Two weeks ago, Layden Kauka was in the Utah Prep varsity system.
He had already played with their national squad, contributing as a rotational piece when Utah Prep won the title at the ‘Iolani Classic and sweeping through the Hilo Hanakahi Grind Session. It was a pinnacle kind of moment for the two-time All-State guard from Kohala, where the Cowboys won the past two Division II state titles.
With six weeks still left in the Utah Prep season, Kauka made a pivotal decision. He returned to Kohala last week and seamlessly helped energize the Cowboys in three wins to close the regular season.
Last month, Utah Prep made a coaching change, replacing Justin Yamzon with former Indiana player Keith Smart on Jan. 13. When the new practice and workout schedule was posted, the second group was no longer practicing with the first group — the national team. Kauka’s reps against the likes of JJ Mandaquit and AJ Dybantsa, projected as the top pick of the 2026 NBA Draft, became extremely limited.
The opportunity was there, but now fractional at best. Two weeks ago, Kauka was ready to cut his losses and head home, but Mandaquit and his father, Utah Prep assistant coach Jason Mandaquit, had a talk with him.
After a tournament in Colorado last week with Utah Prep’s second-level squad, Kauka lost his passion. The chemistry he had with the first group didn’t carry over to the second team. When word got out within the Kohala basketball family, Kauka’s old teammates, the kids he grew up playing with since he was a toddler, reached out.
“I wouldn’t say we were recruiting him,” teammate Royden Tabiolo said. “But we really missed him.”
Without him, Kohala was 12-2 in an integrated BIIF schedule (15-7 overall), losing only to Hawaii Prep and its versatile 6-9 sophomore Vander Eberhard, and D-I Kamehameha-Hawaii. Kihei Kapeliela, who guided the Cowboys to their two state titles, got a text from Kauka’s father, Lawrence, last week.
“He sent a video before the text, a highlight video of Layden. I was like, why are you sending me this video? He said, ‘Take care of my boy. He’s coming back to play with his friends.’ I texted back, don’t (mess) around,’” Kapeliela said.
It was no joke. The rumor was true. Though Utah Prep still had six weeks left on its game schedule, Kauka decided to go with his heart and his gut.
On Tuesday, Layden Kahoapili Kauka had both feet on the ground at Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport. He made it back to campus by evening to watch Kohala’s JV team practice and got shots up. The varsity was in the midst of a brutal road stretch, playing at St. Joseph (in Hilo) on Tuesday night, then a makeup date at Waiakea on Wednesday, and Keaau on Thursday. A mere 504 total miles round trip in a 72-hour span. Kohala basketball life.
Kapeliela sent in his usual starting five against Waiakea. Kauka came off the bench to score 37 points in an 87-51 win. His athleticism, skill and explosiveness in the paint opened up the court for teammates like Isaac Salvador-Libron (16 points) and Dillon Oandasan (11).
On Thursday, Jayden Hook had 17 points and Kauka 13 in a 58-24 win at Kea‘au. Over the weekend, Kohala overpowered Parker 72-23.
Everything looked like nothing had ever changed between basketball brothers who have spent nearly their entire lives sharing the ball, fighting for loose balls and playing to a standard of excellence that most small communities struggle with today.
Salvador-Libron was in second grade when they became hangout pals.
“Both our parents would be playing at the mixed league softball nights in Kohala and all the kids, including me and the Kaukas, would be playing football on the side,” he recalled. “Nothing has really changed. We had the mindset of winning it all before he left, when he left and when he came home. We definitely were surprised that Layden was coming back. Layden is respectful on and off the court. He was raised well and has a great attitude. His determination is what fuels the rest of the team.”
Kauka had no regrets as Kohala prepared for an elimination game with Honoka‘a on Monday. The Dragons, 12-2 in league play, feature high-scoring Kukia Tagabi and 6-3 center David Aiona. Honoka‘a Armory is one of the most difficult sites for opposing teams. Win or lose, Kauka is home with his brothers. The two-time Division II defending state champions are facing the stiffest competition in league since the title run started.
With Kauka back, Kohala went to Honoka‘a Monday night and advanced to the state tournament with a 65-41 victory. Kauka scored 24 points and Jayden Hook added 19 in the win. The Cowboys play Hawaii Prep, the other BIIF D-II qualifier, for the league crown tonight at Hilo Civic.
The door is open for a return to the Utah desert, maybe. The coaching change inadvertently made an impact, a trickle-down effect. He rates the coaching change’s effect.
“Maybe an 8 (out of 10). There were some personal things going on with the changes. I built a good relationship with the old head coach. They wanted me to stick around. They said the best thing was for me to stay there,” Kauka said. “For me, the best decision was coming home and playing with my team, especially for Isaac’s last year. I was missing my parents.”
Kauka’s mother, Nohea, and Lawrence, wanted him to remain at Utah Prep, but ultimately didn’t stop him.
“It wasn’t easy. Sleepless nights. We thought about every option. The best option was to stay. They played in a tournament last weekend and it didn’t look the same. He just wasn’t the same,” Lawrence Kauka said. “Because of all the changes, it trickled down and affected him a little. Landon called me and said, ‘Layden’s not playing hard.’ I was just telling mom about that. When they got back to the dorm Sunday, I asked him, ‘What’s going on?’”
Then came the barrage of calls from his old teammates.
“It didn’t help that his Kohala teammates were calling him, talking with him for three hours. This kind of decision is huge. You can’t make it based on your friends, or Uncle Jay (Mandaquit), Uncle Aukai (Wong), or even me or mom. You make the decision for yourself, but you have to understand the consequences,” Lawrence Kauka said. “You have to man up. I told him you might not get the same opportunities, and he knows.”
So far, Layden Kauka has a scholarship offer from Hawaii Hilo, given before he stepped foot in Utah. He misses his Utah Prep teammates.
“AJ is the funniest. He’s just himself off the court and on the court. You can tell he’s comfortable around everybody, social toward everybody,” Kauka said. “He does a lot of things that I think are funny.”
He misses the Mandaquit and Wong families, who took him in at Utah Prep and made him feel almost like he was home. Take the boy out of Kohala, but in the end, nobody can take Kohala out of the man.
“I feel a lot better being home, especially on the court playing with my team. I feel like I made the right decision for me. I’ll put my happiness first,” he said.
Exposure to college recruiters is always part of the equation. Kauka will make the best of his travel time when he goes up to play with Team CPSA in April. The program is run by former Kahuku standout Clint Parks.
“They play in the Puma circuit. Uncle Jay helped me get on that team. I’ll go back and forth and fly out for some practices,” Kauka said. “The ultimate goal is to make it to the league. I kind of just want to go to college, play basketball and see what happens after that. Where I’m at right now, I’d rather go to a smaller school, maybe a lower D-I or a JUCO.”
The last of four children, Kauka left his parents with an empty nest for several months.
“Layden was born on New Year’s Day. I knew he was going to be a special one. He’s one you can expect fireworks from,” Nohea Kauka said. “I might not have agreed with his decision (to return home), seeing him come out of his commitment, but nobody else walks in his shoes. Nobody knows what he goes through except him. It’s about having faith in him. For me, it’s lots of prayers and a lot of prayers. I have to continue to have faith in God’s plan and what unfolds for him.
Led by brothers Landon and Layden Kauka, the top-seeded Cowboys stormed through wins over Damien (48-29) and Kauai (56-45) before meeting a tall, talented squad from University. The Cowboys rallied for a euphoric 40-38 win for the 2023 title, their first state title since 2020.
Landon Kauka, then a junior, was rock steady with 19 points and only one turnover in 26 minutes, shooting 7-for-12 from the field. Layden, a freshman, hit the game-winner as Kohala capped a frantic rally.
The wiry guard shot 5-for-18 from the field and finished with 13 points and seven rebounds, an ace with the ball — only one turnover. Landon, the point guard, averaged 11 points per game that season while Layden led with 17 ppg.
When they returned to Kohala, the portable light outside the Kauka home was on when the sun went down.
“He’s always been in the gym from day one. He’d open up the gym on the weekends just to shoot around,” said his father, a former All-BIIF swingman. “He was always the one doing the extra, more than his brothers. Shooting outside until 11 at night. I’d go inside and tell his brothers, ‘What are you doing?’”
Landon Kauka is now at Northwest Indian College (Wash.) playing basketball. La‘akea Kauka played at Rome City Institute (Italy) for two years.
The habit of shooting late into the night began before the Kauka ohana acquired the portable light. Assistant coach and former Cowboys hoopster Reeve Cazimero was stunned one night when he drove some players home after a game. Layden was still in elementary school.
“Reeve told me, ‘We came home from a game. I pull into the driveway and Layden is shooting under the street light at 11 p.m.,’” Lawrence Kauka said.
In the 2023-24 season, defending D-II state champion Kohala opened nonconference play against defending D-I state champion Saint Louis. Kohala was on fire in the first quarter, and Kauka rose for a two-handed putback dunk that shocked the crowd at the Surfrider Holiday Classic in Kailua. On the same play, however, he was assessed a technical foul for hanging on the rim to avoid landing on a defender. Saint Louis then turned everything around and walloped the D-II champs.
The Cowboys went on to repeat as D-II state champion in 2024, cementing Kohala once again as a true, legendary small-town basketball nirvana.
Layden Kauka’s sophomore season: 22 points per game, including three made treys per game. Landon Kauka averaged 10 per game with Jayden Hook delivering 12 ppg.
From the days of yesteryear, when girls basketball standout Lynette Liu lit up scoreboards with a deadly jump shot, to Annette Marquez and Kim Caravalho in the 1990s, to boys legends like Bradley Estabilio to Lawrence Kauka to brothers Keone and Kalei Emeliano, Travis Van Zandt, Kihei Kapeliela, Benny Alcoran, to O’shen Cazimero, the talent overload for one of the smallest high schools in Hawaii has continued to replenish.
Jayme Carvalho has seen a lot of basketball as an All-BIIF Honokaa basketball player and coach, and now as Kohala’s athletic director.
“I played against Lawrence when I was a freshman. You can never say who’s the best in different generations with all of these players. I feel Layden has something different that you can’t take away. The boy knows when to go and when not to go. He’s able to slow himself down, control his speed,” Carvalho said. “I don’t like to compare people, but he’s as good as anyone to come out of Kohala. He’s a two-time state champion.”
The most powerful common denominator between father and son is internal.
“The competitiveness. They’re both humble guys that just work hard,” Carvalho added. “His dad instilled that in him. Not making excuses. Layden has the ball in his hands more. His dad was more of a wing, fill the lanes well, could shoot. The game is different now. Layden can make shots in crunch time that other guys can’t make. He has stepped up on and off the court.”