of recycled paper.

Here’s sports media relations director Derek Inouchi holding the media guide proof:

* * *

On Aug. 18, UH will launch its newly improved sports Web site, which will feature videos. Inouchi already has hired Jay Metzger as videographer/photographer to serve as UH’s version of Princess Leila.

Check out Jay’s great work at his Web site: http://www.metzphotography.com/ 

* * *

Quarterback Brent Rausch dropped the Emo look, cutting his hair and letting it return to its natural light color.

* * *

And here’s Greg Aleander:

* * *
Here’s Shane Austin letting it fly:

* * *

And here’s Tyler Graunke:

* * *

Here’s Inoke Funaki, up close and personal:

It is a sad outome for Tengan,  who has been involved with Crusader athletics for 25 years. Tengan’s football teams lost only two games in the last two years. For UH fans, Tengan was a friend of the program.

* * *

According to wideout Malcolm Lane, former UH cornerbacks Gerard Lewis and Myron Newberry are mulling an opportunity to play in the German Football League. Lane, who lived in Germany for several years, said the caliber of play is very good. Lane also said the demise of NFL Europa has created a market for the GFL to expand.

Here’s a photo from last year’s German Bowl:

* * *

Dylan Linkner has a dream.
What he needs is time to sleep.
“My day consists of waking up at 5 in the morning,” said Linkner, a non-scholarship wideout. “I come over here, and lift early in the morning.”
He lifts weights, then participates in conditioning drills. After that, he goes to Kapi‘olani Community College, where he is taking a 2-hour summer school class. Then it’s home to Kailua to do homework or take a quick nap. He then serves as a bus worker at a Waikiki Restaurant from 4 p.m. until midnight.
“I don’t get home until 1,” Linkner said. “I don’t fall asleep until 1:30, 2. I get right back up at 5 for the same workouts.”
Is it worth it? “Of course,” said Linkner, who is perpetually upbeat.
Linkner’s father, Jim, is Keali‘i Reichel’s sound engineer. Last week, Jim Linkner won another Hoku award.
Dylan Linkner wants to make it on his own. He wants to pay for his tuition. He wants to be responsible. That meant that last summer, when his teammates were working out, he was stocking shelves at Longs.
Linkner, who finished spring training as the No. 2 right wideout, set a goal of earning a football scholarship.
Yesterday afternoon, he managed to compete in unsupervised workouts. He ran hard. He made every catch.
“I’m working hard,” Linkner said.
In training camp, he wants to prove “that I’m worthy, that I can get that scholarship.”
But if that falls through, “I want to make sure I have money to pay for school,” he said.

Here’s Linkner (left) with safety Spencer Smith:

* * *

It’s good to see that Laupepa Letuli has fully healed from a hamstring injury that sidelined him for all of spring training. He had suffered the injury while running the 40-yard dash on Cooke … er, Ching Field. Letuli, Aaron Kia and Ray Hisatake are competing to be the No. 1 left tackle. Last year’s starter, Keith AhSoon, is moving to left guard.

* * *

Shane Austin also declared himself healthy. He suffered a fracture in his right foot on the last play of the Warrior Bowl. His foot was in a cast and then a medical boot. Now he is able to practice without any medical support for his foot.

* * *

Dylan Linkner, Leon Wright-Jackson and Shane Austin are posing for a serious shot when Inoke Funaki pulls a quarterback sneak and races in front of the group.

Then Funaki does the peek-a-boo trick:

* * *

Seems the only consensus that can be drawn about today’s NBA Draft is that, well, there is no consensus. Scouts and GMs do agree that the top two talents in the draft are Memphis PG Derrick Rose and Kansas State F Michael Beasley, but there are at least 20 other names legitimately in play for the rest of the lottery.

And, if the rumblings out of Miami are to be believed, it’s no safe bet that Beasley, if he’s not taken No. 1 by Chicago, will be Miami’s choice at No. 2. According to ESPN, Heat GM Pat (the Bunny) Riley is enamored with former USC employee OJ Mayo, who has wisely spent his off-season working his way onto Dwyane Wade’s Fave Five. In a stretch, Arizona’s Jerryd Bayless could also be in play here.

The last couple of days have only added to the uncertainty. Indiana was said to be in the hunt for the best available point guard at No. 11 – possibly Texas’ DJ Augustin – but that could change after swapping oft-injured Jermaine O’Neal for Toronto PG TJ (Spinal Tap) Ford. In a couple of minor trades yesterday, Charlotte picked up Denver’s No. 20 (a momentary reprieve for Anthony Carter) and Portland got New Orleans’ No. 27. Also, as malihini Chad Ford reported this morning, Memphis and New Jersey could swap Nos. 5 and 10. New York was also believed to be looking to move up.

Fun stuff!

Here’s my stab at how this afternoon’s festivities could proceed. Consider it a conversation starter rather than an actual prediction.

1. Chicago: Derrick Rose — Given incumbent PG Kirk Hinrich’s struggles last year and the new perception around the league that versatile combo guards are they key to success, most draftniks have Rose pegged here as the prohibitive favorite, and we’re loathe to disagree. Still, don’t be surprised if the Bulls, who spent all last season moaning about their lack of scoring in the post, surprise everybody by picking Beasley, the most productive player in college basketball last year.
2.Miami: Michael Beasley — Riles may indeed be cool on Beasley and hot for Mayo (both have off-the-court character concerns) but I have a hard time believing that the Heat tanked the season for a 6-3 ‘tweener with a bigger posse than AI. Rumors that Miami may trade down (possibly with Memphis) have died down a bit, but that’s also a possibility.
3. Minnesota: OJ Mayo — Kevin McHale may very well pee his shorties if Beasley falls into the Timberwolves’ lap. Standford’s Brook Lopez and UCLA’s Kevin Love have been mentioned here under the assumption that Kevin McHale would like to find a skilled big man to work beside Al (Did-Anyone-Want-to-Kill-Himself-More-After-the-Celts-Won-the-Championship) Jefferson in the post, but No. 3 may be a bit too high for either. The Timberwolves already have Randy Foye and Rashad McCants, but Mayo could be better than both of them.
4 Seattle: Russell Westbrook — The soon-to-be Oklahoma Sonics already have a couple of rising frontcourt stars in Kevin Durant and Jeff Green. Westbrook, who’s stock has gone through the roof lately, is an attractive option to shore up one of the guard spots. Westbrook’s offense is limited, but he may be the first beneficiary of the Rajon Rondo Aura. Like Rondo, he’s a gifted athlete with lockdown defensive ability. Bayless, who’s stock has dropped, could be considered if offense is more of a concern. Then again, after wasting consecutive first round picks on centers Robert Swift, Johan Petro and Saer Sene, Seattle may look to get it right with Lopez or Love.
5. Memphis: Kevin Love — The Grizzlies are in full rebuilding mode and they could do worse than a highly skilled big man with a good feel for the game. Love’s Rambisian outlet passes could lead to 2-3 easy scores per game from rising star Rudy Gay.
6. New York: Danilo Galinari — Wouldn’t you know it? The Knicks finally can Isiah Thomas, and it’s right before the one important decision he might actually get right. Bayless and Indiana’s Eric Gordon (remember when tweener guards were the dumbest pick of the draft? Where have you gone Rodney Monroe?) will get a long, hard look here, but Galinari brings skill and a wealth of international experience, even if he wasn’t coach Mike D’Antoni’s favorite to start with.
7. LA Clippers: Jerryd Bayless — Sam I Am is a C and no one knows what’s left of Shaun Livingston after his horrific knee injury, so the safe bet is the Clips take the best available PG (or reasonable PG facsimile) here. They might also take a flier on a power forward like LSU’s Anthony Randolph as insurance against Elton Brand leaving next year.
8. Milwaukee: Brook Lopez — The Bucks upgraded their small forward position this morning by snagging Richard Jefferson in a trade for Yi Jianlian, but they still have needs to fill. Joe Alexander or Anthony Randolph could be considered if Charlie Villanueva isn’t the answer at PF— and does anybody think he is? DJ Augustine might also get a look as an eventual replacement for Mo Williams. Still, Lopez has size and talent and he seems to be the smart pick here given Andrew Bogut’s lack of development.
9. Charlotte: Eric Gordon Gee, with Tar Heels Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Danny Green and Wayne Ellington all staying put, whatever will GM MJ do? Gordon isn’t a true point guard, but he can bring the ball up and run a basic pick-and-roll, which is more than Raymond Felton seems capable of on too many nights. The Bobcats are said to be shopping Emeka Okafor, so Alexander, Marrese Speights, or Randolph might also make sense.
10. New Jersey: Joe Alexander — If the Nets, now in full LeBron-courting mode, don’t ship this pick to Portland, they’ll likely look to go big. The late-blooming Alexander is an explosive combo forward who might eventually mesh well with Jianlian and Sean Williams.
11. Indiana: Brandon Rush — Ford is one bad fall away from retirement and the Pacers have been listening to offers for Jamaal Tinsley seemingly since the Carter administration, so it’s possible Indiana still nabs D.J. Augustin here. However, Rush is a polished player on both ends of the court and the sort of team-first personality GM Larry Bird covets. He and Danny Granger could give Indiana a whole new look.
12. Sacramento: DJ Augustine — Any team that ended the season with the likes of Rashid Byrd, Nik Caner-Medley, Sergei Monia and Adam Parada on the roster needs serious help. And with 10-year nomad Anthony Johnson as the only true point guard under contract, the first step to recovery should be clear. Augustin is quick, tough, and a proven leader.
13. Portland: Anthony Randolph — No one loves draft day more than Trailblazers GM Kevin Pritchard, but the choices here are treacherous. Despite iffy returns on LSU big men over the last few years, Randolph projects well because of his size, athleticism and offensive skills. The Blazers could also reach for some insurance for Greg Oden by selecting Robin Lopez, Kosta Koufos or JaVale McGee. Donte Green, an intriguing prospect who underperformed at Syracuse, could also get a look.
14. Golden State: Darrell Arthur — Problem: The Warriors could really use a young, physical big man to compete with Tim Duncan, Amare Stoudamire, Carlos Boozer and the other West Coast bullies, but Don Nelson loves rookie post players the way Dick Vitale loves peace and quiet. When motivated, Arthur is a dynamic presence in the paint. He’s also a undersized and a bit of a head case, so Nelson should love him.
15. Phoenix: Robin Lopez — The Suns are hoping Rush is still available here. If he isn’t, they’ll look to shore up their defense with a solid post prospect. Lopez was overshadowed at Stanford by his more offensively skilled twin brother Brook, but he’s a better overall defender and showed flashes of offensive potential. Other possibilities: McGee, Green and Koufos.
16. Philadelphia: DeAndre Jordan — The Sixers are solid on the perimeter with the Andres (Miller and Iguodala), Louis Williams and Thaddeus Young, so they’ll look to add a big guy alongside or behind Samuel Dalembert. Despite his prodigious size and talent, Jordan was such a liability to Texas A&M last year that he barely got off the bench down the stretch. Still, he could develop nicely under a patient but tough coach like Maurice Cheeks.
17. Indiana: Mario Chalmers — The Pacers secured this pick in the O’Neal-Ford trade and will likely use it to grab the point guard they desire. Chalmers is a competent point guard, a tough defender and, as he showed in Kansas’ championship run, a clutch shooter.
18. Washington: JaVale McGee — The Wizards need size and McGee has it. He’ll need to get in much better condition before he can contribute, though. North Carolina State’s J.J. Hickson, a highly talented player who needs to learn how to integrate his talents to a team concept, might be worth a shot, too.
19. Cleveland: Kosta Koufos — Greg Oden’s successor at Ohio State quietly put together a solid freshman season and has reportedly shown well in pre-draft workouts. He’ll justify this pick if he can get Zydrunas Ilgauskas a few extra minutes of rest.
20. Charlotte: Roy Hibbert — The Georgetown center could have gone 10 spots higher last year. No matter. The Cats will be purring if his combination of size, passing ability and smarts falls into the late-round bargain bin.
21. New Jersey: Donte Green — Green, a 6-9 small forward, may need a couple of years to reign in his game, but he’s too good a prospect to fall any lower.
22. Orlando: Courtney Lee — Reports out of Disney World have the Magic split between Western Kentucky’s Courtney Lee and Florida’s Speights. Dwight Howard needs a better partner up front than Tony Battie, but probably not as much as the team needs a shooting guard better than Keith Bogans or J.J. Redick. Lee is is.
23. Utah: Chris Douglas-Roberts — CDR has a funky, syncopated game but he knows how to get the ball in the hoop via slashing drives or a reliable pull-up jumper, and he’s a solid defender.
24. Seattle: Marreese Speights — The Big Gator didn’t exactly make anyone forget Al Horford and Joakim Noah, and Florida coach Billy Donovan wasn’t quite head over heels in love with his effort and concentration, but Speights is still a solid bargain this late in the draft. Congolese big man Serge Ibaka might also be worth the minimal risk here.
25. Houston: J.J. Hickson — What the Rockets really need is a point guard, but the pickins are slimmer than slim at this point. They could go with a center to replace Dikembe Mutombo as Yao Ming’s backup — in which case Rider’s Jason Thompson should be the guy — but Hickson has better upside. France’s Alexis Ajinca, who has lottery talent but a prep school body, also merits some thought.
26. San Antonio: Bill Walker — If the Spurs hope to wring another championship out of their Big 3, they’ll need to start developing some young, athletic talent to replace Michael Finley, Robert Horry, Brent Barry and Bruce Bowen. Walker’s history of injury has killed his stock, but his talent is considerable and if he can bounce back from his latest boo-boo, he could pay big dividends down the line. If not Walker, or possibly Ibaka, count on the Spurs grabbing yet another foreign prospect you’ve never heard of and with the intent of stashing him until the next decade.
27. Portland: Nicolas Batum — The French prodigy was mentioned as a possible lottery pick at the beginning of the season, but a disappointing campaign in the Euroleague and concerns about the health of his heart have diminished the excitement. Still, he’s athletic and he possesses a mature all-around game. An interesting darkhorse possibility here is Washington State’s Kyle Weaver, a defensive ace in the backcourt.
28. Memphis: Alexis Ajinca — Ajinca will need time to develop his body and his game, but at this point, the Grizzlies have all the time in the world
29. Detroit: Jason Thompson — As deft as he’s been in his dealings, GM Joe Dumars hasn’t been one to stray too far from the box, especially after the Darko Disaster of 2003. Thompson isn’t spectacular, but he’s big, physical and quick enough to eventually provide decent minutes in the paint.
30. Boston: Serge Ibaka — As Kendrick Perkins’ injury in the Finals revealed, the Celtics are in serious need of a reserve big man. Ibaka is the sort of big, athletic but raw phenom that can get a GM fired if taken too early. But, as the last pick of the first round, he’s low-risk gold. Ibaka’s agents prefer that he go in the second round so they can shop for an ideal situation, but Boston looks like a good match and the guaranteed money that comes with a first-round selection can’t hurt. Another possibilities: Ante Tomic of Croatia or Mississippi State guard Jamont Gordon.

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In the spirit of the draft, here’s a picture of offensive lineman Raphael Ieru wearing a Celtics jersey:

And here’s cornerback Jameel Dowling wearing an MJ jersey:

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You never know who you’ll see while wandering around campus. Here’s former UH QB coach Dan Morrison with his successor, Nick Rolovich, and then with defensive coordinator Cal Lee:

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And here’s Dennis McKnight:

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The SMU/UH group departed for American Samoa this afternoon. Here’s some guy who used to coach at UH:

Here’s a guy with four Super Bowl rings:

And here’s a Tomboahi’s favorite player:

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By request, here are Liane and Kortney. Both will attend the blog anniversary party July 10.

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At first glance, many thought that quarterback Greg Alexander was a defensive end. At 6 feet 5 (or 6-4) and 240 pounds, he certainly fit the part.
But Alexander has embraced the offseason conditioning program, running every morning, throwing in the afternoon, and running some more in the twilight.
Alexander has trimmed down 10 pounds, and now weighs 230.
What’s more, his footwork has improved greatly. He is way more mobile and, as a result, his passes even have more zip.
Head coach Greg McMackin declared the competition open at quarterback. Alexander now is a legitimate candidate.

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Linebacker Josh Andrews has been impressive in unsupervised workouts. Even more impressive is his route to Manoa.
Andrews, an All-State player from Mililani High, originally enrolled in the Navy in 2007. But he said he was allowed to withdraw his application after his mother was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The tumor was found be benign.
Andrews then enrolled at Western Oregon. But he said he did not feel comfortable there, and opted to transfer to UH.

Andrews is one of three former Mililani High players hoping to join the Warriors. Pictured here are Andrews, cornerback Kawika Ornellas and running back Joey Cadiz.

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OK, this water fountain in Klum Gym is just plain nasty.

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Unsupervised workouts are open to everybody. It means that if DPK wants to relive his glory days, he can work out. This week, some players from San Jose Community College have been working out. Also giving it a shot is wideout Billy Ray Stutzmann, one of the top prospects in the state.