Waimanalo will be represented in the Tokyo Olympics.
Hugh Hogland, a 2017 Iolani School graduate, has been named one of 12 players for Japan’s national basketball team. Hogland is a 6-foot-10 stretch four.
Hogland, whose mother is of Japanese ancestry, holds dual citizenship in the United States and Japan.
Of Hogland’s inclusion on Japan’s national team, “it’s a huge deal,” said Bob Nash, a former University of Hawaii player and head coach who spent several years coaching in Japan’s pro league. “The quality of basketball in Japan at their national level has risen significantly in the past few years with the emergence of the kid who plays with the (Toronto) Raptors, (Yuta) Watanabe, and (Rui) Hachimura, who plays with the (Washington) Wizards. … There are some really good basketball players in Japan.”
Hogland comes from an athletic family. His grandfather, Doug Hogland, was an offensive linemen for six NFL seasons with the San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Cardinals. His father, Matthew Hogland, played baseball at Southern Oregon. His younger brother, Cole Hogland, is a middle blocker for the UH men’s volleyball team.
Hugh Hogland also was volleyball standout in high school and on the national circuit. He was a member of USA Volleyball’s youth and junior national programs.
After being named the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s Player of the Year for the 2016-17 basketball season, Hogland focused exclusively on hoops.
He played for three seasons at Portland under Terry Porter, a former NBA guard.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in finance, he transferred to UC Davis, where he enrolled in the MBA program.
Hogland has been on Japan’s basketball radar for several years as a collegiate, pro or national team prospect.
“We tried to get involved with him prior to him going to Portland,” Nash said.
Hogland is a member of the Ryukyu Golden Kings of the B League, Japan’s top professional tier. He has trained with Japan’s national team.
“He has a real good skill set,” Nash said. “He’ll be an asset to the Japanese team.”
