The Hawaii basketball team’s recent success was rooted in last summer’s sessions with the “Game Changer.”
“What we’re doing today,” senior forward Kamaka Hepa said, “comes from the seeds we planted in the summertime.”
Hepa, wing Samuta Avea, point guard JoVon McClanahan, and posts Bernardo da Silva and Mor Seck attended trainer Sunil Joseph’s program in Corona, Calif., where they worked on basketball skills, conditioning and nutrition. They also played games — lots and lots of games — across Southern California, many against pros.
“We were just training with pros, running with pros, working all parts of L.A. looking for pro runs,” McClanahan said. “A lot of overseas guys. You know how L.A. is, a lot of good runs.”
Avea said: “It helped big time. Sunil is known as the ‘Game Changer.’ He really got our bodies right and put us in a pro atmosphere. He really helped us.”
Joseph, who was born and reared in Hawaii, met Avea three years ago. During the pandemic, Joseph accepted a coaching job in California. During the offseason, Joseph trained basketball players. Last year, Avea asked Joseph if a group of ’Bows could join the program.
“They pushed for it,” Joseph said. “They really wanted to kick-start the offseason workout. … They knew they wanted to push forward because of how special the season was going to be.”
In addition to the fitness and nutritional development, Hepa said, team chemistry was fostered. Avea had opted out of the 2020-21 season and missed the following season while recuperating from a back injury. Seck was set to join the ’Bows as a freshman. “To build that initial relationship was great for us,” Hepa said.
Hepa, Avea, McClanahan and da Silva are starters this season. In the past Saturday’s senior night, Seck parlayed two McClanahan lobs into thunderous dunks.
“I have footage of them doing the same thing (last summer) they’re doing now,” Joseph said of the alley-oop plays. “I told them, ‘bro, you guys are doing this against people that make millions, why are you not doing it (in games)?’ And finally they did. It was like, ‘I told you, bro.’ ”
McClanahan said: “We went to L.A. to put in some great work to prep our bodies for the year. I think it’s paying off for all of us. We’re all having a great year as far as being physically healthy. Hard work pays off.”
The ’Bows are closing the regular season with road games against Cal State Northridge tonight and UC Santa Barbara on Saturday. Next week, they will participate in the single-elimination Big West Tournament at the Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nev. The tournament winner earns the league’s automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.
CSUN is rebuilding under Trent Johnson, who came out of retirement two years ago. The Matadors, who are 7-23 overall and 4-15 in the Big West, have been hindered because of injuries and inexperience. Johnson said shooting guard Atin Wright (17.4-scoring average in 18 Big West games) is the only starter at his natural position. Wright missed the last game after slipping during a rainfall.
Johnson said walk-ons guards Marcel Stevens an Arman Pezeshkian will play extended minutes.
Johnson has coach-of-the-year awards from the SEC, WAC and Pac-12. “I dwell on the little things that are the big things,” he said. “Practice right, take care of school, take care of your social aspect. And then everything takes care of yourself and you’ll be good. I know that sounds like a broken record but I’ve always done that.”
