Highlights from the Slam Dunk Contest at the ‘Iolani Prep Classic. Winner: Kamren Victorino-Kato of Kamehameha (Hawaii). Runner-up: Trevin Wade of Montverde Academy (Fla.). Third place: Kamaka Hepa of Jefferson (Portland, Ore). Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2017.
Here’s how I voted in the first Star-Advertiser Boys Basketball Top 10 of the season yesterday. Note that all results and win-loss records are as of Saturday, Dec. 16, before the balloting began. Honolulu Star-Advertiser Top 10 Pupule BKB Top 10 ballot 12/17/17 1. Punahou Buffanblu (9-1, 0-0 ILH) Last week’s games W 64-37 @ Moanalua 12/12 Vs. Top 10: 4-1. Top 10 wins: Kalaheo, Reed, Buchanan, @ Moanalua. Losses (Non-Top 10*): Lincoln (Calif.). Skinny: I’m counting Reed, Buchanan and […]
The finale is here. I’m going to miss the ‘Iolani Prep Classic. Watching seven to eight basketball games every day is a sign of wellness, not illness, no matter what a few people might intimate. Especially when there is 1) air conditioning, 2) great hospitality, 3) a beautiful venue, 4) sacred, yet graceful tradition. I need no Christmas presents, though I appreciate new socks all the time. This is Christmas. Thank you, God Almighty. Listed rankings are from our Star-Advertiser […]
It’s early in the day and day four is underway. It’s 75 degrees and overcast outside, slight breeze and not much humidity. In the air-conditioned confines of the Lower Gym of ‘Iolani’s Father Bray Athletic Complex, all is well. Scores and Wednesday’s schedule are at the bottom of this post. Note: Kamren Victorino-Kato of Kamehameha became the first local-school entrant to win the tournament’s slam dunk contest. Trevin Wade of Montverde was runner-up, and Kamaka Hepa of Jefferson (Portland, Ore.) […]
He doesn’t get too low, but R.J. Barrett certainly can get high in the sky. The Montverde (Fla.) senior continued to absolutely wow fans at the ‘Iolani Classic on Monday, throwing down eight dunks and scoring 33 points in an 89-43 quarterfinal win over host ‘Iolani. Barrett, who will play at Duke next season, and his teammates played like a force that is especially good at globetrotting for basketball. When coach Kevin Boyle implored them to step up their concentration […]
Punahou collected nine of 13 possible first-place votes to land at No. 1 in the season debut of the Star-Advertiser Boys Basketball Top 10 today. This is the first time in recent memory that five Interscholastic League of Honolulu programs have occupied the first five positions in the poll. The Buffanblu (9-1), with a stacked senior-heavy roster of immense talent, quickness and end-to-end defensive pressure, have not lost to a local team yet. They went 3-1 in the recent Classic […]
Day 3 of the ‘Iolani Prep Classic is quarterfinal-round time, and those games don’t start until 3:30 p.m. Consolation play tipped off at 9 a.m. I was hoping to be here, had other obligations, like a feature story on one of the top scoring guards in the islands, a couple of Top 10 polls. Good stuff. I’ll keep posting here throughout the day and night as I shoot video. And if R.J. Barrett enters the slam dunk contest on Tuesday […]
Alaska can be a chilling place to grow up, but Kamaka Hepa called it home for most of his young life. Hepa is literally the biggest part of a Jefferson Democrats basketball team that won the 6A state championship in Oregon last season. Portland, Ore. Hepa, a 6-foot-10 senior, made the move from Alaska to Oregon two years ago. “In Alaska, getting exposure is down,” Hepa said of college recruiting. The move probably helped. Hepa signed with Texas and will […]