Former Kahuku star heads to Utah to join basketball academy

Just like that, two of last season’s top three prep basketball players are now in the RSL Academy universe.

Amari Westmoreland-Vendiola announced that he will join the RSL post-graduate program. The 6-foot-3 Kahuku graduate was No. 2 in the Star-Advertiser All-State Fab 15, averaging 22 points per game. He was also atop the All-Defensive team voting.

“I feel great. I feel like it was just right for me and my family. Utah’s a great place with a lot of (my) family and people I know,” Westmoreland-Vendiola said on Monday night. “Plus, I like it there.”

“There” is Herriman, Utah, where RSL Academy is located. The massive training facility is home to the RSL pro soccer team and the Utah Jazz. The adjacent high school is where JJ Mandaquit and sister Jaety Mandaquit transferred recently.

By playing in a post-grad program, Westmoreland-Vendiola will not start his college eligibility clock. He has a non-stop motor on the boards and elite speed in the open court. Already a proficient 3-point shooter, he is hoping to add muscle and size during the next 12 months.

“Hopefully, I’ll get stronger, faster, get my bounce up higher and play my game. Get looks from colleges,” Westmoreland-Vendiola said.

RSL’s post-grad coach is Shane Hayden, a 2005 Kahuku graduate. The team plays a national schedule, as does the high school squad. The high schoolers are coached by David Evans, a former BYU-Hawaii standout and assistant coach. RSL and Westmoreland-Vendiola did not connect until very recently.

“They got ahold of me when me and (teammate) Ben (Holakeituai) went to Arizona to look at the schools. We looked at Bella Vista, then we flew to Salt Lake to look at RSL. Before we left (Hawaii), we were going to Seattle and look at the one offer I got from Centralia, and Pacific,” Westmoreland-Vendiola said.

In the end, the fit, plus advice from his trusted basketball family, mattered most.

“Coach Brandyn (Akana of Kahuku) and my uncle Chris (Parker) wanted me to go to Utah,” he said.

The high school has charter status and no tuition fee. The post-grad program isn’t much different. Westmoreland-Vendiola’s family will pay what amounts to a few thousand dollars for the coming year, he said. Players live in nearby apartments that have amenities like a swimming pool and mini-movie mall. Post-grad classes focus on SAT preparation. The rest of the time, he will be working out. And eating. The team will provide breakfast and dinner.

“Coach said we have a chef,” said Westmoreland-Vendiola, who is 170 pounds. “I want to get to 195 or 200, at least 185.”

RSL’s post-grad team began in 2021.

“Shout out to my mom (Amanda Vendiola), my grandma (Pualani Vendiola), my whole family for always pushing me to be the best I can be,” he said. “Keeping me on track to do what I need to do.”

The future is bright for Mandaquit and Westmoreland-Vendiola.

“It’s a place where he can really grow and develop as a player. Between the staff and the facilities, he’ll have everything he needs to become a better player,” said Mandaquit, a sophomore whose family made the move to Herriman over the weekend. “With our family being here and all of the Hawaii connections within the program, it’s a place where he can feel comfortable being away from home.”

Last season’s player of the year, Aiva Arquette, was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 18th round of this year’s MLB draft but chose to attend college at the University of Washington to play shortstop.