By: George Courtney
For years, Hawaii has been under the radar in regards to basketball talent. I plan to change that by aiming to provide exposure to student athletes from the islands. I was born and raised on Oahu, and understand the lack of opportunities for some student athletes. I was able to attend the Jam On It: Pacific Rim Championships hosted at the Hawaii Convention Center. Here are some of the prospects who stood out:
Ahnastaziah Wright 2026 5-8 Forward Trippz Punahou
Wright plays big and bullies opponents in the paint. She has good footwork and plays extremely tough on both ends of the floor. I like her ability to finish and score inside. She rebounds pretty well and is active on boxing out opponents. I anticipate her stock to rise with continued development.
Braylee Riturban 2024 5-7 Point Guard Imua Moanalua
Riturban is a solid floor general with a good motor. She facilitates well and plays extremely unselfishly. In the game that I observed, she got to the paint at will and either scored or distributed to open teammates. She also displayed good scoring ability from mid range and inside. She will be a solid pickup for a college needing a floor general who gets the job done!
Jirah Villanueva 2024 5-5 Guard 808 Stunnahz Radford
Villanueva impressed as she has great playmaking ability. A three level scorer with handles and good passing ability. She is the real deal as she carried her team on her back in the close loss to a solid Trippz squad. College coaches looking for an impact player willing to do whatever it takes to keep her team in the game should take a look at this hidden gem.
Kalena Akinaka 2024 5-11 Wing Trippz King Kekaulike
Akinaka provided an immediate spark off the bench. She impressed me with her length, active hands and feet. Akinaka is a solid rim protector but is athletic and agile to stretch to the perimeter. I liked the way she ran the floor and showed a relentless motor. Scoring wise she can finish inside and hit the mid range. An active rebounder on both ends of the floor, she has a knack for offensive rebounds and putbacks.
Nihoa Dunn 2026 6-0 Forward Imua Kamehameha
Dunn is a force in the paint as she defends the inside well with active feet and hands. She cleans the glass well on both ends of the floor. Dunn is a good rim runner as she runs the floor and finishes well inside. I was impressed with her footwork and hands. She has a high ceiling to develop into a sound player as she has tremendous upside. Another prospect to keep an eye on.
Rylee Cabuyadao-Caswell 2026 5-9 Guard Imua Kamehameha
Cabuyadao-Caswell is a bucket. She is a three level scorer with a high basketball IQ and great feel. Cabuyadao-Caswell knows how to strike the iron when it’s hot with her playmaking ability. She has good court awareness and quick reaction time to disrupt passing lanes and snag steals. Cabuyadao-Caswell turns those steals into transition scoring opportunities for herself or her teammates. Another prospect to keep an eye on.
Tehani Docktor 2024 5-11 Wing Trippz Leilehua
Docktor immediately stood out as she passes the eye test as a legit stretch four wing. She has great athleticism with a good motor. I like her platform as she has a lot of upside as she can defend on the inside and the perimeter. Offensively she can score from the inside and mid range consistently. Another tough prospect who is active on the glass on both ends of the floor. A sleeper prospect who will continue to wake up college coaches.
