Boys basketball

There’s no place like home for JJ Mandaquit. “Hilo will always be home,” the ‘Iolani freshman said. Hilo has been hoop town for thousands of young basketball players over the decades, going all the way back to legendary Ah Chew Goo. Mandaquit grew up in a post-hoops mecca era, when more than two dozen small programs operated out of the many small, plantation-era gyms in Hilo and outlying areas. Second- and third-generation coaches teaching fundamentals. Piopio Bears, anyone? Mandaquit, a […]

Saint Louis collected 10 of 11 first-place votes to remain atop the Star-Advertiser Boys Basketball Top 10. The Crusaders, sparked by seniors Aiva Arquette and Hayden Bayudan, lost in ILH for the first time last week. They sandwiched a 55-52 loss to Punahou win a 47-39 win over ‘Iolani and a 51-44 victory over Maryknoll. Despite the loss to Saint Louis, Maryknoll moved up a notch to No. 2. The Spartans posted wins over Damien and ‘Iolani last week. ‘Iolani, […]

They don’t need to be perfect, just persistent. Punahou’s 55-52 win over No. 1 Saint Louis on Thursday night confirmed what coach Darren Matsuda knew. His young, talented team just need to get healthy — and believe. “We’re just really trying to focus on the mental part of the game and stay in the moment play by play. When Maryknoll caught us and Kamehameha caught us, we weren’t able to stay the course. We got a little nervous, we got […]

Saint Louis is atop the Star-Advertiser Boys Basketball Top 10 for a third week in a row. The Crusaders opened ILH regular-season play with wins over Kamehameha and Mid-Pacific last week. They garnered nine of 11 first-place votes from the panel of coaches and media. ‘Iolani, which routed Damien its lone ILH game last week, has the other two first-place votes and remains at No. 2. Maryknoll jumped two spots to No. 3 after recording wins over Punahou and Mid-Pacific. […]

Homemade is quite often sloppy, inelegant, lumpy and bumpy. Once in awhile, though, homemade is perfectly blended, customized and made to fit an exacting standard beyond anything else in a cookie-cutter world. Amari Westmoreland-Vendiola is the latest among game changers from the North Shore, firmly rooted and proud to represent one of the state’s top high school basketball programs. When the old basket fronting the home of the Vendiola ohana got weak and wobbly, his grandfather, Berto Vendiola, took it […]

Logan Dias didn’t go very far to regain his confidence. He just heard it directly from his basketball brothers. The 6-foot-1 swingman missed all eight of his shots in the first half as Maryknoll fell behind, 26-17, to rival Punahou on Tuesday night. In an empty gym at Maryknoll Community Center, the sound of those misses off iron can seem amplified. “My team picked me up. They said, ‘Keep shooting. Don’t worry about it.’ I guess I made a couple […]