Seniors to spread aloha

By BILL O’REAR

Tribune-Herald sports editor

University of Hawaii at Hilo men’s basketball fans will get a chance to bid aloha to five seniors when the Vulcans host Hawaii Pacific University on Thursday night.

The Pacific West Conference contest will be played at 7:30 p.m. at the UHH Gym.

Thursday is Senior Night for the UHH men and women, marking their final home games. The Vulcans close their regular season on Saturday night, taking on Chaminade University in PacWest action in Honolulu.

The five seniors for UHH men’s coach Jeff Law are Zach Wilde, Dirk Snel, Vince Sanekane, Josh Figueroa and Nick Kanno.

Law, in his 14th season, would like to see his young Vulcans (8-16 overall, 2-14 PacWest) finish the season on a high note, starting with a much-needed win over HPU (11-13, 6-10) on Thursday.

“We have a young team and have struggled at times,” Law said. “We’ve lost nine games by five points or less. So we’re right there where we need to be and just have to close out the game better. We’re finding ways to lose instead of finding a way to win.

“A lot of that comes with experience and gaining the confidence to finish strong. We’re still trying to get to that point. If we could finish the season with a couple of wins, it would give our returnees some confidence and momentum heading into next year.”

Law praised his seniors for their overall contributions.

“When we talk about being successful with this year’s seniors, we’re talking about more than just putting the ball in the basket,” Law said. “Their overall success includes doing all the right things in class and in the community.

“These guys have taken care of their business off the court, representing the program in a positive way.”

Wilde, a 6-foot-6 forward from Snohomish, Wash., is second on UHH’s career rebounding leaders list, with 555 in his three seasons with the Vulcans. He trails former UHH standout Merriel Jenkins, who grabbed 621 rebounds during his three-year career in the mid-1990s at the NCAA Division II school.

This season, Wilde, a 3.7-plus grade point average student, is averaging 11.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game through 24 contests. His lanky frame and effectiveness around the basket have made him a tough inside scorer and a rugged rebounder.

“Zach has done well here,” Law said. “He’s finishing up his career as the second leading rebounder in Vulcan history. He’s someone that we’ve counted on the last three years to rebound and play good defense, and to score when he has the opportunity.

“Zach is an excellent student and has always taken care of his responsibilities off the court and in the community. We’ll miss him.”

Snel, a 6-2 shooting guard from Everett, Wash., is finishing up his second season in a Vulcans uniform. This year, he’s averaging 5.2 points and shooting 33.1 percent from 3-point range. He’s made a team best 25 treys in 80 attempts.

“Dirk has given us an offensive spark the past two years,” Law said. “He also met his future wife (UHH volleyball player Patty Vine) here.”

Sanekane, a 6-0 shooting guard out of Pahoa High School, spent five years in the UHH program, fighting injuries but never backing down from the challenge. He has played in only four games this season while recovering from a knee injury.

“It’s a treat to be associated with Vince,” Law said. “He is exactly what a coach wants in a walk-on — someone who’ll come to practice every day, work hard, never complain and do well in school.

“Vince is a special person and has been a joy to be around all this time.”

Sanekane, a 3.7-plus GPA student, and Wilde were awarded this year’s Coach Jimmy Yagi Scholarship for their impressive work in the classroom as well-rounded student athletes.

Figueroa, a 6-11 center from Paradise, Calif., played three seasons at UHH in a reserve role. This year, he has played in 15 games, often occupying the paint on defense and posting up smaller opponents on the offensive end of the floor.

“Josh has not got to play a lot, but he’s worked hard and is a good student,” Law said. “He’ll graduate and has fit in well. He’s easily approachable and has grown up a lot in his time in Hilo.”

Kanno, a 6-0 point guard out of Mililani High School on Oahu, has spent three years under Law. He hasn’t seen much playing time but has contributed to the team in various ways.

“Nick is a lot like Vince,” Law said. “He’s a nice kid and always gives it his best effort in a walk-on role. He also does a lot of good things at school and is a really good student.”

Each one of the seniors will be honored on Thursday before the local fans.

“We appreciate what these seniors have done for the program,” Law said. “We’ll miss their contributions, on and off the court. But we have a lot of tools returning next year and hopefully we can build on this year’s experience and have a more successful season next year, won-loss wise.”

The veteran UHH coach said he plans to recruit three to four players to reinforce this year’s roster.