If BIIF basketball games were as long as your average network sitcom, Waiakea’s boys might be sitting on a threepeat.
But the Warriors aren’t, because though they were fine for 30 minutes last season, it’s the last two where things got tricky.
“If you really looked at the two previous seasons before that, we won all our games at the end,” longtime coach Paul Lee said. “We had experience and guys knew the situation.
“Last year, we were relying on younger guys, and we couldn’t finish.”
The Warriors’ late-game woes were never more evident than in a BIIF semifinal loss to Konawaena, 63-61. Waiakea watched a three-point lead evaporate in the final minute, missing two key free throws.
It’s perhaps a testament to the strength of Lee’s program that 5-foot-10 junior Kiai Apele looks back on what figured to be a clear rebuilding season as “a year we should have won. We couldn’t covert (late).”
In Lee’s eyes, the Warriors overachieved, at least for those first 30 minutes.
“This year, I expect the guys to be a little bit more confident in end-of-game situations and hopefully we’re more successful than last year,” Lee said.
“I’d be lying if I said we’re not the (BIIF) favorite.”
The Warriors not only return a strong core of Apele, Rekky Prudencio and Will Soares – all three made honorable mention all-BIIF last season and seemed poised for bigger things this year – as well as three good options on the inside, but they’re boosted by the addition of 5-10 junior guard Keegan Scanlan, who formerly played for St. Joseph.
“Keegan brings shooting, athleticism, just helping us spread the floor,” Apele said. “We’re used used to playing with him” in the offseason.
Lee calls the foursome interchangeable, though Apele and Scanlan are the primary ball-handlers, giving Waiakea one of the BIIF’s best guard duos, and Prudencio offers a third shooting threat from 3-point range.
Apele was a player Lee tabbed two years ago as a future leader, making him go up against then-senior Calvin Mattos, a three-time BIIF player of the year, as a freshman.
“He couldn’t handle Calvin, but it made him better,” Lee said.
Asked if he plays basketball year-round, Apele quickly responded: “Right when I came out of my mom’s stomach I was a basketball player.”
Prudencio, a 5-9 senior, and Scanlan are cut from a similar cloth, Apele said. Soares is 5-11 and one of three seniors on the team.
Three players, senior Peter Suiaunoa, sophomore Elijah Blankenship and junior Makana Kaehuaea-Credo, will see playing time at the fifth spot, and they are not to be forgotten, Lee said.
Suiaunoa, 6-3, is a volleyball player first but is working hard, his coach said, and Blankenship, a 6-1 sophomore, is perhaps the team’s most improved player.
The post trio will allow Waiakea to utilize more of a two-man game at times on offense and feed players with their backs to the basket.
“Last year we had a good team, this year we have a little more IQ,” Apele said. “We’re hungry.”
The Warriors open their preseason by co-hosting the annual Waiakea-Keaau basketball tournament, which runs Wednesday through Saturday and features three outer-island teams: Maui, Waimea of Kauai and the OIA’s McKinley. Waiakea plays Parker at its gym Wednesday.
Lee and Apele also are looking forward to playing Punahou again – mid-December at Saint Francis’ tournament on Oahu– after the Buffanblu beat Waiakea by 41 points last season.
“They’ll expose all of our weaknesses,” Lee said.
After getting back from Oahu, the team makes a quick turnaround and plays at Hilo’s preseason tournament before they even think about attacking the BIIF regular season schedule. Last season, the D-I race was marked by its competitiveness and was ultimately won by Kamehameha.
“Everybody lost key players, so it should be fun,” Lee said. “If you look at returnees, we should be a little bit above, but everybody plays each other during (the offseason) now, so if teams execute their stuff, they can compete with anybody.
“Hopefully (our) guys are ready. Hopefully, it’s time for them.”
And by time, he means 32 minutes.
Waiakea-Keaau boys basketball tournament
Wednesday
At Waiakea
Kohala vs. Kealakehe, 3:30 p.m.
Waimea vs. Hawaii Prep, 5 p.m.
Parker vs. Waiakea, 6:30 p.m.
Hilo vs. Maui, 8 p.m.
At Keaau
Pahoa vs. Konawaena, 3:30 p.m.
Ka’u vs. Keaau 2, 5 p.m.
Kamehameha-HI vs. McKinley, 6:30 p.m.
St. Joseph vs. Keaau, 8 p.m.