The University of Hawaii Men’s Basketball Coach Eran Ganot, select members of the coaching staff, and the entire Men’s Basketball team hosted more than a hundred of Kauai’s keiki — both girls and boys — to the Fourth Keiki Basketball Clinic on Saturday at the new Kauai High School gymnasium.
With a ceiling of students in the sixth grade, the collegiate players worked on advanced tricks and techniques. Still, they emphasized the importance of game preparation that included an extensive warm-up period and drills that enhance a player’s sustainability on the hardwood.
The aspiring roundball players were rewarded with time for autographs, photos, and even some one-on-one discussions.
Beyond the traditional clinic and player development, this was a rare opportunity for Ganot and the UH team, who extended their Kauai stay to beyond the conventional one-day in, clinic, and out.
Through the sponsorships of community groups like Grove Farm, Wilcox Health (Hawaii Pacific Health), Airbnb, Meridian Pacific, Sommers West, the Kekaha Agriculture Association, the Royal Sonesta Kauai Resort, Hawaiian Airlines, Duke’s Restaurant, and the County of Kauai, the team that earned recognition from the National Association of Basketball Coaches for its achievements in the classroom during the 2024-2025 season was able to extend its Kauai stay to beyond the clinic under the newly-launched Roots &Reach program.
After Patty Mills joined the Bows as General Manager last June, the Roots &Reach program was launched. The cultural, community, and leadership initiative of Roots &Reach aims to strengthen the men’s basketball program in the state by honoring our heritage and expanding the team’s impact throughout the community and beyond.
The Rainbow Warrior team and its support cadre arrived on Friday. They immediately tasked Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami with a 3-point challenge at the open court at Kalena Park using a ball that was specially encased for the occasion.
Once the trey was accomplished, a member of the UH Men’s Basketball team “signed” the feat by slapping a decal on the spot Kawakami’s ball hit the backboard.
From there, the UH Men’s Basketball entourage trooped up Rice Street to the Rob’s Good Times Grill, where they spent some time meeting the pau hana gang, autographing paraphernalia, performing the giveaway of a signed basketball, and getting to know the ono grinds served up by the restaurant/sports bar in the Rice Shopping Center.
The team left Kauai after a period between the end of the 2024-2025 season and the start of the 2025-2026 season, which begins within the next several weeks.
Source: The Garden Island