Saint Louis' Zach Choo, Moanalua's Sage Pulu and Leilehua's Liam Fitzgerald were some of the players that improved their stock in the Alegre Invitational. ScoringLive photo illustration

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I got assigned to cover two days of the 17th annual James Alegre Basketball Invitational and was impressed with the play of the teams on the court. 

For the second straight year the four-day tourney pitted teams from the Oahu Interscholastic Association against teams from various leagues across the state instead of a standard bracket format. 

One thing I like to do during the basketball season is to write about key players on a certain team that don't get much attention because they don't score as many points as a star player.

Here are some of the players that impressed me:

Zach Choo, Saint Louis, junior guard
The Crusaders made some noise in the tourney and went 4-0, winning their games by an average of 12.3 points. One player that drew the eyes of all in attendance from Maui transfer Tristan Nichols, who is listed as a 6-foot-8. Nichols scored a game-high 32 points in a 89-71 win over host Radford.

First-year Saint Louis coach Allan Silva, who spent most of his coaching career at Farrington, never likes to cut anybody and generally has over 10 players in the rotation in the preseason. Zach Choo, who is listed 5-foot-7, made the most of his minutes and played a key role in a 58-50 win over Leilehua Friday night.

Choo had his best game of the tourney, scoring nine points with two triples, but it was his defense against Leilehua's Joseph Gouty that earned him a spot on this list. 

Gouty is one of the top premiere guards in the state and was coming off a 26-point performance against Punahou and a 15-point showing against Lahainaluna. With Choo playing man defense on Gouty for most of the night, Gouty was held to just eight points. Wherever Gouty went Choo was there, and the end result was a less-aggressive Gouty.

In the ultra-competitive Interscholastic League of Honolulu, Choo could be a player that set the Crusaders over the top.

Sage Pulu, Moanalua, sophomore forward
Another player that came off the bench and impressed in the tourney was Moanalua forward Sage Pulu. The 6-foot-2 sophomore made a big difference in Na Menehune's ability to overcome an early 11-0 deficit against Honokaa.

The Dragons employed a full court press early on and forced five early Moanalua turnovers. When Pulu checked in to the game, Na Menehune was able to go inside out to get some easy baskets and trips to the line. Pulu finished with 18 points, going 6-for-9 from the field and 6-for-8 at the charity stripe.

Pulu was also a strong presence defensively, finishing with eight rebounds and four blocked shots. The Dragons' drives into the paint often resulted in an altered shot and Moanalua was able to close the gap. With Pulu protecting the basket, Honokaa settled for jump shots and missed 16 straight shot attempts after going up 11-0.

One thing the sophomore forward will need to get better on is making smarter decisions when he has the ball. Pulu was able to throw a couple of long passes to teammate James Wilkins after cleaning the glass, but also threw a couple of ducks that was stolen for some easy baskets for Honokaa.

Liam Fitzgerald, Leilehua, sophomore swingman
Liam Fitzgerald was a role player for a junior-heavy Leilehua team last season, but now is starting for the defending OIA Western Division champions. The lanky sophomore stands at 6-foot-5 and is primed to be one of the top wing players for the years to come.

Fitzgerald flashed his brilliance in a 68-63 loss to Punahou, scoring 12 points and recording five steals and one blocked shot. His length should pose a problem to other teams in the OIA, which doesn't have many of its taller players playing on the perimeter.

The sophomore swingman also broke free for a couple of open corner 3-point opportunities. Although he was 1-for-6 from beyond the arc, Fitzgerald shot those corner triples with confidence. The corner triple is not a common shot on the high school level and is a shot that has made careers on the college and professional level. Having a 3-point shooter in Fitzgerald that can spread the floor will open up driving lanes for the Mules.

Reece Pascua, Lahainaluna, freshman point guard
The first full game that I got to watch in the tourney was a matchup between Mililani and defending Maui Interscholastic Association Division I champion Lahainaluna. The Lunas trailed 19-13 at halftime before outscoring the Trojans 27 to 18 after the break, including the final seven points of regulation, to win 40-37.

On the surface junior 6-foot-2 forward Carver Locke seemed like the top player for the Lunas. His skill set is similar to Fitzgerald in the way that he is a perimeter player that has the length to be a scoring threat and defensive stopper. However, his play dipped after the first quarter and finished the game with five points with a dismal 2-for-11 shooting performance.

With Locke not having his best game, it was freshman point guard Reece Pascua that helped fill the void. Pascua led the second half rally with 12 points on 5-for-8 shooting and had three steals. He was timid early, but was aggressive late against the Trojans' taller front court.

I predict that Pascua will be the next four-year starting point guard in the MIL like Kody Takushi was for the Baldwin Bears. Pascua will be a solid piece to build on as the Lunas become a perennial power in the state.

Jared Lum, Punahou, senior guard
Long time Buffanblu reserve Jared Lum is going to be the veteran leader that Punahou will need to guide a young squad.

Lum is one of the few players leftover from a senior-heavy 2014 team that had many players on the squad since their sophomore and freshman years. His experience played a role in a 68-63 win over Leilehua. He cored 11 points and had team-highs in rebounds and assists with six in each category.

The senior guard is a solid distributor that can handle the ball and dish it out to the teammate that's feeling it. Lum in tandem with sharpshooter Chris Kobayashi and slasher Cole Arceneaux will be a multifaceted back court that will open opportunities for when post Akahi Troske gets back into the lineup.