Sage Tolentino, a 7-foot former Maryknoll basketball standout, made wise decision to leave Hawaii

Two weeks went by a bit too quickly for Sage Tolentino.

The former Maryknoll 7-foot sharpshooter has spent nearly all his time since the end of sophomore year living in Ohio. The competition and training have been beneficial, but for a beach guy like Tolentino, there is no place like home.

“I feel good. I feel confident about my commitment and I just can’t wait to get to Cincinnati and get to work,” said Tolentino, who committed to the Bearcats in July.

The footwork and agility aren’t common for most 7-footers. Neither is Tolentino’s precise marksmanship from long range.

“The college coaches, the first thing they look at is Sage’s footwork,” said his father, Grant Tolentino. “Can he run the court? He runs it so fast. He’s very coordinated, not two left feet. They like his footwork, speed and his soft touch.”

Tolentino was a key contributor as a sophomore in 2019-20 when the Spartans captured their second state championship in a row. He landed in the Star-Advertiser All-State Fab 15 at No. 3 and was voted defensive player of the year.

Living away from the islands means Tolentino makes the most of his infrequent visits home.

“I went to Maryknoll a couple of times just to visit the campus and see a lot of my classmates. It’s just good to see the campus again. I got to see the beach,” he said. “My school friends, we have a boys group chat. When I’m in Ohio, I text them every day to check in with them. We’ve been hanging out (online) almost every day.”

He also has a hefty appetite from daily workouts, but hasn’t had the same menu since leaving Hawaii.

“Zippy’s. Rainbows. Those Hawaiian food places, I definitely missed because in Ohio, there’s no Hawaiian local food there. At Zippy’s, I ate the Korean fried chicken plate with sauce on the rice and mac salad. It’s really good. At Rainbows, I get the hamburger steak plate. That’s good too, with the patty on the rice and the mac salad with it,” Tolentino said.

The opportunity to train in the Tri-States area, working out with NBA-level trainers, was one Tolentino couldn’t resist. The move was much simpler and enriching because his father joined him in Hamilton.

“When Sage reached 12, 13, I was able to take him out of the yard and teach him how to use a lawn mower and weed whacker. When was 14, 15, I taught him to cook eggs. Then we get a call. Sage has a chance to train with NBA-level trainers,” he said. “I told my wife (Becky), I’m quitting my job and moving up there with Sage. I’m a father. I want to continue to be in his life until he can step out on his own.”

Tolentino’s plan was to return to Maryknoll for junior year, but the cancellation of winter sports in Hawaii due to the COVID-19 pandemic ended that. In addition, with time zone differences — six hours between Ohio and Hawaii — he had to choose between Maryknoll distance learning (online) classes and basketball training — Tolentino wound up enrolling at Hamilton High School in Ohio.

It was a unique year, to say the least. Besides the training regimen and a new school, his junior year began with scholarship offers from Kansas, Tennessee State and Auburn. In November of 2020, Tolentino committed to Auburn and coach Bruce Pearl. A month later, an investigation into bribery charges against an assistant coach led to a self-imposed postseason ban.

By June, Tolentino decommitted from Auburn. By July, peace of mind came with the commitment to Cincinnati. He was at a radio station when he made the announcement live on air.

The situation at Auburn turned into a blessing in disguise once he decommitted.

“A lot of colleges jumped right in the pot,” Grant Tolentino said. “Xavier, Ohio State, Cincinnati, Dayton. Then Sage was like, ‘Dad, mom, I want to visit Louisville.’ We told him, daddy and mom want you to see what’s out there, but have a good relationship with the coach and make sure they play you right. It’s not how big the school is.”

This weekend, Tolentino returns to Hamilton for senior year. Big goals are on the horizon.

“I’m been just trying to get better, work on my game,” he said. “Trying to be a leader and make my teammates better around me, and hopefully, we’ll go far in the state tourney and try to win states for Hamilton.”

The connection between the Tolentino family and Ohio is deepening. Grant Tolentino, with nephew and recent CIA (Culinary Institute of Arts) graduate Aaron Kimura, is opening a food truck: Dine-In Hawaiian.

“It’s such a big open market here that it’s much needed. All of the local Hawaii businesses, they do so well,” he said.

Dine-In Hawaiian will be based in Hamilton and has approval to serve at Cincinnati Bearcats football games. The offerings in Hamilton include kalua pig, teriyaki chicken, fried rice, teriyaki burgers, loco moco and a deep-fried musubi with teri and aioli sauce.

Sage Tolentino’s favorite is the deep-fried musubi.

At the Bearcats’ home games, the food truck will serve up kalua pig tacos with pineapple salsa and aioli sauce, kalua pig sliders, teriyaki sliders and musubi.

Specials include kal bi, Korean fried chicken, chicken katsu and baked beans. Teri garlic fries and kalua pig fries with aioli garlic sauce are also on the menu.

“We’re fortunate that we’re able to get on the University of Cincinnati grid. They only allow a handful of food trucks or trailers to the football games,” Grant Tolentino said.