HILO — Hawaii-Hilo men’s basketball welcomed nine newcomers for the upcoming 2026-27 slate in Vulcans head coach Kaniela Aiona’s seventh season.

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“We are excited about this year’s recruiting class,” Aiona said. “We have a lot of new faces, but this group also brings a good mix of experience. We’re looking forward to getting the season officially started and getting to work.”

Of the team’s seven returnees, five will be entering their senior season of competition.

The Vulcans replace seven departures from a year ago — four to graduation or exhausted eligibility — and will look to make a return trip to the Pacific West Conference Championships postseason tournament next March.

The incoming class arrives as the NCAA Division II Executive Committee recently adopted emergency legislation establishing an age-based eligibility model to allow student-athletes up to five seasons of competition.

Of the nine newcomers, two of them hail from Big Island — former BIIF standouts Layden Kauka of Kohala and Kawohi Huihui of Puna, who will both be entering their freshmen seasons.

Kauka, the central contributor to Kohala High School’s three Division-II state championships in 2023, 2024 and 2026, spent time at Utah Prep Academy for coaches Justin Yamzon, Jason Mandaquit, Aukai Wong, Kupa’a Harrison Kyle Spencer before transferring back to the Cowboys for his senior year. With the black and gold, Kauka was coached by Kihei Kapeliela, Reeve Cazimero, Paul Antonio, Elijah Antonio and father Lawrence Kauka.

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The 6-foot-1 athletic guard was named the 2026 Hawaii State Gatorade Player of the Year and ScoringLive’s Hawaii Division II Player of the Year and BIIF DII Player of the Year thrice each. In the 2023 and 2024 state championships against University Lab School and Seabury Hall, Kauka hit the go-ahead, game-winning shot for the Cowboys in the final seconds.

Kauka chose to commit to UH-Hilo “to stay close to family and play before those who raised me, plus represent Hawaii on a bigger stage,” he said.

Kauka will major in communication.

Huihui, a former Kamehameha-Hawaii swingman, was a three-time BIIF DI champion while playing four seasons of varsity for Mea Wong and Mike Scanlan. The 6-foot-2 guard was also named conference player of the year twice.

Aspiring to become an electrician, Huihui will major in communication. Like Kauka, Huihui chose the Vulcans to give back to the community that raised him.

“It’s my home,” Huihui said. “I want to give something back to my community and represent where I’m from wherever I go.”

The remainder of the new Vulcans hail from the mainland, but each bring something unique to the table for the program: senior guard Adam Sausele (Columbia College), senior guard Brandon Morgan (Hofstra), junior guard Quinlan Daly (East Los Angeles College), junior guard Edwon Duling (Mineral Area College), junior guard AJ Riggs (Utah Valley University), junior guard Kam Washington (Cerritos College) and sophomore guard Aaron De Santiago (Santa Ana College).

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The upcoming 2026-27 schedule will be announced shortly.