H O N O L U L U S TA R - A D V E R T I S E R > > S U N D AY 3 / 2 4 / 1 9
SPORTS
Kameron
1 Ng
St. Francis
Guard, 5-11, Senior
Averaged 24 ppg and
scored at least 21
points in 12 of 15
league games. His ILH
season high was 40.
Everett
2 Torres-Kahapea
Kailua
Guard, 5-11, Senior
Averaged 19 ppg. Able
to create a shot from
anywhere on the floor,
from pull-up 3s to finger
rolls at the bucket.
3
Marcus
Tobin
Maryknoll
Forward, 6-7, Senior
No. 1 pick on the
all-defensive team. His
length and aggression
on both ends of the
floor were unmatched.
H
Makoto
4 Kamata
Maryknoll
Guard, 6-3, Senior
Elite as a point guard,
shooter, penetrator,
defender, shot blocker
and rebounder. State
tournament MVP.
Ja’Shon
5 Carter
Kapolei
Guard, 5-10, Senior
Averaged 17 ppg
overall. His leader-
ship as a fourth-year
starter was invalu-
able to young team.
Kawika
6 Lee
‘Iolani
Guard, 6-1, Senior
Led state in FT shoot-
ing at 86 percent.
Strong rebounder, de-
fender, rim attacker
and clutch shooter.
ALL-STATE BOYS BASKETBALL
STEVEN ERLER / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER
Everett Torres-Kahapea torched the OIA with 21 ppg.
JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
Makoto Kamata was No. 2 on the all-defensive team.
TOP PLAYER NG ALWAYS
MAD ABOUT BUCKETS
By Paul Honda
phonda@staradvertiser.com
e was a tiny baller,
hoisting a basketball
up at a 10-foot rim
that might as well
have been Mount
Tantalus.
Even as a 7-year-old,
Kameron Ng rarely missed a
shot. Not on the hardcourt
at Salt Lake Mauka District
Park. Not as a savvy sharp-
shooter at St. Francis.
Now a 5-foot-11 senior, Ng
has the knack for splashing
NBA-range 3s, slashing for
drive-and-dish passes to
open teammates, and using
his crafty skills in the paint
to elude defenders to get
high-percentage shots and
free throws.
It all added up to a spec-
tacular senior season for Ng,
who was voted by coaches
and media as player of the
year in the Star-Advertiser
Boys Basketball All-State se-
lections. Ng played in 31 of
39 St. Francis games, averag-
ing more than 24 points per
contest despite playing
most of it on an injured an-
kle. He made up for it with
guile, using his experience
and preparation to threaten
any defense from any spot
within 25 feet, give or take
four of five more steps to-
ward the outer limits.
Chasing a dream means
everything for Ng.
Duke
7 Clemens
Punahou
Center, 6-5, Senior
Myriad moves, ambidex-
trous and one of the
state’s best low-post
scorers in recent years.
Averaged 11 ppg overall.
HONORABLE MENTION
>> Bryce Forbes, Damien
>> Kalai Akaka, Maryknoll
>> Isaiah Sugiura, Moanalua
>> DiAeris McRaven, Moanalua
>> Reece Pascua, Lahainaluna
>> Mitchell Williams, Campbell
>> Ty Shishido, Roosevelt
>> Colin Ramos, Mid-Pacific
>> Micah Visoria, Roosevelt
“I sacrificed a lot from my
freshman year. We had our
prom and I couldn’t go. We
had practice for the (King-
dom) team. I didn’t go to
one prom in high school,” he
said. “I had to sacrifice a lot
not because I was forced to.
I wanted to get better. Com-
ing from Hawaii, you don’t
have as many opportunities,
so you have to put in that
much extra work to get
known out there.”
The 500 daily shots, every
day, all through the spring,
summer and fall, were just
part of the regimen Ng em-
braced as a part of life.
“It means a lot for (voters)
to notice how much work I
put in and to notice it on the
court. It means a lot. I’m
thankful for them,” he said.
Preparation was always
about the details. Before St.
Francis met nationally
ranked La Lumiere — and a
6-9 center — Ng had specific
methodology.
“We held a stick up and he
shot over it,” St. Francis
coach Ron Durant recalled.
Christmas
8 Togiai
Kamehameha
Guard, 6-2, Junior
A workhorse as a pri-
mary ballhandler,
scorer, rebounder
and defender. Aver-
aged 16 ppg overall.
CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARADVERTISER.COM
Marcus Tobin scored 17 points in state-title win.
BRUCE ASATO / BASATO@STARADVERTISER.COM
Ja’Shon Carter averaged 18.5 ppg in the state tourney.
>> Hayden Bayudan, Damien
>> Leif Fautanu, University
>> Kiai Apele, Waiakea
>> Isaiah Lee, Kalani
>> Jydon Hall, Damien
>> Payton Grant, Maryknoll
>> Ryan Pardini, Kalaheo
>> William Soares, Waiakea
“I was watching (game) tape
recently and Kameron made
two shots over him.”
After returning from an
ankle injury, he started the
Interscholastic League of
Honolulu regular season
with patience, stepping up
his attack in the second half
of games. He poured in 21 or
more points in 12 of the
Saints’ 15 league contests.
His season high of 40 came
against Mid-Pacific, and he
also scored 27 and 24 points
against eventual ILH and
state champion Maryknoll.
Ng also poured in 29, 25 and
22 points against title con-
tender ‘Iolani.
Ng also scored 42 against
Leilehua, 39 against Rex Put-
nam and 36 on Kaiser.
With a consistent array of
nagging injuries to his team-
mates, Ng and younger
brother Kordel Ng — who
was also voted to the Fab 15
— were part of an under-
sized, but resilient squad of
Saints who battled to the
end. Only in a playoff loss to
‘Iolani for the ILH’s third and
Raefe
9 McEnroe
Farrington
Foward, 6-4, Senior
Versatile point forward.
Great passer, solid shot
blocker, an unselfish
teammate who stepped
up when needed.
Jake
11 Holtz
Damien
Center, 6-4, Junior
A double-double per-
former with physical-
ity and athleticism,
helping Monarchs go
9-2 vs. Top 10 foes.
Jakob
12 Kimura
Punahou
Guard, 6-3, Senior
Almost unstoppable
slasher at the rim, a
jumping jack re-
bounder and de-
fender. 11 ppg overall.
13 Kordel
Ng
St. Francis
Guard, 5-10, Junior
Averaged 18 ppg over-
all. Key ballhandler vs.
fullcourt pressure, a
great rebounder and
shot blocker.
final state-tournament berth
did St. Francis’ final light on
the boys hoops season go
out.
For fans of St. Francis,
which will close its class-
room doors at the end of
this academic year, this
team was one of the many
highlights.
“Being able to play as the
last class, to take the school
to the Division I level, that’s 14 Kaulana
a nice legacy to leave on
your way out,” Durant said.
Makaula
Punahou
Guard/forward,
Where Ng, his brother, his
6-3, Senior
father (assistant coach Ke-
koa Ng) and the rest of the A long, athletic de-
Saints land in the fall is col- fender who could
lection of question marks. cover every position.
Ng has interest from a mix of A good shot blocker
colleges. One of them wants and rim protector.
him to play at a prep school
in Pennsylvania.
Coach of the year honors
went to Kelly Grant, who
guided Maryknoll to its first
state championship since
1984, when he was a senior
guard for the Spartans.
Grant also coached the ’07
Kaimuki Bulldogs to a state
crown.
Alvin Stephenson, who
led Damien to a D-II state ti-
tle — the first state champi-
onship for the school in any
15
Frank
Felix
‘Iolani
sport — was second in the
Guard, 6-1, Senior
COY voting. Dean Shima-
moto of ‘Iolani was voted 12 ppg in ILH, 12 ppg
third after lifting the Raiders overall. Led the state
to the semifinal round of the with 74 3-pointers
state tourney in his 10th and and shot 77 percent
final season as head coach. at the FT line.
Geremy Kelly
10 Robinson C Grant
Moanalua Maryknoll
Guard, 6-2, Sophomore Coach of the Year
18 ppg overall. Big Guided the Spartans
preseason games vs. to the school’s first
‘Iolani (29), Kame- state title since 1984,
hameha (26). Scored when Grant was a se-
30 against Roosevelt. nior guard.