Day after day, rep after rep, Pupualii Sepulona bided his time.

He put it all together in a spectacular sophomore season, averaging 18 points per game as Saint Louis repeated as ILH champion. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound wing/post peaked at states with 19 points and eight rebounds per game, shooting 67 percent from the field (18-for-27) to power the Crusaders to a second championship in a row.

It was no surprise to coaches who had seen him in years past.

“I saw Pupu play on TV in the state tourney last year and you could tell he was going to be a handful for the next few years,” Roosevelt coach Steve Hathaway said. “The thing that surprised me most was how well he moves and how quick he is for a big guy. Plus, I think his outside shooting really came a long way this year.”

Mid-Pacific coach Robert Shklov has seen his team battle Saint Louis and Sepulona for two years.

“I first saw Pupu play in a club league and thought for sure it was a forfeit and a coach had to suit up to give their team five players. Little did I know he was actually the youngest athlete on the court! He is mature beyond his years both in his approach and his skill set,” Shklov said.

‘Iolani coach Ryan Hirata knows young prodigies well. He grew up playing with Derrick Low, a pair of eighth graders raining NBA 3-pointers against college athletes in pickup games.

“First time I saw Pupu was in an AAU tournament at the Convention Center. At first, I thought he was already in high school because of his maturity and size, but everyone said he was only in seventh grade. His maturity as a leader definitely proved to be his growing point this year. He set the example and his team followed,” Hirata said.

Crusaders coach Dan Hale encouraged Sepulona to extend his range.

“He always had a good outside shot but was reluctant to take it. He put in a lot of time working on it and it developed into a potent offensive weapon. He became an even better passer. I still marvel at Pupu’s ability to create angles to get his shot off. The way he can contort his body in the air and still get off a shot that goes in is truly special,” Hale said.

Kamehameha coach Larry Park noted Sepulona’s IQ on the defensive end.

“His defensive impact was just as impressive as his scoring. He sees the floor and anticipates really well. He is in the right place all the time. He took three charges in the first half against us in our game at (Kekuhaupio Gym),” Park said.

Moanalua’s hot postseason cooled off with a state semifinal loss to Saint Louis.

“We knew all about Pupu from his Sons of Hawaii (club) days,” Na Menehune coach Brandon Dumlao said. “We knew what kind of ability he had, but the level of maturity he showed this year was what made him and Saint Louis who they are. He dropped some weight and just took a very business-like approach that we didn’t see when he played as a freshman. The scary thing is he is constantly working to get better.”

Sepulona contributed off the bench as Saint Louis broke a long spell to win the boys basketball state championship in 2022. With the graduation of its senior core, including All-State Player of the Year Aiva Arquette, the weight of defending the state and ILH titles rested on the shoulders of Crusaders underclassmen. Sepulona was ready.

After playing with some inconsistency as a freshman, Sepulona embraced the discipline and patience required of Saint Louis’ offensive and defensive blueprints. He was on fire from the start with 27 points in a loss to national No. 1 Montverde Academy (Fla.) at the ‘Iolani Prep Classic. He also tallied 24 points against Bellevue (Wash.), 24 against Catholic Cathedral (Calif.) and another 24 against Oakwood (Calif.) at the Punahou Invitational.

In the state quarterfinals, Sepulona shot 6-for-10 from the field and 8-for-13 at the free-throw line for 20 points, adding two assists and a block in 51-48 win over Kailua.

In the semifinal round, Sepulona shot 7-for-10 from the field and 7-for-11 at the foul line, finishing with 21 points, 11 rebounds, two steals and one block in a 47-34 win over Moanalua.

Campbell’s deliberate tempo and athletic defense had enough length and height to give Sepulona a new challenge. He remained patient and finished with 15 points on 5-for-7 field-goal shooting and went 5-for-6 at the charity stripe as Saint Louis won the state final 41-39.

Of the top five vote-getters in the Fab 15, No. 2 Jonny Philbrick of Kailua (20 points per game), No. 4 Skylar Miyasato of Moanalua and No. 5 Justin Yap of Maryknoll (13 ppg) were regularly the top scorers for their teams.

Philbrick’s extreme quickness was on display at the state tourney, when he averaged 24 points and 5.5 steals per game until Kailua was eliminated.

Third in the voting, Rondell Blenman-Villarreal of Campbell was unique, a floor general in point-forward mode who set the tone for the explosive Sabers.

He scored 12 points per game, and his defense and rebounding were instrumental in Campbell’s run to the state final.

Coach of the Year honors went to Hale for a second year in a row. The former Punahou player and coach now has a total of six state titles. Campbell’s Wyatt Tau was a close second after guiding the Sabers to their first OIA crown and first appearance in a state title game.

Kihei Kapeliela, who led Kohala to the Division II state title, and Moanalua’s Dumlao were third and fourth. Mea Wong of Kamehameha-Hawaii and Kelly Grant of Maryknoll also received votes.

The All-Defense selections were led by Maryknoll guard Zion Milare. Noah Macapulay of Punahou, Zelston Militante of Leilehua, Philbrick and Fabian Camacho of Maryknoll round out the first five.

Panelists voted Kohala freshman guard Layden Kauka as the Top Newcomer. Joining him are Maddox Pung of Kailua, Kaina Watson of Kamehameha, Jaron Gilmore of Kalaheo and Trey Ambrozich of University Lab.

Blenman-Villarreal, who dropped 30 pounds in the offseason, transformed into an elite two-way player and was voted Most Improved Player. Akila Indalecio of ‘Iolani and Kache Kaio of Saint Louis followed in the balloting.

Sepulona does plyometric workouts and barely does weight training. Football is his second love, a distant second in his heart. He played defensive end for the Saint Louis I-AA team and was offered a scholarship by Utah last fall.

(See more coaches’ feedback about the Fab 15 at HawaiiPrepWorld.com.)

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FAB 15

1- Pupu Sepulona, Saint Louis

2- Jonny Philbrick, Kailua

3- Rondell Blenman-Villarreal, Campbell

4- Skylar Miyasato, Moanalua

5- Justin Yap, Maryknoll

6- Mizah Carreira, Campbell

7- Jordan Posiulai, Saint Louis

8- Akila Indalecio, ‘Iolani

9- Hunter Marumoto, Maryknoll

10- Zelston Militante, Leilehua

11- Shancin Revuelto, Saint Louis

12- Leonard Ah You, Kahuku

13- Layden Kauka, Kohala

14- Kache Kaio, Kahuku

15- Ayndra Uperesa- Thomas, Punahou

Coach of the Year — Dan Hale, Saint Louis

HONORABLE MENTION

>> Jayden Kipapa, Mililani

>> Dillon Kellner, Punahou

>> Casey Lyons, ‘Iolani

>> Noa Donnelly, Kailua

>> Kaimana Lau Kong, ‘Iolani

>> Nixis Yamauchi, Kamehameha-Hawaii

>> J Marxen, Mililani

>> Jeremiah White, Kaimuki

>> Kayman Lewis, Roosevelt

>> Kiai Yasso, Kamehameha-Hawaii

>> Jaron Gilmore, Kalaheo

>> Miles Hornage, Campbell

>> Creighton Ofsonka, Mililani

>> Avery Pauole, Baldwin

>> Coby Molina, Konawaena

>> Twain Wilson, Leilehua

>> Keaka Kauhane, Kapaa

>> Kana‘au Castro, Lahainaluna

>> Kaina Watson, Kamehameha

>> Dominique Mose-Smith, Farrington

>> Seth Harman, Kaiser

>> CJ Bostic, Kalaheo

>> Maddox Pung, Kailua

>> Fabian Camacho, Maryknoll

>> Josh Schutter, Kalani

>> Trey Ambrozich, University

>> Koa Laboy, University

>> Eli Shibuya, Hawaii Baptist

>> Zion Milare, Maryknoll

>> Tucker Lam, Punahou

>> Landon Kauka, Kohala

>> Noah Flores Alexander, Lahainaluna

>> Bromo Dorn, Seabury Hall

All-state boys basketball team by Honolulu Star-Advertiser