KANEOHE, Hawaii -- The Hanford High Bullpups are playing out of the Central Section, out of the state, and actually, out of the continental United States.

And if that doesn't make their task daunting enough, they'll also be facing a team that's ranked No. 1 in Hawaii by the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.

Hanford will face Punahou of Honolulu tonight in the first round of the Merv Lopes Invitational boys basketball tournament. The Bullpups will be one of only three non-Hawaii teams competing in the 16-team tournament hosted by St. Francis School.

The Bullpups will be facing Punahou in a game scheduled for 9 p.m. PST at King Armory.

Punahoe School is a private, college-prep institution known for academic as well as athletic excellence.

Its graduates include presidential candidate Barack Obama, AOL founder Steve Case, golfer Michelle Wie, Olympic gold medalist and movie star Buster Crabbe, former USC and current Tennessee Titans assistant coach Norm Chow, actress Kelly Preston, and "Dancing With The Stars" judge Carrie Ann Inaba. Others who attended the school include Chinese revolutionary leader Sun Yat-Sen and ebay founder Pierre Omidyar.

Punahou (7-0) is also known for prowess on the basketball court. The team, known as the Buffanblu, went 24-4 last season and was the state runner-up.

The Bullpups, though, are off to one of their most promising starts in years.

Hanford (12-2) has won eight consecutive games and two straight tournaments.

Both of Hanford's losses came when frontcourt standouts Barrett Felder and D.J. Jackson were sidelined.

If Hanford wins tonight's game, it will play Thursday at 10:30 p.m. against the winner of a first-round matchup between Kailua and Kamehameha. A loss would drop Hanford into a 3 p.m. game against the Kailua-Kamehameha loser.

The other non-Hawaii teams in the tournament are Thousand Oaks, and Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas.

Tonight's matchup won't be the first time this year that athletes from Hanford and Punahou have been at the same athletic venue.

The Hawaii team that captured the Pacific Southwest Babe Ruth Regional championship in Hanford last August was composed of players from Punahou.

(Dec. 26, 2007)