Fantastic 4

The Hawaii women’s basketball team will go as far as its "Core Four" can take it. In almost every respect, the Rainbow Wahine will depend on last year’s decorated nucleus of Shawna Kuehu, Sydney Haydel, Ashleigh Karaitiana and Kamilah Jackson to carry it in 2013-14.

The Wahine open the season today at Arizona State looking for a swift return to winning ways coming off a 17-14 (13-5 Big West) effort in Laura Beeman’s first year as coach.

"We’re definitely going to go out and show what we got," Karaitiana said.

What they have is experience. Jackson, who carries a career double-double average, was an All-Big West first-team pick last year with averages of 15.1 points and 9.8 rebounds. Haydel, a perimeter stopper, was named the league’s defensive player of the year. The slasher Kuehu embraced the role of bench sparkplug and was the sixth woman of the year. And Karaitiana, a versatile shot-maker, made the all-freshman team.

Kuehu will be in the lineup from the opening jump this year. She is a co-captain, along with junior college transfer Morgan Mason.

"They’re going to have to carry the weight coming down the stretch of the game," Beeman said. "Those four ladies will be on the floor. Who that fifth person is is really going to depend on what we’re looking for, whether it’s ball-handling from the point, whether it’s a post player. But those young ladies understand the pressure."

Behind the strength of those veterans (and UH’s tie for second place in the Big West last year), the Wahine were picked to finish runner-up to Cal Poly in the preseason media poll.

"I think there may be a level of respect for us this year … but we still feel like we’re the underdog," Haydel said. "We’re still going to go in and play hard and we’re still going to work 10 times harder than last year to finish better than we did last season."

UH may not have size — it lost signed post players Ashley Burchfield and Shawlina Segovia to academic ineligibility — but that could end up being conducive to the style Beeman wants to see.

"My philosophy on that is, yes we may be outsized, but those bigs are going to have to run with our players," she said. "And if we get up and down the court, they’re going to have to substitute to match up. We’re not going to substitute to match."

Outside shooting was a weakness UH is looking to better. The Wahine made only 2.8 3s per game, but Beeman feels expanded roles for reserves Pua Kailiawa and Diane Moore — two shoot-first, ask-questions-later players — can help in that regard. But rebounding, a strength last year (conference-best plus-4.7 margin) could be an area of concern.

Playing Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz., will be a stiff first test. The Sun Devils, like many foes this year, will be looking down on the smaller Wahine. ASU went 13-18 in 2012-13 and was picked to finish ninth, albeit in a powerful conference. The Wahine have a short turnaround to play at Northern Arizona of the Big Sky the next night in Flagstaff, Ariz.

"Im looking forward to this weekend to really get a measurement of where we are," Beeman said.

Guards

» Morgan Mason, 5-9 Jr.; Marissa Wimbley, 5-6 So.; Briana Harris, 5-6 Fr.; Hi’ilei Bacalso, 5-2 So.

» UH has pacing options at the point, with the Mt. San Antonio College transfer Mason generally the most deliberate and composed. She’ll get the starting nod to open the year. Harris, an athletic true freshman with some shooting ability, prefers an up-tempo pace. Wimbley, a backup last year, falls somewhere in between. Bacalso, a Maui native, will redshirt this season.

Wings

» Sydney Haydel, 5-8 Sr.; Shawna Kuehu, 5-10 Sr.; Ashleigh Karaitiana, 6-0 Jr.; Destiny King, 5-10 So.; Diane Moore, 5-10 Sr.

» The backbone of the team lies in players who are natural shooting guards and small forwards, but they will be asked to play the post in a pinch this year. Haydel, Kuehu and Karaitiana are established. King is the team’s utility player and can play anywhere from 1 to 5, usually off the bench. Moore showed off some impressive shooting in the preseason and will be asked to contribute as a senior.

Bigs

» Kamilah Jackson, 5-11 Sr.; Pua Kailiawa, 6-2 Sr.; Kalei Adolpho, 6-1 Jr.; Angelina Smith, 6-1 Fr.

» UH will be undersized and undermanned here, at least until Adolpho arrives from volleyball season. Jackson is at her best rolling around post defenders, but will shoot an occasional 3. Kailiawa, a Big Island native, is a true marksman and poses a mismatch problem for slower-footed bigs. Smith is raw but will be asked to take hard fouls and occupy space in the paint.

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