Iolani earns top seed

Oahu champions are seeded Nos. 1 and 2 in this week's Hawaiian Airlines Boys State Basketball Championships.

The Hawaii High School Athletic Association released seedings and brackets yesterday.

Iolani, the three-time defending state champion, is seeded first. The Interscholastic League of Honolulu titlist is 26-2 overall. The Raiders have not lost to a Hawaii team in four years.

Oahu Interscholastic Association champion Kahuku drew the second seed. The Red Raiders (20-2) won the league crown Friday with a 48-43 win over Campbell.

Baldwin (21-2) is the No. 3 seed after winning the Maui Interscholastic League. Big Island Interscholastic Federation winner Konawaena (24-5) drew the fourth seed.

The four seeded teams get a bye through Wednesday's opening round.

"This is one of the most competitively balanced fields in a long time. A lot of these teams have an excellent shot to advance deep into the tournament," HHSAA executive director Keith Amemiya said.

Some of the early matchups, as usual, could spark as much hubbub as great competition.

Kauai will face Kalaheo, the OIA's third-place team, Wednesday at 5:45 p.m. In another tough opener, Kamehameha will face Kaimuki in a battle between the ILH's third-place team and the OIA's fourth-place finisher. This game tips off Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

Other openers include Campbell against Kamehameha-Maui at 2:15 p.m., and Punahou vs. Waiakea at 4 p.m.

All games will be played at Blaisdell Arena.

Kauai (10-3) has its strongest team in recent history, but not strong enough for the Red Raiders to receive a seed. The BIIF, which has won three state crowns, has a decided edge over a KIF champion when it comes to seeding.

Interestingly enough, Kauai defeated Kalaheo 62-39 on Dec. 22. That date is prehistoric for the Mustangs, who improved significantly and finished second in the OIA East.

Some potential second-round matchups could spark some of the usual stammering that comes with a 12-team format. The Kauai-Kalaheo winner faces Iolani on Thursday.

Baldwin, which has losses only to Iolani, will battle the Punahou-Waiakea winner. In effect, if Punahou and Baldwin play, it would be a matchup of the No. 2 and No. 3 teams in the Star-Bulletin Top 10.

Kahuku, thanks to its second seed, has a slightly less-daunting challenge. The Red Raiders will face the Kamehameha-Kaimuki victor.

Konawaena, which hasn't been to the states in nearly a decade, faces the Campbell vs. Kamehameha-Maui winner..

HHSAA boys basketball

At Neal Blaisdell Arena
Seeds: 1. Iolani. 2. Kahuku. 3. Baldwin. 4. Konawaena.

Wednesday
Game 1: Kamehameha-Maui vs. Campbell, 2:15 p.m.
Ê2: Waiakea vs. Punahou, 4 p.m.
Ê3: Kalaheo vs. Kauai, 5:45 p.m.
Ê4: Kaimuki vs. Kamehameha, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday
Ê5: Losers of Games 1 & 3, 12:30 p.m.
Ê6: Game 1 winner vs. Konawaena, 2:15 p.m.
Ê7: Game 4 winner vs. Kahuku, 4 p.m.
Ê8: Game 2 winner vs. Baldwin, 5:45 p.m.
Ê9: Game 3 winner vs. Iolani, 7:30 p.m.

Friday
10: Losers of Games 2 & 4, 12:30 p.m.
11: Losers of Games 6 & 9, 2:15 p.m.
12: Losers of Games 8 & 7, 4 p.m.
13: Winners of Games 6 & 9, 6 p.m.
14: Winners of Games 8 & 7, 8 p.m.

Saturday
15: Winners of Games 10 & 5, 2:30 p.m.
16: Winners of Games 12 & 11, 4 p.m.
17: Losers of Games 14 & 13, 6 p.m.
18: Winners of Games 14 & 13, 8 p.m.