Bright Future For Basketball’s Dunhour
By Jack Danilewicz
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Micah Dunhour’s first tentative steps on the basketball court were memorable, but not for the reasons he would have liked. Indeed, there was a time when excelling in basketball seemed a long shot to him.
“I tried it a couple of times, and I was really, really junk,” he recalled. “I’d rather have played soccer and other stuff. My friends started liking it, so I started liking it.”
These days, the Kailua resident and point guard for Academy of the Pacific would have a hard time convincing people of as much. His coach, former Kalaheo and Hawaii-Hilo standout Ryan Hogue, has his back if Dunhour needs an endorsement. Make no mistake,Dunhour is something of a rarity in Division II. For starters, he’s 6-foot-4, and he’s a point guard who can score from anywhere on the court.In the all-important area of character, he’s also miles ahead of many.
“He’s as fine a young man as you’ll ever meet - and this is what people are always telling me,“said Hogue.“I hear about how good a person he is before I hear about how good a basketball player he is. He’s not into video games or girls. He’s usually at the park or watching basketball on You Tube. He works hard on his own. He’s an old-school basketball player in that he loves basketball.”
Dunhour’s commitment to the game shows in his statistics. He’s currently averaging 23 points per game and 13 rebounds a game for the Dolphins, who travel next to Maryknoll for a game on Thursday.
“I didn’t actually start to like basketball until the eighth grade, but now I practice basketball every day on my own,” he said. “I usually go to the park near my house. I’ve been getting better and better every year. Everyone’s always telling me I can go on to the next level (college), and I just love basketball.”
Dunhour played his first two years at Honokaa on the Big Island. He was on junior varsity as a freshman but moved up to the varsity by season’s end. He also was a wide receiver on the football team during his two years at the school. All the while, his steady improvement on the playing floor was on par with the growth spurt he also was undergoing.
“I was 6 feet in eighth grade,“he said,“6-1 my freshman year, 6-2-and-a-half as a sophomore, and I’m 6-3-and-a-half now.”
In the classroom, Dunhour also has taken care of business, making the honor roll. He makes it a point to use his study hall period well so that his free time can be devoted to basketball.
Hogue, who coached Dunhour as part of his Hawaii Select traveling all-star team in the summer, sees him as a solid college prospect by the time he completes his eligibility at AOP.
“There’s not a doubt in my mind that he can play at the next level,” Hogue said. “He can be a two(shooting)-guard and even a point guard. He’s long, with long arms, and he can handle the ball as well as anyone in our conference (ILH), and he can finish at the basket with either his right or left hand.”
For his part, Dunhour is on a mission to make it happen at the next level.
“I didn’t really think about basketball when I was younger, but I want to go as far as I can go with it.College is first.From there,wherever it takes me ...”
Relocating to Oahu also has boosted his prospects, although Dunhour admitted he had to adjust from the slower pace on the Big Island.
“Traffic and stuff is kind of irritating,” he mused. “The exposure has been good. I’ve met a lot of coaches and players here. There are a lot more opportunities. There are camps to go to all the time here - a lot more basketball-related stuff than on the Big Island.”
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