Back when Maryknoll won its first and only — so far — state boys Division I basketball championship, the players had the best suntans in the country. That’s what happens when you don’t have a gym and practice outside.

Rain? Work around it.

The Spartans never let it bother them. They weren’t allowed to because their coach, Tony Sellitto, didn’t let them.

"He wasn’t a guy with a whole lot of excuses," said Ben Valle, who was the Maryknoll point guard in 1984. "When we practiced out there next to the freeway it was never an issue. It epitomized him as a person. He was a fiery guy who didn’t have a whole lot of time to listen to complaints."

Today, Valle is the Maryknoll athletic director. Sellitto is retired from coaching, after also winning a national championship at Hawaii Pacific, where Valle played and later assisted him. Another former Spartans player and Sea Warriors coach, Kelly Grant, is the Maryknoll head coach.

There’s a fancy new gym. But the varsity boys don’t always get to use it.

"We still go outdoors sometimes," Grant said. "We’ve got five boys teams and three girls teams. I like to keep my kids grounded."

That can be a challenge these days. The Spartans are flying high at 23-2 and are the top seed heading into the state tournament on Thursday. Grant said he had to remind his team of the target on its back after a recent practice that was less than razor sharp.

There’s no doubt the Spartans are loaded with talent, and from all over the world. They’ve got 6-foot-9 Tobias Schramm from Germany, and Hyrum Harris and Tamamoko Green from New Zealand.

Sophomore guard Kaleb Gilmore, son of the Chaminade great George Gilmore, might be the team’s most exciting player.

"He’s extremely quick and dynamic, same scoring mentality as his dad," Grant said. "He can score the ball from 3-point range or cut through a double-team to the basket."

For the dirty work, there’s Kekoa Welsh, who has come on strong under the boards after an early-season ankle injury.

Sellitto remains a mentor to Grant, who also happens to be his godson; they are in constant telephone contact, sometimes daily, at least once a week during the season. Even if they didn’t stay in touch, "Tony the Tiger’s" imprint would still be on this team.

"We spend a lot of time on shooting in practice, and that’s (Sellitto)," Grant said. "In a typical 11⁄2 hour practice, 30 minutes on shooting. We tie in competition in shooting drills."

He’s there for games, at least the beginnings of them.

"I’m so nervous, I can’t stay," Sellitto said. "At the five-minute mark I have to leave."

The Maryknoll basketball story would not be complete without mention of six former players from decades past — six young men who all died way before their time, an inexplicable anomaly. Recently, kumu hula and Maryknoll teacher Cynthia Kupau blessed the blacktop court that the Spartans practiced on every day all those years.

"I’ve thought about those guys quite a bit this year in the sense of how special this would be to them," Valle said. "I’m not really into the supernatural, but I like to think they’re looking down on us and doing a little dance. Hopefully their spirit is shining down on us."

Cornwell Ciacci, Francis Fletcher, Jeff Kanalz, Kui Ostrowski, Pio Sagapolutele and Blaise Villa were all close to Grant, Valle and Sellitto.

"It’s been upsetting as a coach," Sellitto said. "Especially at a small, small school. They’re more than players, they’re your friends."

Sellitto said he will stay to the end of Thursday’s game in support of all of his Maryknoll friends, including the current coach and administrator who played for him 29 years ago. And he hopes on Saturday he has reason to rush from the end of the University of Hawaii game, where he will do TV work, to watch the Spartans in the championship final.

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