First-team All-State basketball player Rachel Kane has made a verbal commitment to attend Gonzaga next fall. Punahou’s Kane
chooses GonzagaStar-Bulletin staff
Kane, a 5-foot-7 point guard, is a senior at Punahou, and will have one more basketball season as a Buffanblu in the spring.
"Gonzaga was the best fit, had the best balance between academics and basketball," said Kane, who led Punahou to the state championship game this past spring.
"I'm ecstatic for her and her family because she worked really hard on and off the court, and in the classroom" Punahou coach Mike Taylor said. Kane carries a 3.7 GPA.
Kane was offered a scholarship by five Division I schools -- including Hawaii -- plus three schools from the Ivy League, which doesn't hand out athletic scholarships.
Kane can make her choice official Nov. 1, the first day high school players can sign.
Kane averaged 9.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 3.8 steals per game last season in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu.
"She distributes the ball well, handles it with ease and has a lot of the intangibles that cannot be coached," Taylor said. "She makes difficult plays look easy and she's always working at a high speed."
Gonzaga plays in the West Coast Conference. Punahou's Becky Hogue has already committed to Loyola Marymount, which is also a member of the WCC.
Another first-teamer, Amber Lee of McKinley, committed to Hawaii in June. Player of the Year Megan Ching of Kamehameha has not decided on a college yet.
Hawaii School Web Sites