The rebuilding begins

The whistles and commands came furiously and, perhaps even worse for the unfortunate souls on the Stan Sheriff Center court, randomly.

Laura Beeman wasted little time in testing the limits of the Hawaii Rainbow Wahine near the end of her first full practice as a Division I women’s basketball head coach.

"That which does not kill us makes us stronger," the former USC assistant informed her players during an end-to-end running exercise featuring frequent and spontaneous changes of direction and speed, with tasks tossed in like jumping for imaginary rebounds or diving for phantom loose balls.

"Brand-new drill," Beeman said. "The conditioning isn’t the focus, the (basketball) outcome is the focus, and that’s what I want."

The Rainbow Wahine entered the next phase of their rebuilding project with a three-hour session on Tuesday afternoon. Beeman was hired on March 23 to replace Dana Takahara-Dias, who was not retained after going 32-58 in three years.

Only about half of the 11-19 squad of 2011-12 remains.

UH has nearly a month of practices to prepare for its first exhibition Oct. 26 against Hawaii-Hilo, and another two weeks for its regular-season opener at San Francisco on Nov. 9. If Tuesday was any indication, it will be a long road — but an optimistic one.

Junior forward Vicky Tagalicod is the only player on the roster who had previously experienced Beeman’s coaching style. Tagalicod decided to come home after a year and a half at USC; Beeman was an assistant there for her last semester.

"I loved Coach B when I was at SC. She was the same type of person she is now," Tagalicod said. "Very up front, she’s straightforward with what she wants and what she needs from a player. That’s something we need on our team right now."

Five returnees and six newcomers worked together in drills, plus Ashleigh Karaitiana, a freshman who redshirted last season. Sophomore center Kalei Adolpho watched from a sideline; the dual-sport athlete will not join the basketball team until the conclusion of UH volleyball season.

There’s already been some attrition. Guard Morgan Roberts, who was one of three players to sign under Takahara-Dias last November, left the team shortly after the start of the fall semester and went back home to New Zealand.

Last year’s starter at the point, Alissa Campanero, left the program over the summer. As a result, Loyola Marymount transfer Monica DeAngelis, a fifth-year player, is a strong candidate to see plenty of minutes at the top of the key.

"I’m really excited to be here for my fifth year," DeAngelis said. "It’s really what I pretty much dreamed basketball would be with Coach Beeman and this program. … I just want to bring as much as I can to the team and if (heavy minutes) are my role, then that’s my role. But I think people will also step up and help me in that role."

Junior wing Shawna Kuehu was back on the court after missing most of last season for personal reasons. Junior forward Kamilah Jackson is back after finishing 13th in the NCAA last year in rebounds per game (10.6).

With each new task, Beeman and her assistants Gavin Petersen, Mary Wooley and Linnae Barber felt out their players’ reactions just as the players tried to absorb new tasks. At one stage, Beeman let the players choose their own practice partners to get a sense of how they grouped up.

Despite all the new faces, the team wasn’t working from scratch. Beeman estimated about half of the practice was new content not seen in previous workouts.

There was plenty of emphasis on transition early on, then more stressing of halfcourt offense as practice progressed.

When junior guard Sydney Haydel was knocked down while taking a charge under the basket and no one immediately helped her up, Beeman stopped practice to make a point about it.

"When a kid takes a charge, they’re going to hear a crowd go crazy, and that’s wonderful, but they want the acknowledgement of their coaches and their teammates," Beeman said.

For the most part, she was pleased with the team’s positive energy throughout.

"This is a group that’s very united," Beeman said. "Going through a coaching change … they haven’t let it affect them. Their focus to this year, their commitment to this year is very impressive."

Ohana Hoopfest set for Oct. 12

The annual Ohana Hoopfest kick-off festivities for the Hawaii men’s and women’s basketball teams will take place on Oct. 12 after the UH volleyball game against Cal State Northridge, UH announced yesterday.

The estimated time for the event is 9:15 p.m. Admission will be free for those arriving after volleyball.

Featured among this year’s events is a slam dunk contest for the men. It accompanies the usual celebrity games, team performances and autograph session.

Gib Arnold’s men’s team will have its first full practice earlier in the day.