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The Way I See It
ONE of the most memorable moments in last year's Midnight Ohana, was walk-on freshman Kaunaoa McGee's soaring slam dunk over four "Baywatch Hawaii" actresses lying on their backs. ‘Oa’ takes high-
flying game EastThe 6-foot-4 McGee won the dunk title with that flamboyant, crowd-pleasing stunt.
But he won't be back to defend it Friday night at the Stan Sheriff Center when the 2000-2001 University of Hawaii men's basketball team meets its public.
He'll be 5,000 miles away, doing the Midnight Madness ritual in Assumption College's Laska Gym.
In case you don't know, that's in Worcester, Mass., 50 miles west of Boston and 50 miles east of the Basketball Hall of Fame.
The Greyhounds, a Division II team that lost eight players from last season's team, were glad to give the former Kaiser High standout with a 36-inch vertical what he couldn't get here.
A full scholarship and the opportunity to play every game of a schedule that will take him to seven states.
It's a huge climate difference in winter, but McGee attended Cheshire Academy in Connecticut, so he knows something about New England snow.
And, for McGee, whose half-brother, Kalia McGee, was once a starter for UH coach Riley Wallace, cold weather is a small price to pay for regular playing time in the NCAA.
"What I'll miss most is the beach, playing ball on outdoor courts and taking off my shirt," McGee said.
But basketball is McGee's game and I never saw him without a ball in his hands.
In fact, he flew to the East in August with two balls UH gave him as carry-ons.
"I always carry a basketball on a plane wherever I go," he said. "It strikes up good conversations."
This time he had one in his carry-on bag and one in his arms.
"They made me put one in the overhead rack," he said.
MCGEE redshirted last season but practiced with Wallace's regulars all season. That year of scrapping with Division I players should have prepared him well for the role second-year head coach Tom Ackerman wants him to fill at Assumption.
"He's as good if not better than any other athlete we saw last season in the Northeast Ten Conference," said Ackerman, who will give the 20-year-old McGee a lot of court time.
"He's got a great wingspan and he sure can finish a break. He'll be our point man on the press."
Assumption's sports information office is sure not playing down McGee's arrival. In fact the school's Web site features a photo of McGee airborne at the 1999 Midnight Ohana with this hype:
"Midnight Madness Weekend at Assumption College October 12-13-14 will feature Mr. McGee and his 2000 Greyhounds ..."
That's heavy.
McGee, whose teammates at UH called him "Oa," is now referred to in Worcester as "O."
The one-letter nick might heighten his air of mystery in the conference.
"They tried my name once and then just called me 'O,' " he said with a laugh.
At least McGee's nickname is somewhat original.
Pat Bigold has covered sports for daily newspapers
in Hawaii and Massachusetts since 1978.