Hawaii Basketball

After being a four-year starter in the five-year-old Kamehameha-Hawaii basketball program, guard Mea Wong knows what it’s like to be at the beginning of something. Symbolizing another beginning, Wong has signed a letter of intent to attend Warner Pacific College next year to play basketball.

Warner Pacific is an NAIA Division II college, member of the Cascade Collegiate Conference and associate member of the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association).

With coaches, administrators and friends around him, Wong spoke with WPC head coach Bart Valentine by phone immediately after signing his letter. Coach Valentine asked Wong how he planned to get ready for his first year of college basketball. Wong indicated that he will be training with his brother Aukai (Kea’au ‘05), who is finishing his second year at Carl Albert State College in Oklahoma.

What lured Wong from Hawaii to the Pacific Northwest and Warner Pacific College is “The admissions counselor came and I checked out the website. Oregon is a great place and being from Hawaii I know that there are a lot of locals (Hawaiians) in the area”. He was also guided through the process by his high school counselor Malcolm Helm who also served as an assistant coach.

Wong averaged 10 points per game. He was a nominee for the McDonald’s All-American game and was named to the state of Hawaii’s Fab 15 team the past two years. Last year he received league player of the year honors.

What Wong brought to his team and head coach was even more valuable than his scoring. “He ran our team on offense from the point guard position the past four years while at the same time always asking to defend the opponent’s best player” said Kamehameha-Hawaii head coach Nelson Wong. “That’s a lot to ask of anyone, much less a high schooler.”

The result of his leadership was taking his team to the state tournament quarterfinals last year and then advancing to the final four this year – defeating five-time defending state champion `Iolani along the way.

At 6’0” tall, he maintained good vision of the court and used his physical strength to overpower opponents in a league where full-court pressing is a staple.

When asked what he looks forward to the most about the opportunity to play basketball at Warner Pacific Wong states, “My dream has been to play college basketball. I am very excited to be given this opportunity and all the hard work has paid off. It is a big step in my life and I believe I am ready for it.”