Three HPU Sharks selected to All-PacWest teams ahead of conference tournament
BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED MAR 6, 2024
SAN DIEGO – The Hawai’i Pacific Sharks men’s basketball team received three honors from the PacWest Conference on Wednesday afternoon as guard Melo Sanchez was placed on the conference’s 2nd-team while Diggy Winbush and Maj Dusanic each received 3rd-team recognition.Â
It was the first time any of the three had received end-of-year PacWest honors.Â
The 2nd-team selection for Sanchez is the highest placement for a Shark since the 2020-21 season when Lachlan Viney made 1st-team. The sophomore shooter returned to HPU from the transfer portal this past offseason and put in work, finishing the regular season averaging the 9th-most points-per-game of any player in the league. The 6-foot-4 sniper also finished 2nd in the conference with 70 made 3-pointers this season, trailing only Azusa Pacific’s Ken West.Â
Winbush, who joined the Sharks extremely late after last season and snatched the starting point guard job quickly, received 3rd-team honors in his first season at the Division II level. The Los Angeles, California product averaged the 4th-most assists per game of any player in the conference for the entire year and 2nd-most after league play began. Winbush also led the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio with 80 dimes to just 43 giveaways while averaging the 2nd-highest point total on the team.Â
Dusanic was also named to the PacWest Conference’s 3rd-team after a fantastic second season in blue and grey as the captain forward poured in averages of over 11 points, five rebounds and two assists per game on a scorching 62% from the field, all while starting every one of HPU’s 28 contests this season. The Slovenian forward nearly doubled his scoring output from a year ago while posting three double-doubles, helping push the Sharks to the 3rd-best record in the league. HPU was predicted to finish 9th out of 11 teams in the preseason PacWest coach’s poll.Â
Hawai’i Pacific will take on 6th-seeded Azusa Pacific on Thursday in San Diego, California in the quarterfinals of the PacWest Tournament with tip-off scheduled for 10:30 a.m. HT and will be broadcast on Hawai’i Sports Radio Network, 95.1 FM, AM 760 and hawaiisportsradio.com. The winner will face #2 seed and regular season co-champion Academy of Art on Friday at 10:30 a.m. HT in the semifinals.Â
The Cougars, who were selected in the preseason as the conference’s top team, are led by three-time PacWest 1st-team selection Ken West and are looking to avenge last year’s performance when APU fell to Point Loma in the title game, 80-68.Â
From Kalihi to Flushing Meadows: Andre Ilagan’s Journey Reaches the U.S. Open
Photo credit: Hawaii AthleticsAndre Ilagan grew up spending four or five hours a day on the tennis courts at Kalaukaua District Park. Next week, he'll step onto a much bigger stage. The Farrington High School graduate and former University of...
Training Camp Q&A with Hawaii Football OL Dean Briski
Dean Briski enters his final season with the Hawai‘i football team taking on a new challenge along the offensive line. The 2022 Samoana High School graduate and Pago Pago, American Samoa, native played 783 of his 788 total snaps at the left tackle...
Mana Wahine Wednesday: HPU Women’s Flag Football HC Kanda Korver
HONOLULU – Trailblazing programs need trailblazing people. Hawaii Pacific University became the first college in the islands to latch on to the runaway train of girls’ flag football popularity, announcing this past May that the school would be...
Hawai’i rolls in preseason tune-up against Chaminade
HONOLULU – Welcome back, Rainbow Wahine. The University of Hawai’i women’s volleyball team swept through four sets of exhibition action against Chaminade on Monday, (25-20, 25-16, 25-10, 25-13), seeing all 15 players on the roster get action as...
First two week HS Football analysis and latest Lasquero rankings heading into Week 3
It has been a crazy first two weeks of the season with a number of thrilling games on opening weekend followed by a slew of cancellations with Hurricane Lala affecting the state. Because of the number of cancellations and numerous matchups...
Hawai’i football news, notes and takeaways from training camp’s third scrimmage
HONOLULU – Winds, rains and potential hurricanes? Despite inclement weather, the University of Hawai’i football team continued on the path of preparation for Week 0 against Stanford on Saturday morning as the team moved up the third (and final)...
Mililani squeaks by Liberty behind Cabrera-Hopkins, big defensive 2nd half
MILILANI – Weathered the storm. With Tropical Storm Lala approaching, the second-ranked Mililani Trojans (1-0) braved spotty conditions and opened up a highly anticipated 2026 campaign with a thrilling victory over Liberty (NV) on Friday...
Matt Elliott Talks Bows Athletics Club, Football Fan Experience and New Season
University of Hawai‘i Athletics Director Matt Elliott joined Hawai‘i Sports Radio Network on Friday to discuss a busy stretch for the department, from a sudden coaching change to new fundraising initiatives and the start of the 2026-27 athletic...
Hawai‘i Football Continues to Build as Fall Camp Progresses
MĀNOA - The University of Hawai‘i football team continues to work its way through fall camp with head coach Timmy Chang encouraged by the progress he’s seeing across the roster. With the season opener drawing closer, the Rainbow Warriors remain...
Impending storm leads to Hawaii High School Football cancellations
With incoming Tropical Storm Lala heading towards the islands this weekend, administrators are starting to cancel high school football matchups this weekend. The first reported cancellation was a non-league matchup between Kailua and...