It’s probably premature to pencil in Hawaii Prep for a trip to states just yet, but coach Craig Kimura feels his once-proud girls basketball program is on the way back. ADVERTISING It’s probably premature to pencil in Hawaii Prep for
It’s probably premature to pencil in Hawaii Prep for a trip to states just yet, but coach Craig Kimura feels his once-proud girls basketball program is on the way back.
The first step was taken when Kimura reconnected with middle schools to re-establish a feeder system. The pipeline had been crucial to Ka Makani’s success, but it eventually dried up because Kimura ran out of time.
“It started to catch up with us about three years ago,” said Kimura, HPA’s coach since 2000.
Ka Makani was a perennial BIIF Division II contender, winning its last title in 2007, and an HHSAA tournament mainstay until – not coincidentally – 2012. HPA hasn’t reached the HHSAA tournament since, and Ka Makani won only one league game last season.
But, Kimura said, help is on the way.
“It’s looking pretty good, because we have the interest back,” Kimura said. “Basically, what happened was, two summers ago we went back into the middle schools and beat the bushes.”
HPA will return five players when it hosts Ka Makani Girls Basketball Tip-Off Classic from Thursday to Saturday at Castle Gym. Despite his renewed hopes, Kimura warns his squad may not be ahead of last year’s team as it tries to replace leading scorer Anna Juan.
Ka Makani returns a dependable point guard in 5-foot-4 junior Chyna Hanano and they boast enough height to make many BIIF coaches envious.
“We don’t have one player who can carry the offense like Anna, so we’ll have to rely on defense,” Kimura said. “These girls are really good athletes and they have height and speed.”
Of the 10 players on the varsity roster, eight are listed at 5-7 or above. Annika Lepik, a 5-9 forward, is the only senior, and sophomore center Coco Shafer is the tallest player at 6-1.
Hanano is the only returning starter and the only player Kimura can say will definitely start this season.
“The key is to get experience and that’s the upside with these (preseason) tournaments,” Kimura said.
HPA also is participating in junior varsity for the first time in three years, and the roster includes 10 freshman.
If it can’t knock down the door to states in the present, perhaps it will at least show signs of being able to do so in the future. The path got easier when two-time defending state champion Honokaa moved up to Division I.
“I’m assuming it’s going to be Kamehameha and Kohala,” Kimura said of the BIIF Division II pecking order. “But that’s just going off past results.
“I don’t now how we’ll do, but we’re better off than we were.”
Ka Makani Girls Basketball Tip-Off Classic
Thursday
Ka’u vs. Kealakehe, 5 p.m.
Hilo vs. Hawaii Prep, 6:30 p.m.
Friday
Kealakehe vs. Hilo, 5 p.m.
Hawaii Prep vs. Ka’u, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday
Ka’u vs. Hawaii Prep, noon
Hilo vs. Ka’u, 2 p.m.
Kealakehe vs. Hawaii Prep, 3:30 p.m.
