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Tavo Motu‘apuaka joining brother, sister at USU

By Paul Honda on January 21, 2022

Some people want to get away from family when they go off to college. Sione Tavo Motu‘apuaka decided to reunite with his brother and sister. The Mililani football and basketball player committed to Utah State, where older brother Hale plays football and older sister Kiana is a track and field athlete. “I decided to stick with my family. It would be an honor to play with my brother for his last two years there. it’ll be more convenient for my […]

Hoopbook: Amari Westmoreland-Vendiola averaging 26/7 in Kahuku’s 4-0 start

By Paul Honda on January 20, 2022

The All-State, All-ILH (Open, Division I/II), All-OIA (Open, D-I, D-II) football package has consumed the life of this old pupule sportswriter for some time. It is absolutely zany. Our editors are already up to their necks with the regular work load, and this project puts us all in “Tilt” mode. It is one step beyond, for sure. But it is almost behind us now, which means there’s time for roundball. So there is much to say about boys and girls […]

AJ Bianco, Nevada and the Marcus Mariota/Jeremiah Masoli trail

By Paul Honda on January 19, 2022

AJ Bianco envisioned playing lots of basketball this winter with hardly a care in the world about much else. After all, the 6-foot-4, 225-pound Saint Louis quarterback was committed to play football for Hawaii. Once basketball season ended, there would be ample time to get ready for a pivotal Warriors season in Manoa. Time changes everything, though. Controversy and the resignation of coach Todd Graham at UH has the program adrift, rudderless without a head coach. Within the past week, […]


Saint Louis atop Boys Hoops Top 10 for 3rd week in a row

By Paul Honda on January 17, 2022

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. […]

Unbeaten ‘Iolani riding No. 1, Campbell enters Top 10

By Paul Honda on January 17, 2022

‘Iolani collected nine of 12 first-place votes to remain atop the Star-Advertiser Girls Basketball Top 10 on Monday. The Raiders won their ILH regular-season opener against Punahou, 54-47. ‘Iolani travels for a battle with No. 4 Kamehameha on Tuesday. Konawaena collected the remaining three first-place ballots and remained at No. 2. The Wildcats got a key road win at previously unbeaten Waiakea over the weekend, 47-32. Punahou’s strong start in ILH play — wins over Maryknoll and Kamehameha — inspired […]

Grounded in Kahuku roots, Amari Westmoreland-Vendiola is flying high

By Paul Honda on January 12, 2022

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 scores all 16 in 2nd half as No. 5 Maryknoll rallies past No. 3 Punahou

By Paul Honda on January 11, 2022

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 […]

Hoopbook: Kapolei’s gritty girls; ILH boys finally tip off

By Paul Honda on January 11, 2022

ILH girls basketball games took a bit of break recently with the upsurge of positive COVID-19 tests in the islands. It was enough to wipe out most of the first round-robin in the ILH schedule. So, instead of the four Division I teams — ‘Iolani, Kamehameha, Mid-Pacific and Punahou — playing a partial go-round, the first go-round has been scrapped. So, instead of Kamehameha and ‘Iolani playing on Tuesday night, the game has been cancelled. Kamehameha’s previous ILH games with […]