Chance Kalaugher can admit it.

He’s an adrenaline junkie. One of his favorite pastimes is making a short trip to the shoreline to leap off a cliff into the ocean. That’s 65 feet of hang time.

“I guess I like the adrenaline. It’s about guts, but takes some skill,” said Kalaugher, Kaiser’s two-sport standout.

Kalaugher assures anyone asking that the water is safe, as in 40-feet-deep safe. But the Cougars are in preseason basketball mode, and the health of their high-flying dunker is of great importance.

“My parents don’t approve of it, but I’ve been jumping off of other (locations) since I was 12 or 13,” said Kalaugher, the son of a camera man in the film and TV industry.

On dry land, the 6-foot-5, 225-pound Kalaugher soars as a highlight-video dunking machine. Kaiser is 6-0 in nonconference play, including three wins in a row over Top 10-ranked ILH powerhouses this past weekend at the Moanalua OIA-ILH Challenge. Kalaugher had 35 points and 10 rebounds against Kamehameha, 22 points against Saint Louis, and 23 points and 11 boards in an overtime thriller against then-No. 2 ranked Punahou.

Kalaugher has a believer in Saint Louis coach Allan Silva.

“If he keeps developing his game, he has the potential and ability to play at the Division I level in college,” Silva texted.

Kalaugher powered Kaiser to the Division II state title last season, but his relentless work ethic has yielded new and mesmerizing results: Kalaugher has become a knock-down 3-point shooter. It’s an impressive arc of perimeter shooting improvement that mirrors that of his basketball idol, Blake Griffin. Kalaugher even wears the same jersey number, 32.

“Where do I start? One, he’s a physical specimen who has great basketball skills. Two, he has improved his game every year,” Kamehameha coach Greg Tacon said. “He’s always been tough around the basket and now he’s extended his range behind the arc. … He is a unique talent that is a matchup problem for all of us.”

In six games, he is averaging 23 points, and he has hit 13 treys to go with a steady double-figure rebounding line. The Cougars have a solid group of seniors, including point guard Nic Tom and swingman Keoua Mahiko (24 points against Punahou). Kalaugher is the ultimate matchup nightmare, though. This might be THE year for a program that hasn’t had a hoopster as explosive and skilled since perhaps the 1980s, when Rhani Peters was throwing down dunk after dunk.

Cougars coach Branden Kawazoe has seen the work ethic of Kalaugher morning and night.

“This is one of the hardest workers I’ve been around. He made a commitment to showing up at 5:30 a.m. for workouts, after school for workouts. His dedication to the game has gotten him to where he is now,” Kawazoe said. “He put his mind to it.”

All the jab step, triple-threat and shooting reps have proven one thing: commitment is in Kalaugher’s heart and soul.

“At first, I thought working out at 5 a.m. in the offseason was pretty crazy, but now we get it done early and your day’s just started.”

The momentum has become fuel for the Cougars at varsity and JV levels.

“We do the optional 6 a.m. workouts during the season and there are 14 or 15 kids there. It’s dark outside,” Kawazoe said. “It feels good to see the character and commitment.”

But there’s one thing Kawazoe and his staff have outright said “no” to.

“This kid is unbelievably athletic. He can stand there and do a back flip. But I told him I don’t want him jumping from cliffs or in the big surf,” Kawazoe said. “Not during the season.”

Kalaugher has abided by that request.

He also is dedicated to his community, knowing how much a title run would mean to the school and the area.

“I always wanted to stay at Kaiser,” said Kalaugher, who attended Hahaione Elementary School and Niu Valley Middle School. “I grew up around here, living in the same house since I can remember. I like everything about it. The beach is close. All my friends. Everything I like is around this area.”

Then there’s the other option: football. The defensive end — and J.J. Watt fan — sat out as a junior, but returned to the gridiron last fall as a senior and made some highlight-reel plays.

“I’m looking to play two sports (in college). I like having both options, because if one doesn’t work out, I’ll have the other option,” said Kalaugher, who has a 2.8 grade-point average. “The past couple of weeks, a lot of coaches came to our school. I’ve been called in to talk to them, but there’s nothing serious.”

The High School Top 10

Voted on by coaches and media statewide. First-place votes in parentheses. Ten points for first-place votes, nine for second, etc.

Top Performer

Chance Kalaugher

Kaiser basketball

The 6-foot-5 senior led the Cougars over three ILH powerhouse teams at the Moanalua OIA-ILH Challenge. He had 35 points and 10 rebounds in a 64-61 win over Kamehameha, 22 points in a 61-53 win over Saint Louis, and 23 points and 11 boards in a 74-73 overtime victory over Punahou. He is averaging 23 points per game and has knocked down 13 3-pointers in six games for the unbeaten Cougars.