Warrior Insider

HONOLULU – University of Hawai’i men’s basketball head coach Eran Ganot announced that the Rainbow Warriors have signed former Top 50 high school recruit Kamaka Hepa. The 6-9 forward spent the last three years at the University of Texas and will have two seasons of eligibility upon joining the ‘Bows.

Hepa appeared in 60 games and had 12 starts during a three-season run in Texas. Hepa was part of the Longhorns’ 2019 NIT championship squad and the 2021 squad that won the Big 12 Tournament, earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament and finished the season ranked in the top 10.
 
Prior to Texas, the native of Barrow, Alaska, finished his high school career at Jefferson High School in Portland, Ore., where he was the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year and rated as the nation’s No. 47 recruit (Rivals). Coming out of high school, Hepa also earned a spot on the 12-person USA U18 National Team that eventually won the gold medal at the 2018 FIBA Americas U18 Championship in Canada. Hepa is of Hawaiian ancestry and his father was born and raised in Kapa’a, Kaua’i.
 
“Kamaka represents everything we are looking for in a student-athlete,” Ganot said.  “He’s a special talent with his size and length and an innate ability to shoot, dribble, and pass. He comes from a well-coached NCAA Tournament team under Shaka Smart and is ready to make a significant jump as we put together a championship team. We know Kamaka’s impact will be felt off the floor as well. He possesses incredible qualities as a teammate and leader and fully understands how special Hawai’i is. He will come in having completed his degree in just three years and will be pillar in the community.  We welcome Kamaka and his great family to our ‘ohana and share in this excitement with all of our great fans here in Hawai’i.”
 
Hepa is the third Division I transfer and fourth player overall to sign with the Rainbow Warriors this spring, joining Jerome Desrosiers, Brock Hefner, and Juan Munoz.
 
2021-22 Signees
Jerome Desrosiers | 6-7 | 230 | Forward | Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada | Princeton
Brock Heffner | 6-7 | 215 | Forward | Grafton, Wisc. | Grafton HS
Kamaka Hepa | 6-9 | 220 | Forward | Barrow, Alaska | Texas
Juan Munoz | 6-0 | 170  | Guard | Morrisville, N.C. | Longwood