By Justin Feil, Packet Media Group
When Sam Wakai checked into games for the Hillsborough High School boys basketball team last year, it was to provide instant offense.
This year the Raiders have relied on the senior guard to be a consistent scorer as a starter.
“I just try to take advantage of what I can get,” Wakai said. “I know a lot of teams are going to be doubling me or staying near me. I want to make the most of it. It’s what I’ve been working for most of my life.”
Wakai also played football and baseball up until eighth grade, but neither of them appealed to him like basketball. It became his primary focus.
“Football, I was always pretty small,” Wakai said. “I didn’t think I could get far with that. With baseball and football, I never looked forward to going to anything. I got bored easily. I always absolutely loved basketball.”
Wakai never expected to be tall and he honed his guard skills over the years. At 5-foot-10, he has developed himself into a player with reliable shooting.
“That’s always been what I’ve done,” Wakai said. “It started when I was young. My dad said I wasn’t going to grow much so I could either do it with a jump shot or get more range.”
Wakai has posted some big numbers — a career-high 21 points against Hightstown, 15 against North Brunswick, 13 in a win over Bridgewater-Raritan, 12 against Franklin and 16 in the Raiders’ second win of the season, 53-46, over Lawrence last Friday.
“So far with my scoring, I was happy with how it started out,” Wakai said. “Lately I’ve hit a little dip in the scoring. What’s bothering me more is the wins. I’d rather not be scoring and have the wins.”
Wins have been tough to come by for the inexperienced Raiders. They start three seniors, but even they didn’t have starting experience. After picking up their second win of the year against Lawrence, they fell, 62-26, to Gill St. Bernard’s on Tuesday, their ninth loss of the season. But there were glimpses of greatness. Hillsborough led, 10-5, early and trailed just 13-12 at the end of the first quarter. By the start of the fourth quarter, however, Gill had turned up its defense and held Hillsborough in check.
“It was a big swing,” Wakai said, adding, “I think everyone is learning for the most part. With some of our younger kids, you can see where experience comes into play. You can see the struggles, but it’s getting better.”
Hillsborough is hoping to lengthen the stretches when it plays up to its highest potential. There haven’t been enough of them so far.
“We’re playing good here and there, just not getting it for 32 minutes,” Wakai said. “Gill is the best team in our county. We were up 10-5. We looked like one of the best teams out there. All of a sudden, we got some turnovers. Everyone was trying to do too much. Everyone was getting tired. It showed how much they outworked us in the second half.”
The Raiders are trying to find the right combination that can give them consistency. They had eight different scorers in the win over Lawrence. Jimmy Suseck had 10 points and Kyle Jeney had nine points as the seniors led the way. Sean Plaskon, another senior, added eight points while Jackson Parham had four points, and Luke Finer, Justin Brown and Tim Yost all had two apiece. It’s getting the shots that has been a problem in many of the losses.
“I think the main problem for us is turnovers,” Wakai said. “It starts with the guards. I take full responsibility for it being a senior. We had 41 against Hightstown. That game went into overtime. In the beginning of the season, that was a big problem. Lately, when we got our first win against Bridgewater, we had around eight. The games we’ve been playing better are the games we’ve controlled the ball and we’re not loose with it.”
The Raiders continue to look for progress. They are gaining experience with every game and finding out how to work well together. They know how much things can change from the start to the finish of a season. Last year Hillsborough had a slow start before coming together to win the sectional championship.
“Last year I was with the team that went through a lot of adversity,” Wakai said. “There was tension between some players. There were groups and cliques within the team. Towards the end of the season, when we made that state run, everyone came together and put their differences aside. Everyone gelled together and became friends. I think it gave me a lot of leadership skills to be ready for this year.”
Wakai has been one of the seniors that has tried to keep the Raiders on track and looking ahead at the big picture. He has been preparing to lead this year since the end of last season.
“Before the season started, I was making sure I didn’t get overwhelmed by it,” he said. “I knew it takes a lot of responsibility to be a senior leader. At first, I made sure I wasn’t overwhelmed. Now I’ve been making sure we stay together as a team. I feel like it’s my role not to let the team give in.”
Having been a part of the program for four years and seeing its success helped motivate him. He knew there were others in the program that were working to contribute, and saw how much effort it would take to earn a spot on varsity.
“It pushed me harder,” Wakai said. “I knew I could only possibly have one year on varsity. I knew I could work hard junior year and get in the rotation. It benefitted me.”Playing in more than 75 percent of the games last year helped give him experience he has relied on this year. It’s something that can’t be taught.
“At the varsity level, compared to JV or freshman or AAU, the speed of the game is completely different,” Wakai said. “It’s up tempo and fast, always in your face. Once you make varsity, there’s no weak link. Everyone is the best in their school. It’s a different game at the varsity level.”
Every game is a chance to build forward for the Raiders. They host North Hunterdon tonight, and Hillsborough can depend on the likes of Wakai to give it his best.
“I’m a lot more confidence in myself,” he said. “Last year, a lot of times I went in the game thinking, I can’t mess up. This year, I’m going in the game thinking, it’s my senior year and I have to put it all out there and whatever happens, happens.”
Wakai is hoping that there are more wins ahead as the team gels together and the players find their roles. He is trying to fill his as a leader and a consistent scorer.
“It’s exactly what I expected,” Wakai said. “I knew I’d be a big part of our scoring and leading our team in general. That’s how I saw it from the beginning.”
