Grant: State runner-up hoops team won’t splinter

Despite swirling rumors off the hardwood, Maryknoll’s group of talented underclassmen is staying intact after finishing second in the state tournament.

Boys basketball coach Kelly Grant was surprised about the rumor about sophomore Hyrum Harris and junior Tamamoko Green, exchange students from New Zealand. Neither is leaving the school today, this week or any time soon, according to the coach.

"Tamamoko’s going to play volleyball. We have eight basketball players who are going to try out (on Monday)," Grant said. "Toby (Schramm) and Josh (Burnett) are trying out, too."

Grant’s not sure where the rumor originated.

"I know they’re going back (to New Zealand) to play club ball, but that’s in the summer time. After the (championship) game, Tama made it clear to me that he’s coming back. Both of them," Grant said. "There’s no guarantees, but if I put a percentage on it, it would be 95 percent. They love it here."

Schramm, a native of Germany, is in his second year as an exchange student.

"Toby came to us and people were saying he was only here for basketball, but he’s a Maryknoll student who is graduating from Maryknoll," Grant said. "We have exchange students from China and Japan. That’s part of Maryknoll’s mission. Toby happened to be 6 feet 9 and 250 pounds."

Crusaders catcher out with injury

He is the most heralded baseball player in the state who has yet to play in a varsity regular-season game since the beginning of last year.

Saint Louis catcher Iolana Akau sat out his junior year due to disciplinary action, but worked hard and kept grinding away through the offseason. The UH recruit was hitting above .600 and had already picked off three baserunners in preseason when he jammed the thumb on his right (throwing) hand while stealing a base against Punahou 10 days ago.

The injury turned out to be a broken thumb.

"Fortunately, our trainer was there and (Akau’s) mom took him to emergency," Crusaders coach George Gusman said. "He has a hard cast on. He was pretty bummed out the first couple days. It’s more frustration now. He can’t stand the cast on his hand, but he’s at practice every day. He will run, do ab work, do one-hand swinging drills."

The transformation of Akau in the past year has been notable to Gusman, who hopes the senior can return by the end of March and play in the second half of the ILH season.

"He’s such a leader now, it’s crazy," Gusman said.