Hawaii men’s basketball team gets commitment from 6-3 guard
COURTESY CHICO STATE ATHLETICS
Isiah Kerr
In search of backcourt skill and craftsmanship, the University of Hawaii basketball team secured a commitment from 6-foot-3 guard Isaiah “Zay” Kerr of Chico State University.
“I like the team culture,” Kerr told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “The coaches seem committed not only to the skill of the basketball players but also the character. I want to go to a place where I’m pushed and really grow my game on and off the court. I think with the coaching staff and being in that program will give me an opportunity to do that.”
This season, his second at Division II Chico State, Kerr averaged 13.2 point on 46.1% shooting, including 35% on 3s, 4.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. He will join the Rainbow Warriors in June with two seasons of eligibility remaining.
“I had a great year here with my teammates, it was really fun,” Kerr said. “I felt I was ready to make that jump to the next level. That prompted me to hit the (transfer) portal. It felt like it was time to take that next step.”
Kerr, who grew up in Palo Alto, Calif., was a standout guard at Saint Francis High in Mountain View. As a senior, he was rated the No. 2 combo guard in California.
He redshirted as a freshman at the University of Montana during the 2023-24 academic year. He then transferred to Chico State, where he played in all 59 games the next two seasons.
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Reared in the Bay Area, Kerr said, “obviously I watched a lot of Steph Curry. I’d say he’s probably my favorite player. I used to go to the Warrior games all the time. I looked up to him as a player and the way he handles himself.”
Kerr said also embraced a motto attributed to Curry: “reps remove doubt.”
“For me, it was getting into the gym all the time,” Kerr said. “The more I see the ball go through the net every day, that grows the confidence in me. When I get in the game, I’m like, ‘I’ve done this a million times. I’m going to let it fly.’”
He added: “I love being in the gym. I think to be good in this game, you have to love the game and live the game. … I love every part of that.”
Earlier, the ’Bows received commitments from Isaac Finlinson, a 6-8 transfer from Snow College and the national junior college player of the year; 6-7 Tanner Cuff (Evansville); 6-6 wing-guard Quandre “Dre” Bullock (South Dakota); 7-foot Isaac “Big Fish” Johnson (Utah State); 6-3 combo guard Hunter Erickson (Utah), and 6-5 guard Hunter Carter (Rosemary Anderson Prep).
