Jack Ofoia was the best basketball player at the Pearl City Highlands gym, a former star from our high school who dominated the pickup games.

A lot of the best Samoan basketball players were big football players. But Ofoia was a sleek, fast, wiry-strong guy who could really dribble, pass, shoot and rebound. He was a basketball player first and foremost.

His other passion was music, and he’s now a professional entertainer who has played bass guitar over the decades with many of the top local bands.

The reason I bring up Ofoia is because he is among the fans who are very proud and excited about Polynesia’s contribution to this year’s Final Four, by way of Louisville.

No, this has nothing to do with Rick Pitino, the Cardinals coach whose career started at the University of Hawaii in the 1970s.

We’re talking about Peyton Siva, the junior starting point guard Pitino recruited out of Seattle.

I’d seen Siva on TV a bit, but didn’t know he was Samoan until Ofoia noted it in a Facebook posting, after Louisville beat Florida to advance to the national semifinals.

THIS IS a blue-blooded Final Four, with Kentucky, Kansas and Ohio State joining Louisville in New Orleans. Not a VCU or Butler to be found.

So, if you want an underdog story, the Cardinals are the closest thing — despite two NCAA championships and consistent excellence that has gotten them to nine Final Fours.

Louisville made it through the West Regional as a four seed. Kentucky’s a No. 1 seed and favorite to win it all, and the other two are No. 2 seeds.

At a quick glance, Siva is just another McDonald’s All-American living up to his potential.

But Joe Onosai, the former University of Hawaii football star and World’s Strongest Man competitor, says it is fitting Siva represents Samoa as its first highly visible Big Dance participant.

"His last name means ‘to dance.’ He has Samoans dancing all over the country and cheering for Louisville because we are rarely known for our basketball skills. He’s a trailblazer for many of our Samoan youngsters," Onosai, now senior pastor at Destiny Christian Church, said in a text.

Siva electrified in the Big East tournament, which Louisville won. He’s known for his speed, ball-handling, passing and acrobatic shots.

If you follow the tournament, you’ll hear a lot about him in the coming days — including the story of how, at age 13, he saved his father from thoughts of suicide.

He’s a spiritual young man who has gotten half the team to attend Bible studies.

ATHLETES OF Samoan heritage are all over college football and the NFL. But the NBA? Not so much.

There’s James Johnson, a forward with the Raptors. There’s Wally Rank, who played a few games for the Clippers back when they were in San Diego.

Siva is a shade under 6-feet, so that works against him come draft time.

But there’s a chance Siva could become something analogous to No. 17 for the Knicks.

"Like Jeremy Lin, he needs to be in the NBA first," Onosai said. "But we are hoping."

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Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783.