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.
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, 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.
"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, were 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 that bracket.
STATE BOYS BASKETBALL
Division I
First round, Wednesday
Game 1: Maui vs. Kalaheo, 5 p.m. at Moanalua
Game 2: KS-Hawaii vs. Campbell, 5 p.m. at McKinley
Game 3: Kahuku at Moanalua, 7 p.m.
Game 4: ‘Iolani vs. Leilehua, 7 p.m. at McKinley
Consolation semifinals, Thursday
Game 5: Loser game 1 vs. loser game 2, 3 p.m. at Moanalua
Game 6: Loser game 3 vs. loser game 4, 3 p.m. at McKinley
Quarterfinals, Thursday
Game 7: Winner game 2 vs. Konawaena, 5 p.m. at Moanalua
Game 8: Winner game 3 vs. Farrington, 5 p.m. at McKinley
Game 9: Winner game 1 vs. Punahou, 7 p.m. at Moanalua
Game 10: Winner game 4 vs. Lahainaluna, 7 p.m. at McKinley
Consolation, Friday
All games at Stan Sheriff Center
Game 11: Winner game 5 vs. winner game 6, 11 a.m.
Game 12: Loser game 7 vs. loser game 8, 1 p.m.
Game 13: Loser game 9 vs. loser game 10, 3 p.m
Semifinals, Friday
All games at Stan Sheriff Center
Game 14: Winner game 9 vs. winner game 10, 5 p.m.
Game 15: Winner game 7 vs. winner game 8, 7 p.m.
Finals, Saturday
All games at Stan Sheriff Center
Fifth place: Winner game 12 vs. winner game 13, 11 a.m.
Third place: Loser game 14 vs. loser game 15, 3 p.m.
Championship: Winner game 14 vs. winner game 15, 7 p.m.
Divison II
Quarterfinals, Thursday
Game 1: Pahoa vs. Kalani at Farrington, 5 p.m.
Game 2: Seabury Hall vs. Kohala at Kalani, 5 p.m.
Game 3: Hawaii Baptist vs. Kauai at Farrington, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Kaiser vs. Damien at Kalani, 7 p.m.
Consolation, Friday
Game 5: Loser game 1 vs. loser game 2 at Kalani, 5 p.m.
Game 6: Loser game 3 vs. loser game 4 at Kalani, 7 p.m.
Semifinals, Saturday
Game 7: Winner game 1 vs. winner game 2 at Farrington, 5 p.m.
Game 8: Winner game 3 vs. winner game 4 at Farrington, 7 p.m.
Finals, Saturday
Fifth place: Winner game 5 vs. winner game 5, 9 a.m.
Third place: Loser game 7 vs. loser game 8, 1 p.m.
Championship: Winner game 7 vs. winner game 8, 5 p.m.
