The girls season opened two weeks prior to the boys, the time gap giving programs at many schools a chance to avoid practice-schedule conflicts.

Two girls tournaments have already wrapped up. Maryknoll has been the early-preseason beneficiary, going 6-0 combined in tournaments at Farrington and McKinley over the weekend. The Spartans lost three starters to graduation from last year’s state-tourney qualifying team, but a lot of talent returns. There are also some key newcomers who are playing both JV and varsity games in preseason — doubling their fun — before they stay on with coach Chico Furtado’s varsity squad once the ILH regular season tips off. The Spartans were workmanlike and deep at McKinley’s Hawaii Self-Storage Black and Gold Classic, rolling over Kaimuki (61-22), McKinley (69-20) and Kalani (65-20).

"Maegen (Martin) is in the post and Kaile Cambra is a wing. They’re senior captains," Furtado said. "I slid Alexis Delovio to the 2-guard to make room for our freshman point guard, Rhianne Omori."

"By the time we start playing, we’ll have five freshmen on our varsity," Furtado said.

Lahainaluna, Roosevelt and ‘Iolani were relatively sharp in the Ted Fukushima Invitational at Kaiser two weekends ago.

The ‘Iolani Classic, on paper, looks like the most formidable field of the girls’ tourneys. The local entries are Konawaena, Roosevelt, Kalani and ‘Iolani.

The out-of-state field at the Classic is comprised of Riverdale Baptist (Md.), Miramonte (Calif.), Saint Mary’s (Calif.) and Shenzhen of China.

The Lee Cashman Invitational tips off on Wednesday at Kalaheo High School. The field is comprised of Castle, Kalani, Kamehameha II, Kapolei, Moanalua, Punahou II, Waianae and host Kalaheo.