Tolu Smith keeps POY award in Kahuku

He should have been Gatorade Player of The Year too. Congratulations.

I really thought the player from leileihua, deserved to be on the fab-15, player of the year OIA, made the fab-15 last year, had a great season, a top 10 player in the state, who will do great in college with his length and skills.

This rant about DI or DII needs to be set straight, you aren’t performing, you aren’t awarded. You out performed you don’t get Gatorade POY Award, don’t be a Hillary and start crying DI DII BS! Your team never won any Back to Back 26-0 State Titles?!

It’s unfortunate that Leilehua’s Liam Fitzgerald and Moanalua’s Caleb Casinas was overlooked. Fitz was OIA’s repeat west side player of the year and was on last year’s Fab15. He continued to do amazing things this year. Why? Caleb’s stats in PPG and top ranking in 3-pointers and in free throw percentage plus his demonstration of versatility on the court this year deserve some nods.

In addition to their skills set, they are scholar athletes and their character both on and off the court is commendable. Glad to hear that both are getting recognition from college recruits whereas our own snubbed them from being ranked among the Fab15 in the state.

Rename this award to “Fave15” not “Fab15”

I agree with you Basketball player. There should be some type of criteria in the selection of these individuals whether it be based on how a player did in school, on the court, or both. Also, let this criteria be known to all so that there is no hiding behind the excuse that it was a majority vote when we all know that such an election can be easily fixed and no way to proof not. On the subject of DI/DII, there are reasons for these divisions, just as there are reasons for the different classes in society today. When I read a comment posted earlier about performing in your division and being rewarded for it, I asked myself this question, were there really any ILH D3 and D1AA players being considered for this list? C’mon man, let’s keep it real. Alas, Just like Trump being elected as President, nothing can be done about this Fave15 list of selectees. All we can hope for is that all the injustices in the current selection process of this list is corrected for the next time. If not, my opinion is no one will take this list seriously and consider it just a Hoss election. Some changes to consider, no more bias selection of players because of their affiliation to a particular school or club team they play on. Build walls (rules) to prevent the illegal migration of players to places for political gain. Do nothing at all. Interesting how sports mimic the events of the nation today. #MakeHawaiiBasketballGreatAgain

Yup, there should be a separate list for D1 and D2.
Another Suggestions- – A player should at least play 2 years of high school sport here in Hawaii before he can be an all star or all state. It’s not fair for our local kids who been playing throughout their high school career and not get any recognition or college exposure.
Any coaches in high school sport who has a son / daughter in their team should not be allowed to coach, it’s not fair for the other players

@ For Better or Worse

What’s the point of making that rule? To tell our local kids that they need an advantage over out-of-state transfers because they aren’t on their level? Obviously this is an unnecessary rule as this year a local 5’8″ Division 2 player beat out a Division 1 6’10” out-of-state transfer for the Gatorade Player of the Year.

Seriously, there should be a difference in being the POY for D1 and D2. Point in being, the D2 kids don’t face off against D1 competition all season long. Hence, would St. Francis even make it to States if they were in the tough ILH D1? Where there are only two spots in States for the ILH? Not taking away anything from Saint francis, they did beat a lot of good D1 teams or gave them a good run for their money. But to have to do that on a weekly basis against some of the best talent in the state week in and week out? Sorry i grew up in a time where there was no such thing as D1 and D2, you played everyone, regardless and there was only one State Champion. But really, what seperates a team from being D1 and D2? in the mainland they go by the size of the student body. But in Hawaii you can go from D1 and D2(ex: Farrington, Kalaheo), but what is it that differentiates the two? If you have a bad team you can declare D2? But if you have talent then you can switch to D2?

But as far as seperating D1 and D2 for the Fab 15, I’m ok with it combined, i’ve seen some of these kids play club ball during the off season, and it doesn’t matter what level they are at in high school, there’s no seperation in club leagues, and they have earned that right to be in the Fab 15, regardless. And yes, some kids will get snubbed, but it’s nothing new, it happens all the time, at all levels, even in the NBA. Don’t dwell on it, just move on, and deal with it, it is what it is.

Wait a minute, is Kameron’s Dad the Head coach at St. Francis or not? I think as a really good player being in a situation where your Dad calls the shots on a team would definitely be to a players advantage. Green light on any shots taken and longer playing minutes then anyone on the team in the D2 league. A situation like that could lead to league honors, and maybe, just maybe win Gatorade player of the year! The today’s Nation we live in is truly a Great Nation!

@All kids are good

Yes, it is what it is but everyone has the right to their opinion, this is the subject at hand and we are all expressing our opinions. Maybe if it is all put out there then maybe next time this ridiculousness doesn’t happen again!

@ For Better or Worse

Putting a ban on first year players from winning recognition awards is absolutely lunacy. What other state does this? None. We would be a laughing stock as a state if we did that. First of all, out-of-state transfers are not new they have been coming to Hawai’i for decades. Most of them aren’t that great to begin with they come here thinking they’re gonna run the show and I would say the majority don’t become the all-stars they think they will be in this state. Second, you say the local kids should have a chance to be “recognized to move to the next level”. By giving them an award they got because another kid who was better was ineligible? That’s stupid. If kids aren’t competing against their counterparts in high school – local or not – they can kiss the “next level” good-bye because the next level is filled with kids from different states who are the best of the best. You want to make basketball better in Hawai’i, dedicate yourself to the sport from a young age. Don’t wait til high school to learn work ethic.

Every year , they give the player of the year award to the team that wins the state. Why not this year? Are they gonna start giving it to this one and done players ? A punahou player should have gotten it!! Better or Worse has a point.

Good research, Jerry. An even more in-depth question is who among that list you comprised were given POY and weren’t even in the state championship game. From my understanding I believe Alika Smith ’94 and Jarrin Akana ’88 were two such players. Were there more?