Boys basketball

Back in the day, Nick Velasquez would be in the gym by 5 a.m. to get extra shooting reps. No more. The former Star-Advertiser All-State selection from Punahou gets those shots up whenever he wants now. Life as a professional basketball player has its perks. Velasquez recently signed with the BC Mad Foxes and plays in Yerevan, Armenia. “Kawika Lyons’ agency actually helped me find the job. For this particular job, I ended up playing in a preseason tour and […]

(12:20 p.m. Adds ‘Iolani Classic boys brackets.) The ‘Iolani Classic is back with the No. 1-ranked team in the nation. ‘Iolani made the official announcement on Thursday morning after months of preparation. The boys Classic is set for Dec. 18-22 with NBCSN and Peacock set to air the semifinal and final rounds. All other boys tournament games will be aired on theSUVtv.com. Sierra Canyon is one of five teams from the mainland in the 14-team field. Among their key contributors […]

JJ Mandaquit will never forget his first offer. The University of Portland offered the ‘Iolani freshman a basketball scholarship on Sunday during his tour of the campus. Mandaquit has become a fixture on a renowned Rose City Rebels club program in the past six months. He was at the invite-only PT-40 Showcase in Portland on Saturday when the Pilots connected with the point guard. “I like how it’s not the biggest campus. Everybody’s kind of like a family. Small, but […]

Somewhere in a parallel universe, the 2020-21 basketball season was a breakout year for a few of Hawaii’s best young players. In this world, Aaron Claytor made the best of dire circumstances. Now a sophomore, the ‘Iolani guard completed one of the busiest summer grinds. One reward was a scholarship offer from North Carolina A&T, which plays in the MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference). The Aggies were 11-10 last season, including 7-1 in conference play. Claytor’s older brother, Rio, plays football […]

It was an era when guards rarely dominated from long range. Ia Saipaia found a way. Scoring on the baseline. Pump-faking and driving through narrow gaps. Hitting 22-footers off the dribble. Finding open teammates. The young hoopster from Kuhio Park Terrace didn’t say a whole lot. A man of action. Saipaia died on Monday from COVID-19 symptoms, just 63. He died of COVID-19 symptoms and was fully vaccinated, according to his wife, Jean Miyashiro-Saipaia. “Hopefully, it is a lesson to […]

The distance between Kaneohe and Hamilton, Ohio is 4,426 miles. Sage Tolentino packed his bags and made the move after sophomore year at Maryknoll. He could have stayed, but like every other basketball player in Hawaii, he would’ve had zero official basketball games last winter as a junior. The COVID-19 pandemic didn’t hit Ohio the same way, where basketball was permitted at high schools like Hamilton. The 7-foot wing and shot blocker — All-State selection and two-time state champion — […]

In the hoops universe, JJ Mandaquit is a rising star. Of the class of 2025 — incoming freshmen — none has shone brighter on a national stage than the ‘Iolani hoopster. The general consensus is that Mandaquit and Pupuali‘i Sepulona are the top two incoming freshmen in Hawaii. Sepulona, a 6-foot-3 post scorer with a silky shooting stroke, was one of Saint Louis’ top scorers in its varsity summer league. The left-handed shooter is now playing football. Mandaquit was Sepulona’s […]