DIVISION I
DIVISION II
As expected, ILH champion Punahou is the top seed for the New City Nissan/HHSAA Boys Basketball Division I State Championships.
Punahou is in the same bracket with Konawaena, which was seeded fourth after defeating Kamehameha-Hawaii on Saturday night to capture the BIIF D-I title.
Farrington, the OIA champion, is seeded second and is in the same bracket with MIL champion Lahainaluna, the third seed.
The seedings and pairings went through a very different look after Farrington knocked off Kalaheo and Kahuku in the OIA playoffs last week. At the time, Kalaheo was ranked No. 1 in the Star-Advertiser Top 10 and Kahuku was No. 2.
As a result, the tangled web is in effect, or as Jerry Campany coins it, “the group of death.”
By rule (HHSAA bylaw), the OIA’s second- and third-place teams, Kahuku and Kalaheo are now bracketed with the top seed (Punahou). The Buffanblu were ranked No. 3 in the Top 10 last week. The OIA 3 cannot be place in the same bracket as the OIA 1.
Coming into the ILH title game on Friday, both Punahou coach Darren Matsuda and ‘Iolani coach Dean Shimamoto were aware that their league’s champion might have a tougher road in the state tourney because of the procedure for pairings by the HHSAA.
Punahou edged ‘Iolani in the ILH tournament final, 48-46.
“If you want to win state, you have to beat the best. We’ll probably get Kalaheo and Kahuku, but you’ve got to be able to win anyway,” Matsuda said.
Farrington has not won a D-I state title since 1960, when Bob Ikehara guided the Governors to back-to-back titles. Farrington won D-II state crowns in 2008 and ’11 under Allan Silva, then reached the D-I final last year before losing to ‘Iolani.
‘Iolani will face a tall, defensive-minded squad, Leilehua. The Mules placed fourth in the OIA. Coach Patrick Wetzel was in attendance at the ILH playoff game. Shimamoto’s Raiders are the defending state champions.
“Farrington beat two good teams. They weren’t lucky,” Shimamoto said. “They’re peaking at the right time and they’re just as scary as the other guys.”
In Division II, Pahoa avenged a regular-season loss to Kohala by defeated the Cowboys on Saturday night to claim the BIIF championship. The Daggers, whose only other loss this season was to D-I Saint Louis, was rewarded by the HHSAA seeding committee with a top seed.
ILH champion Hawaii Baptist is the fourth seed and in the same bracket with Pahoa. OIA champion Kaiser is the second seed and MIL champ Seabury Hall is the third seed.
Pahoa won the D-II state crown in 2010 and finished second in ’11, losing to Farrington. Last year’s D-II state champion was Hawaii Prep, also of the BIIF.
The D-II state tourney tips off on Thursday with an eight-team field. There is no opening-round bye in those brackets.
Division I
Wednesday’s games
Moanalua bracket
5 p.m. – Maui vs. Kalaheo
7 p.m. – Kahuku vs. Moanalua
McKinley bracket
5 p.m. – Kamehameha-Hawaii vs. Campbell
7 p.m. – ‘Iolani vs. Leilehua
Thursday’s games
Moanalua bracket
3 p.m. – Maui-Kalaheo loser vs. Kahuku-Moanalua loser (consolation)
5 p.m. – Kahuku-Moanalua winner vs. Konawaena
7 p.m. – Maui-Kalaheo winner vs. Punahou
McKinley bracket
3 p.m. – KS-Hawaii/Campbell loser vs. ‘Iolani-Leilehua loser (consolation)
5 p.m. – KS-Hawaii/Campbell winner vs. Farrington
7 p.m. – ‘Iolani-Leilehua winner vs. Lahainaluna
Friday’s games
At Stan Sheriff Center
11 a.m. – Consolation final
1 p.m. – Fifth-place consolation semifinal
3 p.m. – Fifth-place consolation semifinal
5 p.m. – Championship semifinal (McKinley bracket)
7 p.m. – Championship semifinal (Moanalua bracket)
Saturday’s games
11 a.m. – Fifth-place game
3 p.m. – Third-place game
7 p.m. – Championship game
Division II
Thursday’s games
Farrington bracket
5 p.m. – Pahoa vs. Kalani
7 p.m. – Hawaii Baptist vs. Kauai
Kalani bracket
5 p.m. – Kaiser vs. Damien
7 p.m. – Seabury Hall vs. Kohala
Friday’s games
At Farrington
5 p.m. – Championship semifinal (Pahoa-Kalani winner vs. HBA-Kauai winner)
7 p.m. – Championship semifinal (Kaiser-Damien winner vs. Seabury Hall-Kohala winner)
At Kalani
5 p.m. Consolation semifinal (Pahoa-Kalani loser vs. HBA-Kauai loser)
7 p.m. – Championship semifinal (Kaiser-Damien loser vs. Seabury Hall-Kohala loser)
Saturday’s games
At Stan Sheriff Center
9 a.m. – Consolation final
11 a.m. – Third-place game
5 p.m. – Championship game
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