UH-Hilo men’s hoops voted to finish third

Point Loma has won three of the last four PacWest men’s regular season basketball titles, but conference coaches see a changing of the guard in 2023-24.

The league’s coaches chose Azusa Pacific to win the title this year, the one team that kept the Sea Lions from making it four straight trophies by winning the conference in 2019-20. The Cougars captured eight of the 11 first-place votes for total of 112 points, 13 more than second place Academy of Art.

The 2023-24 season gets underway officially on November 10 when all 11 PacWest teams tip-off. Exhibition and exempt games begin next week. (Look for the PacWest Preseason Team and Preseason Awards then). To see the entire 2023-24 schedule, click here.

The Cougars are armed and loaded.

Azusa Pacific finished second in the PacWest last season, were second in the PacWest tournament and qualified for the NCAA tournament. Head coach Peter Bond returns nine players from that squad and three starters, including First Team All-PacWest selection Ken West. Bryce Sloan, Nate Kleppe and George Reidy also return after starting last year, and Division I transfer Ethan Speaker played in 29 games for Arkansas Little Rock last year as a 6-7 redshirt freshman.

Academy of Art landed in the poll’s second spot with one first place vote. The Urban Knights were third in the conference and reached the semi’s of the PacWest Championships, and won the tournament in 2022-23. Coach Scott Waterman’s team won a first round NCAA tournament game last winter, reaching the West Region semi’s and finishing 22-10. Rebound machine Latrell Williams is Waterman’s lone returning starter, and he has to replace five key players. But he may have done so with a healthy list of seven transfers.

UH-Hilo has quietly moved up the conference ladder since head coach Kaniela Aiona came on board in 2020-21. The Vulcans finished fourth in the conference last year with a 13-7 tally and they were 17-9 overall. Aiona welcomes back eight, including the PacWest Newcomer of the Year Carlos Ramsey Jr. and the PacWest Defender of the Year Nadjrick Peat. In addition to five other returnees, the Vulcans also landed transfer Charles Elzie III, who was awarded the Chuck Taylor MVP award after The College of Idaho won the NAIA National Championship last year. He was also the Cascade Collegiate Conference Defensive Player of the Year. UC San Diego starter Jake Kosakowski (6-6) and Hawai’i transfer Zoar Nedd (6-6) give Aiona more power inside

Biola and Point Loma tied for the fourth spot in the poll with 86 points each. The Eagles, directed by legendary head coach Dave Holmquist (44th season, 1,041-427), has 12 players returning (four starters) including All-PacWest selections Daniel Esparza (Second Team) and Maximo Milovich (Third Team). Erik Howlin and Hunter Ruck also started last year for the Eagles, who have a deep and experienced bench.

The Sea Lions won the conference and tournament titles last year and reached the NCAA West Region title game. But gone is three-time PacWest MVP Kaden Anderson and coach Matt Logie, leaving new leader Justin Downer just one starter returning—albeit a very good one in Luke Haupt. The junior was a First Team All-PacWest pick and Second Team All-Region selection, averaging nearly 12 points a game, six rebounds and seven assists. Six other Sea Lions with experience return, and Downer signed three transfers including Zack Paulsen, who averaged 12 points a game as a freshman for Seattle Pacific last year.

Chaminade follows in the sixth spot, led by Second Team All-PacWest selection Issac Amaral-Artharee and PacWest Freshman of the Year Ross Reaves.

Five total players return and head coach Eric Bovaird has also added a Seattle Pacific starter in Kelton Samore (10 ppg). The Silverswords were 14-15 a year ago and finished sixth in the PacWest.

Dominican is seventh, with coach Justin Argenal counting on four returning starters that all averaged in double figures last year—Marcus McCutchen (14.7), PJ Volz (13.5), Jaayden Bush (12.7) and Garrett Siebels (11.8). Argenal has also added four transfer, including Holy Names starter Dale Currie. PacWest newcomer Westmont is eighth, although they did receive one first place vote. The Warriors went 17-12 last season and reached the NAIA Tournament, and head coach Landon Boucher has seven returnees from that squad including Anthony McIntyre (14.4) and Amir Davis (11.5).

No. 9 HPU, No. 10 Fresno Pacific and No. 11 Concordia round out the coaches poll. First-year Shark head coach Jesse Nakanishi has seven returnees and six transfers to work with, while FPU leader CJ Haydock returns eight Sunbirds and Wayne State transfer Avery Lewis, who averaged over 14 points a game for the Division II Warriors. Concordia, directed by highly successful longtime coach Ken Ammann (23^rd year, 504-205), had three starters returning, six total players back and five transfers to rebuild with.

UH-Hilo will jump start the season Nov. 3-5 in British Columbia against Simon Fraser, Seattle Pacific and Western Washington, while the rest of the conference tips on Nov. 10, with Fresno Pacific at Cal State East Bay, Hilo against Saint Martin’s (at Westmont), Academy of Art at Sonoma State, Cal State Los Angeles at Biola, Montana State Billings at Westmont, Chaminade at Alaska Anchorage, Stanislaus State at Point Loma, Concordia at CS San Marcos, Dominican at San Francisco State, Azusa Pacific at Chico State and HPU at Alaska.

West also leads the PacWest All-Preseason Team, along with Point Loma’s Luke Haupt, UH-Hilo’s Carlos Ramsey Jr., Latrell Williams of Academy of Art, Daniel Esparza of Biola and Chaminade’s Issac Amaral-Artharee.

Last week, the league’s coaches selected Azusa Pacific to claim the PacWest crown.

Now, the 11 head coaches pick West to lead the Cougars and the PacWest.

Carlos Ramsey Jr. made a big splash in his first season at UH-Hilo last year. The 6-5, 200 pound left-hander averaged 16.4 points per game, shooting .529 from the floor in the process.

He also nailed .451 of his three-point attempts.

At the end of the year, the junior transfer from Highland CC was named the PacWest Newcomer of the Year.

UH-Hilo will tip off the 2023-24 season this weekend in British Columbia, taking on Simon Fraser, Seattle Pacific and Western Washington.

All 11 PacWest teams will be in action next weekend with a full slate of non-conference clashes.