Ferd Lewis: Hilo hoops has become team worth working for

Who knew that one of the most sought-after positions in the University of Hawaii Hilo athletic department these days would be volunteer floor wiper at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium?

But, then, who would have guessed that the Vulcans, without a winning season in eight years and coming off a late coaching change amid a pandemic, would be 9-1 in the PacWest Conference and playing this week for a berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament?

“Let’s just say that the program has exceeded my expectations,” said athletic director Patrick Guillen. “I wasn’t expecting it to happen this quickly, to be honest with you.”

Which is why Guillen has increasingly been fielding requests from people volunteering to mop up the court or help out in other ways at the Vulcans’ games. With no fans in the stands due to COVID-19 restrictions, some fans are willing to do whatever it takes to get in to see the hottest team the Vulcans have fielded since Jeff Law’s 2005 club (25-4) opened with a 15-1 record.

“They say, ‘Can we wipe the floors, do security? Anything?’” Guillen said. “But I have to tell them, ‘Sorry, cannot.’ With COVID we don’t want to risk anything.”

Due to the pandemic, the Vulcans haven’t had to take any road trips to the continent and have not played any opponents outside their three-member Hawaii pod. But for a new coach who officially didn’t take over until June 1 and, due to pandemic restrictions and family considerations, didn’t see his team in person until September, Kaniela Aiona and his staff have quickly set about reversing the fortunes of a program that went 12-14 last year and 69-112 over the previous seven years.

When Aiona, a Honokaa High graduate, left Menlo (Calif.) College, an NAIA school, to make the homecoming, the expectations were decidedly modest. “Our first goal is to get to ‘Hawai’i Pono’i,’” Aiona said before the opener. “With so much uncertainty about the season we just wanted to play a game. The tipoff was a celebration in itself.”

The Vulcans started with an 89-66 exhibition loss against the Rainbow Warriors. Then, in their third conference game, got flattened by Chaminade’s full court press, 97-76.

Since then, however, Hilo has reeled off seven consecutive victories and captured the Hawaii pod title in the Pac West. A split of Friday and Saturday’s games at Chaminade’s McCabe Gym a day before Selection Sunday would likely earn them entry to the reduced-field NCAA Division II Tournament.

While still trying to fit together the pieces of their offense, the Vulcans have made stout defense their calling card and rank eighth in the nation in turnovers forced (17.3 per game), 14th in field-goal defense (40.8%) and 23rd in scoring defense (67.5) among 216 Division II members.

Aiona inherited three starters, but despite the late start, brought in four key performers. They include starters Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones, a 6-foot, 6-inch freshman forward from New Zealand who is averaging 17 points and 8.7 rebounds a game, and Darren Williams, a junior college transfer guard who averages 13.1 points and 3.3 assists, and reserves Ethan Jetter and Jabari Sweet.

They have meshed well with returnees Sasa Vuksanovic (16.5 points, 9.9 rebounds), Jordan Graves (7.9 points) and Steven Hubbell (4.5 points).

“We started with a blank slate and wanted to see how good we could get this year,” Aiona said.

Good enough, apparently, that the Vulcans don’t need help cleaning up this season.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.