Hawaii Pacific University basketball player Kameron Steinhoff died last night at the Queen’s Medical Center following a skateboarding accident in Kaneohe Monday night, HPU Athletic Director Darren Vorderbruegge confirmed this morning.

There were no immediate details on the accident.

Dozens of family, teammates, schoolmates and fans had been holding a vigil at Queen’s since Monday night, Vorderbruegge said. “He’s obviously very loved by a lot, of people.”

“There were hundreds of his friends at Queen’s yesterday. He was loved by so many people.”

Vorderbruegge said Steinhoff celebrated his 21st birthday on April 21.

“We all had high expectations for him,” said Vorderbruegge, who doubled as the Sea Warriors’ basketball coach in 2010-11. “He already had accomplished much as a stellar player at Punahou. He had paid his dues here (at HPU) redshirted for two years.”

Vorderbruegge said his death is “so tragic” not only because of his athletic abilities, but “he also was a tremendous student leader and student.”

Steinhoff, a 2008 graduate of Punahou School, led the Buffanblu to a state championship as a senior and was named the state’s Player of the Year.

In his third year at HPU, the 6-foot-4 Steinhoff was a redshirt sophomore for the Sea Warriors this past season. He saw action in 27 of the Sea Warriors 28 games, averaging four points and three rebounds a game.

Vorderbruegge said Steinhoff had the best spring of all his returning players and was being eyed as a starter this coming season. “He did a great job and he was really hungry for next year,” he said yesterday.

Steinhoff was listed as a guard, but was a versatile player who could also play power and small forward positions as well as center, Vorderbruegge said. “He did everything except point guard,” the coach said. “A lot of quickness, but also strong as an ox and he could bull around inside.”

Off the court, Steinhoff was among the quietest individuals he knows, Vorderbruegge said. “But he kind of really came out of that on the court. He was just a different personality as far as playing hard and being competitive.”