Early wins pay off for Warriors

Their program is young, but the Warriors of Kamehameha-Hawaii are gaining notice at the highest levels.

HHSAA Boys Basketball At Radford/McKinley H.S. gyms and Stan Sheriff Center Seeds: 1. Iolani. 2. Kaimuki. 3. Kamehameha-Hawaii. 4. Baldwin. Tomorrow At Radford H.S. gym Game 1: Honokaa vs. Kahuku, 6 p.m. 2: Kalaheo vs. Waimea, 8 p.m. At McKinley H.S. gym 3: Lahainaluna vs. Kamehameha, 6 p.m. 4: Campbell vs. Saint Louis, 8 p.m. Wednesday At Radford H.S. gym 5: Game 1 winner vs. Baldwin, 6 p.m. 6: Game 2 winner vs. Iolani, 8 p.m. At McKinley H.S. gym 7: Game 3 winner vs. Kamehameha-Hawaii, 6 p.m. 8: Game 4 winner vs. Kaimuki, 8 p.m. Thursday At Stan Sheriff Center 9: Losers of Games 1 & 2, 10:45 a.m. 10: Losers of Games 3 & 4, 12:30 p.m. 11: Losers of Games 5 & 6, 2:15 p.m. 12: Losers of Games 7 & 8, 4 p.m. 13: Winners of Games 7 & 8, 6 p.m. 14: Winners of Games 5 & 6, 8 p.m. Friday At Stan Sheriff Center 15: Winners of Games 10 & 9, 2:30 p.m. 16: Winners of Games 12 & 11, 4 p.m. 17: Losers of Games 13 & 14, 6 p.m. 18: Winners of Games 13 & 14, 8 p.m.

KS-Hawaii drew the No. 3 seed for the 50th Hawaiian Airlines/HHSAA Boys Basketball State Championships, which tip off tomorrow.

The Warriors (24-2) went unbeaten in the Big Island Interscholastic Federation. However, their play against some of the state's top teams just days before the regular season began may have made a bigger impact on the HHSAA seeding committee.

"I felt that we might get No. 2 because of our record and our victories over Kahuku, Kalaheo and Baldwin," coach Nelson Wong said of nonconference games in December. "However, I understand that this is our first go-around and we need to prove that we belong."

Iolani, as expected, earned the top seed. The Raiders are four-time defending state champions. After winning their sixth straight Interscholastic League of Honolulu title last week, they will have a bye through tomorrow's opening round. The other seeded teams are Kaimuki at No. 2 and Baldwin at No. 4. Here's a look at the seeded teams.

1. Iolani, 20-8 (11-2 ILH): Kawika Shoji (15 points per game) has emerged as a clutch player on both ends of the floor, though he isn't alone. Vinny Nip is one of the top 3-point shooters and on-ball defenders in the state. Defensively, the Raiders are outstanding. Few teams can handle their halfcourt traps.

A team with plenty of low-post power could surprise Iolani, but half the problem is handling the defensive pressure.

"Playing an ILH championship game kept us sharper," Iolani coach Mark Mugiishi said of the tiebreaker win over Kamehameha. "It was like a heavyweight bout, everybody was sparring."

Iolani opens play on Wednesday at 8 p.m. against the Kalaheo-Waimea winner at Radford's gym.

2. Kaimuki, 18-8 (11-2 OIA): Keone Reyes is 6-foot with shoes on, but his savvy and skill down low are matched by few. He amassed 18 points and 18 rebounds in the OIA title win over Kahuku and is also a key in Kaimuki's press-break. Reyes, Beau Albrechtson (6-4) and wide-body Shaun Dela Cazada led Kaimuki's 36-33 rebounding edge over Kahuku.

Kaimuki will continue on without injured sharpshooter Thomas Pyo. Daniel Colon has improved his decision-making and shot selection. Jarrett Shiu isn't as quick as Colon, but he is a 3-point threat.

Iolani beat Kaimuki in the final minute during a nonconference game.

"Kaimuki is actually a very good team. The fact that they could beat Kahuku without their shooter says a lot," Mugiishi said. "If Pyo can play, they'll be a force to contend with."

The Bulldogs face the Campbell-Saint Louis winner on Wednesday at 8 p.m. at McKinley.

3. Kamehameha-Hawaii, 24-2 (15-0 BIIF): Mana Silva, Mea Wong, Kealoha Kramer and Reece Alnas play equal parts in the Warriors' offensive and defensive schemes.

It has been nearly two months since KS-Hawaii faced a ranked team. Officials on Oahu also tend to allow more contact. The Warriors must get up to speed quickly or be ousted.

KS-Hawaii tips off on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at McKinley against the Kamehameha/Lahainaluna victor.

4. Baldwin, 21-9 (11-1 MIL): With Matt Heyd healthy (ankle), the Bears are capable of beating anyone. When Heyd has been forced to sit, the Bears have struggled mightily.

Jeff Tumacder ran into foul trouble in Baldwin's lone MIL defeat. He is a throwback point guard, someone who doesn't need to score for his team to flourish.

Baldwin's methodical, backdoor-passing offense is tough on man defenses.

The Bears will play Wednesday at 6 p.m. against the Honokaa-Kahuku winner at Radford's gym.

Tomorrow's matchups

Because the HHSAA tries to prevent teams from the same league from meeting in the first two rounds, there are the usual tough matchups in store.

Kahuku vs. Honokaa, 6 p.m.
Okesene Ale Jr., was limited to 12 points by Kaimuki's triangle-and-two defense in the OIA title game, but he scored a career-high 38 points in a semifinal win over Campbell.

Freshman Auwae DeRego and sophomore Kien Alveiro have given Honokaa (12-5 BIIF) an offensive boost.

Waimea vs. Kalaheo
The Mustangs (19-10, 11-4 OIA) have scorers in Marvin Judd and Kauai native Kahua Hollinger. Center Tyler Caswell can be dominant at times.

Chad Barba and Junnel Calpito are offensive sparks for Waimea (7-1 KIF).

Kamehameha vs. Lahainaluna
The Warriors (19-5, 10-3 ILH) will be hungry after losing their final three ILH games. Rykin Enos, Jacob Ho and Randy Cummings are their best perimeter players, but the Warriors rely heavily on outstanding defense.

The underdog Lunas are led by Julio Arvizu, Mau Ah Hee and Matt Perry.

Saint Louis vs. Campbell
No other team survived the gauntlet that the Crusaders (15-4, 10-4 ILH) did to reach the big dance. Scott Smith has evolved into a dominant center, and Jeremiah Masoli has regained his 3-point touch.

Ryan Hayes, Mike Makinano and Tristan Sealy give the Sabers (10-3 OIA) a tough trio of scorers.