Boys basketball

Five of the state’s Top 10 boys basketball team are heading to Windward Oahu on Thursday. The Surfriders Holiday Classic opens championship-bracket format action with defending Division II state champion Kohala against No. 10 Campbell at 3:30 p.m. Kohala features brothers Landon and Layden Kauka, as well as a thrilling run-and-gun style of ball that has been a tradition for decades. Campbell was a finalist in the D-I state tourney last year. The Sabers are coming off a loss to […]

The 24th Annual James Alegre Invitational tipped off on Wednesday with three games, including a 61-59 win by seventh-ranked Leilehua over No. 4 Punahou. Twain Wilson led the Mules with 14 points. Center Ui Muti added 13 and Trystin Stevens splashed four treys for 12 points. Mid-Pacific 57, Roosevelt 38 >> MPI: Logan Mason 18, Riley Miura 17 (4 treys). Roos: Blaise Brumaghim 10. No. 7 Leilehua 61, No. 4 Punahou 59 >> Lei: Twain Wilson 14, Ui Muti 13, […]

Dreams are already starting to come true for the kid from Hilo. Former ‘Iolani standout JJ Mandaquit was named to the U.S. national U16 team on Thursday following a week of training camp in Colorado Springs, Colo. USA Basketball made the announcement, culling the team from a group of 18 finalists. “I found out this morning. After I got my uniform for picture-taking, I took a picture of the back of it with my name on it and sent it […]

When Aaron Claytor played in the Saint Louis summer league in 2022, it was the end of his time as a hoopster in his beloved islands. The Star-Advertiser All-State selection from ‘Iolani moved with his family to North California, where he enrolled at Salesian College Prep, located between Sacramento and San Francisco. Already building momentum thanks to his play in clubs across the West Coast, Claytor kept growing. He is now 6 feet, 3 inches, two inches taller than he […]

The Fab 15 selection was tougher than usual. Brutally tougher. When the Star-Advertiser All-State Boys Basketball selections were released in Sunday’s print edition, the depth of talent was astounding. Coaches and media voted for their 15 on ballot, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t a lot of agonizing before submittal. As was the case with the Girls Basketball Fab 15, there are hoopsters on the boys side who had superlative nonconference and/or regular-season performances, but were diminished on some ballots […]

In a season of vast parity and a plethora of very young teams, scar tissue is becoming the difference maker. Coming into the Division I and II brackets in the Heide & Cook/HHSAA Boys Basketball State Championships, only three teams that qualified had perfect records during their regular seasons. Those teams, Mililani and Kailua, are now out of the running. So is Seabury Hall, which was 10-0 in MIL D-II. Mililani went 10-0 in the OIA West, then reached the […]