As a small contingent of Concordia fans started whooping it up and the Eagles players followed suit Tuesday night at Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium, UH-Hilo men’s basketball coach GE Coleman already was looking ahead.
As the final seconds ticked down, Coleman turned to his bench to instruct, perhaps talking about toughness.
On to the next one, as they say, though the next one, Point Loma – No. 1 in the West and featuring Daulton Hommes, a rare breed for Division II – might not offer much relief.
“I have to find toughness somewhere,” Coleman said after the Vulcans’ four-game winning streak evaporated in a 84-75 loss. “We showed a complete lack of toughness in the second half.”
One major issue against the Eagles: Guard Brian Chambers eviscerated the Vulcans (7-6, 5-4 Pacific West Conference) and drove the lane, either getting to the basket or dumping the ball off.
“If we want to make a PacWest tournament, you have to find the toughness to get in front of him or bother him, test him,” Coleman said. “Him or Hommes are the two best players in or league.”
And her comes Hommes.
When UHH welcomes Point Loma (15-2, 11-0) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, the silky smooth 6-foot-8 junior forward will represent the biggest NBA prospect to play Hilo Civic in quite some time.
“Maybe the best player in D-II,” Coleman said.
The PacWest’s leading scorer at 19.8 points per game in his first season with the Sea Lions, Hommes has quite a story.
Once a 6-0 prep point guard in Lynden, Wash., he missed his final two seasons of high school with ACL tears, then took a redshirt season at Western Washington.
His growth spurt since has involved far more than just height, making Hommes a unique D-II asset because of his combination of size, athleticism and shooting touch. He’s the classic case of a player who can blow by defenders his size and post up smaller ones trying can match his quickness.
During the summer, Hommes spent time in the gym with Clint Parks, who has trained several NBA players, including Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard.
“One of the premier wing prospects on the West Coast — big-time talent and high character,” Parks said, according to Tribune News Service. “He’s got one of the prettiest jump shots in college basketball and he can really get off the floor as well. I’ve had several NBA front-office guys ask me if I believe he’s draftable, and I do, 100 percent.
“All these scouts are looking for the next sleeper, the next hidden gem, and that’s what Daulton is.”
When Boston Celtics all-star forward Gordon Hayward was looking for a one-on-one training partner last summer as he completed his offseason comeback from ankle surgery, Hommes proved to be a worthy adversary.
“He kind of grew and came out of nowhere … He’s really, really good,” Hayward told the Boston Globe.
The Vulcans have faced, and beaten, Hommes before.
Last season, he scored 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds as UHH pulled off one if its best wins of the season, winning 80-76 at Western Washington.
After adding a big transfer, Point Loma figures to be a bigger challenge.
“If it’s a half-court game, we have next to no chance,” Coleman said. “We want to make it a rat race. We have to make them make plays in the half court.”
The No. 9 Sea Lions are finishing a five-game road trip and third game in Hawaii. On Thursday, Hommes scored 28 points, shooting 10 of 16, in a 75-71 win at No. 19 Chaminade.
“I encourage everybody in the community to come out and see a real good D-II team,” Coleman said, “Whenever we get people in here, it seems to be a great atmosphere.
“We’ll play harder than (Tuesday). I know that.
At 5 p.m., the UHH women (4-9, 1-8) will look to end a six-game losing streak against the Sea Lions (7-10, 6-5).
The San Diego-Union Tribune contributed to this report.