Somehow, in 2022, the No. 1 team in the state relies on a point guard who has mastered the art of the mid-range jumper.
Saint Louis has risen to the peak of boys basketball in the islands, a season-long No. 1 squad sparked by 6-foot-4 wing Aiva Arquette, 6-4 wing/post AJ Bianco and their floor leader, Hayden Bayudan, who averages 13 points per game.
Saint Louis had a first-round bye in the Heide & Cook/HHSAA Boys Basketball State Championships on Monday. The top seed will play Kahukuon Thursday in a 7 p.m. quarterfinal at Moanalua gym.
The consistent workouts, practices and offseason leagues at Saint Louis have been a plus for Bayudan, who has enjoyed being part of the brotherhood.
“Pupu Sepulona is the funniest one. He’s always filled with energy at practice, has a smile on his face” he said of the talented freshman. “He’ll do the haka out of nowhere. He does impersonations of anyone on the team. He says random jokes at random times.”
Cole Schmidt, Bayudan adds, is the most outstanding student.
“He’s always doing his work. I have a couple of classes with him. He has a couple of AP classes, I think. Every time I’m walking in the halls, he’s already in the room with his laptop on,” he said.
Bayudan’s partner in the backcourt is Shoncin Revuelto.
“I feel like because his dad (Mark) coaches, Shoncin knows how to communicate with our younger underclassmen. He has a high IQ for the game, explains to them what to do, how to defend that person. During film, he understands certain tendencies of players. He has a lot of passion for the game. One day, he’ll come back and coach.
Bayudan just might do the same, having lived practically two high school careers in the span of one. The senior guard attended Saint Louis as a middle schooler, then transferred to Damien, where he helped the Monarchs win a Division II state title in 2019. They moved up to D-I and were a mainstay in the top five statewide, reaching the state semifinals in ’20.
After his junior year was wiped out by the pandemic, Bayudan returned to Saint Louis before senior year.
“I first saw him play when he was a sophomore at Damien,” Crusaders coach Dan Hale said. “My first impression was that he was a really good point guard who could do everything: score, pass, dribble — he is the complete package. He has continued to improve, and now that I know him, I can see why. He has an outstanding work ethic. He pushes himself every day to get better.”
Former Damien coach Alvin Stephenson had two talented point guards in Bayudan and Jydon Hall.
“The first time I saw Hayden play was in the eighth grade at a basketball league held at Damien. I was really impressed by him. He is like creating a point guard on NBA2K and just having a lot of fun playing the game,” Stephenson said. “His durability, ball handling, will to win and competitiveness is off the charts. I knew from the moment I saw him, he would become a star.”
Bayudan was used to playing a more free-flowing style of basketball. Over time, he adapted and found his spots and timing within Saint Louis’ disciplined motion offense, and is the team’s second-leading scorer.
“Nothing so much really surprises me. When I came in during the summer, we all bought in. We were always committed,” said Bayudan, a senior with a 3.7 cumulative grade-point average. “We knew what we wanted: to capture the regular season, ILH and now trying for states. We’re all focused and committed to the process. We bought into Coach Dan and the staff’s system.”
That system is what Hale has been consistent about from day one. Hale has won state championships as a player and coach at Punahou, and maximized every opportunity to keep his players on the court through the restraints of the pandemic. The Crusaders are 17-2 entering the state championships.
“We all buy in and know what our roles are. We don’t go away from that,” Bayudan said. “As a team we do a great job of playing unselfishly, knowing who has the hot hand and who to get the ball to at the time.”
Hale’s team has speed and runs the fast break, but is internally built for ILH-style possession basketball.
“I think we’re last in 3-pointers in the league right now. Coach said we’re an inside-out team. We’re not here because of 3s. At times, he says take the 3s when we can, but our main priority is getting buckets inside,” Bayudan said.
Saint Louis finished the season strong, earning a state-tournament berth by finishing first. The Crusaders captured the league title with a 60-43 win over ‘Iolani on Saturday.
“Hayden is an amazing teammate. He includes and supports everyone on the team,” Hale said. “He is also able to stay calm and in control no matter what the situation. When he does this, it’s contagious to the other players on the floor.”
Bayudan also hears from his old coach, Stephenson, from time to time.
“With Hayden, honestly, nothing surprises me. I would tell him every night to go put on a show. He would do at least two things to make me say ‘Wow’ every night,” Stephenson said.
All that’s left on Bayudan’s list is to win Saint Louis’s seventh state title. The Crusaders won in 1957, ’61, ’66, ’67 and ’68 under Walter Wong, and in ’86 under Kaipo Spencer.
HAYDEN BAYUDAN’S FAVORITES
>> Top 3 shows/movies
1. “The Sandlot” — “I was in love with that movie. I’ve seen it more than five times. My dad (Bryant) first showed me that movie. I was intrigued because I was hanging out with my friends riding our bikes around the neighborhood. Seeing in the movie how it was fun living a childhood like that.”
2. “Scarface” — “My dad was watching it and I sat on the couch watching it with him. ‘Say hello (to) my little friend.’ ”
3. “Rocky IV” — “That’s the one when he went to Russia to fight Drago. That’s the best one. I watched it as a kid and I was so inspired. You’re always going to have a dream and there’s that challenge. Fighting in front of Drago’s home crowd, that’s something we all can relate to. I took a lot from that movie, and I liked boxing at a young age.”
>> Top 3 food/snack/drink
1. Ruffles (cheddar and sour cream)
2. Fruit punch. “The best fruit punch has got to be at Raising Cane’s.
3. Mango. “When my grandma (Thelma Coloma) drops off mango to us, my mom cuts it up and puts it in the fridge. In the morning, I get two mangoes and a spoon.”
>> New life skill: Cooking lasagna. “I learned this from my mom. I’m good at making lasagna and saimin. It’s the pre-cooked one from Costco.
>> Bucket list
1. Visit Paris and go to the Eiffel Tower.
2. Go to Disneyland with family.
3. Go to an (NBA) All Star Weekend event with my family.
“The dunk contest wasn’t that good. They should move the 3-point contest after the dunk contest. It’s more exciting. I thought it was going to be Trae Young or Patty Mills. Karl-Anthony Towns won. I think he can win again.”
>> Hidden talent: playing ukulele.
