A Breakthrough on the National Stage
Team Kekela, a club squad from Hawaii, captured the inaugural adidas 3Stripes Gold 17U National Championship, outscoring Indiana’s EG10 all‑star team in a hard‑fought final played under the sweltering July sun of South Carolina. The win represents the first time a Hawaii team has topped the national podium in the 17‑under division, a milestone that has resonated throughout the state’s basketball community.
The tournament, which gathers the nation’s most coveted high‑school recruits, draws the attention of Division I coaches scouting future talent. For Kekela, the road to the championship was anything but straightforward; after stumbling in earlier regional sessions in California, the team regrouped and fought through a grueling bracket to earn its place in the title game.
Scouting the Future
At the heart of the roster are standout players such as Tanoa Scanlan of Punahou School, who was named tournament MVP, and Ronin Naihe from Kahuku High School, a recent state champion. Declan Beckette of Iolani School and point guard Zion Lefotu, a junior at Saint Louis School, also played pivotal roles. Lefotu, whose sisters Lily and Jovi have excelled at Iolani and the University of Hawaii, highlighted the deep basketball roots that run in his family.
Coach Ryan Hirata, who guided the team through setbacks and regional challenges, emphasized the squad’s resilience. “We competed hard despite previous losses,” he said, noting that the championship was the culmination of months of grinding work and belief in the players’ abilities.
The victory has sparked excitement about the future of Hawaii basketball, with many believing this breakthrough will inspire more youth programs and attract greater national attention to the islands’ talent pipeline. Local referees and scorekeepers praised the team’s skill, underscoring how the win has already begun to shift perceptions of Hawaiian basketball on the broader stage.