Isaiah Kerr commits to Hawai’i, adds intriguing option to backcourt depth

HONOLULU – Raising the level of competition. 

Former Chico State guard Isaiah Kerr announced his commitment to the University of Hawai’i men’s basketball program on Saturday morning, becoming the sixth transfer member of the 2025 Rainbow Warriors’ recruiting class. The redshirt sophomore helped guide the Wildcats to the Division II NCAA Tournament last year, starting each of the 29 games he appeared in while earning All-CCAA first-team honors. 

“I’m just super excited as a whole to get to work,” Kerr said of his commitment. “Really good two years [at Chico State], and I feel like I went through a lot of growth and transitioning over that time. After this last year, I felt like it was time to look to see if I could move up and take that next step and I’m really, really excited about [coming to] Hawai’i.” 

Kerr averaged 13.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per night in his second season with Chico State, drilling 35% of his 3-point attempts (43 3PT made in ’24-25) as he nearly tripled his scoring output in a bigger role. Standing firm at 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, the guard provides a high-level defensive motor along with an expanding offensive repertoire. Multiple sources raved about the guard’s character and work ethic, noting his desire to improve in multiple areas on both ends of the court each offseason. 

The Palo Alto (CA) native started his career at the Division I level, committing to the University of Montana out of high school after being ranked as the second-best combo guard in Northern California in the Class of 2022. After spending the year redshirting, Kerr transferred into the Wildcats’ program and started anew as he appeared in 30 games off the bench in his second shot at a freshman season. 

“The coaches kept telling me ‘Zay, you’re good enough but you’ve got to wait your turn’ because we had guys that had been in the program a long time,” the combo guard recalled of his smaller role as a redshirt freshman. “Coming off that first year [of limited playing time], it motivated me to have the level of discipline I needed. My whole mindset flipped for the better.” 

Returning for his second year with the Wildcats, Kerr took steps forward in every area of his game to earn his spot as a key starter. Averaging more than 32 minutes of action each night, the redshirt sophomore helped the team soar to new heights as they secured a program record 13-game win streak on the way to finishing as the runner-up in one of the top Division II basketball conferences in the country. The Wildcats’ 19-3 record in conference play set a new single-season high mark for the program in a year with multiple highlights, including an upset on the road against eventual national runners-up Cal State Dominguez Hills. 

“I like the phrase ‘reps remove doubt’ a lot,” Kerr shared. “I got so many reps in over the summer that it removed any doubts that I had and gave me the ability to go and play free and do what I did this past season. I had a coach that believed in me and a bunch of really good players around me and it just allowed my game to flourish and go to the next level.” 

The guard added that this last year was proof that the player he thought was inside of him truly was there on the court in production if he put in enough work. With an all-conference first team selection and far more consistent 3-point stroke added to his résumé, Kerr decided to explore the transfer portal and see if he could raise his game once again. 

He heard from schools such as Wyoming, Samford and UC Riverside among many others with high-level Division II and low-to-mid-major Division I programs all vying for his services. When it came to Hawai’i, his connection with the coaching staff and program’s values secured his decision. 

A strong athlete with a stronger competitive nature, Kerr competes on the defensive end and gets active on the glass often. There’s another level of desire on the less-heralded side of the court for the former Chico State guard. 

“I take a lot of pride in my defense,” said Kerr over the phone. “Any time I step on the court, one of my goals is to stop my opponent from scoring [a single point] on me. When someone does get a bucket on me, I take it personally. I love playing defense, I think it’s just how I’ve been wired though.” 

Kerr is the third player to announce his commitment to UH this week, joining wings Dre Bullock and Ike Finlinson as the latest crop of fresh Rainbow Warriors. Finlinson and Kerr each have multiple seasons of eligibility remaining, giving both players opportunities to help Hawai’i transition from the Big West into the Mountain West. 

“My message to the fans is just that I’m going to play my heart out for y’all and I’m going to do everything I can to give Hawai’i the best opportunity to be the best it can be,” Kerr said to close.

Kerr joins Hunter Erickson, Tanner Cuff, Isaac Johnson, Dre Bullock and Ike Finlinson as additions to the Rainbow Warrior roster via transfer. Three-star prep guard Hunter Carter is the seventh member of UH’s recruiting class, leaving three spots open still open after Tom Beattie, Osa Obasohan and Kody Williams announced their intentions to transfer. 

You can stay up to date on the latest in Hawai’i men’s basketball recruiting news with HSRN’s “UH Men’s Basketball 2025 Recruiting Tracker” or by following Paul Brecht on X/Twitter, @12brecht.