I love the hunt, not so much being a recruiter or blue-chip recruit, but watching the drama unfold. This year, more than past years, I've taken a step back as the office has me focus on basketball. I've always covered hoops, played it, reffed it, coached it. But with girls hoops in the winter now, the office did the right thing and maxed me and our other writers with coverage of the boys and girls teams.

Think about it. On Oahu, we have nearly 50 basketball teams in the OIA alone, combining the girls and boys totals. Then there's the ILH, with roughly 30 teams. That's 80 or so squads to cover, which makes the NBA look manini. I think our crew has done a solid job and we will continue to improve.

As for football recruiting, Daver, a.k.a. Dave Reardon, has been all over the place whether it's on foot or by wireless communicado. This is a banner year in terms of local recruiting for UH and he's completely on top of it. Granted, there is a cap to national-brand blue-chip talent, but in terms of breadth, this is a solid senior class in the islands. The departure of June Jones has given new head coach Greg McMackin and his staff more leeway to collar substantial local players -- particularly on the defensive side.

Remember, for all of JJ's phenomenal, ingenius offensive leanings (and recruiting), defense was neglected more or less for several seasons. It was only after the D-line began running out of players (injuries will kill you if you lack depth) that there was a sea change in recruiting that side of the ball.

Everything happens for a reason, and there's no right or wrong about recruiting. Once it's done or not done, it's history and a good program has to move on. So the Warriors are moving on. What they'll miss with the mad professor's tinkering and puritan approach to the Run & Shoot, they will gain with Mack's steely conviction about defensive football.

What I like, in addition, is his desire to reach out and connect with high school programs here. That was missing, for better or worse. I like that the coaches from Waimea to Hilo will feel more like they have some input, lest we lose another Jordan Dizon to the winds.

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