Three-star guard Tiger Cuff flips to Hawai’i following mission

Three-star guard Tiger Cuff flips to Hawai’i following mission

Apr 14, 2026

Three-star guard Tiger Cuff flips to Hawai’i following mission

Photo Credit: Tiger Cuff (@tigercuff)

HONOLULU – It’s all in the family.

Class of 2024 three-star guard Tiger Cuff announced his commitment to the University of Hawai’i on Tuesday, joining fellow guard Scotty Belnap (’24, Mater Dei) as prep prospects joining the Rainbow Warriors ahead of the 2026-27 season.

Cuff, 6-foot-5, is the younger brother of current UH guard Tanner Cuff and was originally committed to Weber State out of high school. The younger Cuff spent the past two years on an LDS mission to Brazil and returned to a coaching change in the Wildcat program he had initially signed on with.

Weber State reassigned head coach Eric Duft after four seasons leading the Wildcats to a role as president of basketball operations and development for the program and immediately opened a national search for a new coach. With a change in the lead seat, the WSU roster mostly hit the portal and the signed high school players received the chance to change their mind.

With his brother set to spend his senior season in the islands, the younger Cuff brother announced he would join the Rainbow Warriors instead of Weber State and new Wildcats head coach Kaleb Canales.

Cuff was the No. 7-ranked player in the state of Utah’s 2024 high school class and the 35th-best point guard prospect in the overall rankings, holding offers from Cal State Northridge, Denver, Northern Arizona, Weber State, UC San Diego and others.

He drained 106 3-pointers at American Fork (UT), scoring 732 points, grabbing 198 rebounds and handing out 244 assists over three varsity seasons. As a sophomore, Cuff was a part of the 2022 American Fork team that won the 6A state championship and earned a 6A third-team all-state selection as a junior while taking American Fork to a state runner-up finish at the highest level of competition in the state.

Cuff wrapped up his high school career with 6A all-state first-team honors after averaging 15.0 points and 5.2 assists across 25 games, leading the Cavemen to a 16-9 record while playing a schedule against some of the country’s best prep teams in Montverde Academy (FL), St. John Bosco (CA) and Centennial (CA).

He joins Scotty Belnap, Marcus Adams Jr. and Jaden Matingou as additions to Hawai’i’s roster for the 2026-27 season as the program shifts into the Mountain West after more than a decade competing in the Big West.

Hawai’i also retained Isaiah Kerr alongside Tanner Cuff from last year’s squad. Guards Aaron Hunkin-Claytor, Hunter Carter and AJ Economou and forward Ike Finlinson entered the transfer portal when it opened on April 7.

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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...

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Weston’s four-goal day leads Hawai’i to third consecutive Big West water polo title

Weston’s four-goal day leads Hawai’i to third consecutive Big West water polo title

Apr 12, 2026

Weston’s four-goal day leads Hawai’i to third consecutive Big West water polo title

Photo Credit: ESPN+

For the second time in the history of the Big West, there is a back-to-back-to-back champion.

The top-seeded University of Hawai’i women’s water polo team claimed the Big West Championship title for the third straight season on Sunday, pulling away from No. 2 seed Long Beach State (17-11) in the second half for a comfortable 13-9 victory at the Ken Lindgren Aquatics Complex in Long Beach, California.

Along with the Big West crown, the Rainbow Wahine clinched the conference’s automatic berth into the National Collegiate Women’s Water Polo Championship in two weeks. It marks the third straight year that Hawai’i will make an appearance in the bracket of national title contenders, the longest streak in program history.

Hawai’i also joined UC Irvine (‘09-‘13) as the lone programs to win three or more consecutive conference titles since the Big West added women’s water polo. It’s the seventh Big West tournament title in Hawai’i history, trailing only the nine championships of the Anteaters.

Redshirt sophomore Agatha Weston was named the Big West Championship’s Most Valuable Player after leading the Rainbow Wahine with four goals to go along with two steals in the title match against LBSU. Hawai’i had seven different players score, five of whom found the back of the net multiple times on Sunday.

Hawai’i (16-5) completed a dominant run through the regular season and conference tournament slates, going unbeaten through league play and never trailing throughout the entire Big West Championship tournament.

Weston got the Rainbow Wahine off to a fast start on Sunday, scoring before the midway point of the opening period thanks to an early penalty shot. Senior Camille Radosavljevic added on less than two minutes later with her lone goal of the day, but back-to-back scores from LBSU’s Chiara Amoroso and Rita Gurri quickly knotted the match at two after eight minutes of action.

The Rainbow Wahine pushed back ahead for good in the second frame, rattling off five goals from five different players while allowing just a couple on the other end of the pool to head into halftime leading the Beach, 7-4.

The second half brought more offensive fire power for Hawai’i as Weston tallied her hat trick in a hurry with her third goal of the match coming just over 90 seconds after action resumed.

After trading a couple scores with Long Beach State, the Rainbow Wahine rattled off five straight goals to go up 14-7 with 2:03 left in regulation and start the celebration slightly early.

The Beach tried to make one last late push, getting a pair of goals in the final 120 seconds from Lucy Miszewski that ultimately proved cosmetic to the final result as Hawai’i took down Long Beach State in the Big West Championship match for the third straight year.

After guiding the Rainbow Wahine to consecutive titles in his first two seasons, Hawai’i head coach James Robinson became the third coach in conference history to lead a program to multiple Big West titles, joining his predecessor Maureen Cole (5) and UC Irvine legend Dan Klatt (9).

Hawai’i will await to see their placement in the 2026 National Collegiate Women’s Water Polo Championship bracket on Monday, April 13 during the NCAA selection show at 2 p.m. HT. The bracket reveal can be seen on NCAA.com.

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Hawai’i scoops up all-PacWest standout guard Jaden Matingou

Hawai’i scoops up all-PacWest standout guard Jaden Matingou

Apr 12, 2026

Hawai’i scoops up all-PacWest standout guard Jaden Matingou

Point Loma G Jaden Matingou pulls his dribble back during a game at Hawaii Pacific. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

HONOLULU – Why not go back to the well?

One year after going to the Division II ranks and pulling up an all-conference guard for the rotation, the University of Hawai’i men’s basketball team did it again as former Point Loma guard Jaden Matingou announced his commitment to the Rainbow Warriors on Sunday.

“I’m super excited to play for a program with such a passionate and supportive fan base,” Matingou said in an interview with HSRN. “Hawai’i feels like one big family from what I’ve learned and I’m excited and very appreciative to be a part of it.”

The 6-foot-3 guard was an all-conference 1st-team performer for the Sea Lions last season, averaging career highs across the board as he stepped into the starting point guard role for the PacWest regular season and conference tournament champions. Matingou tallied 11.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game in 32 starts for PLNU, shooting 49% from the floor and 36.4% from 3-point range.

Matingou flashed his potential throughout his first two collegiate seasons but burst onto the scene in his junior campaign, dropping 30 points in a preseason exhibition against Long Beach State before going on to score in double figures in 21 of his 32 appearances during the 2025-26 season.

The guard tormented fellow Mānoa resident Hawaii Pacific this past year as well, dropping 27 points, five rebounds and six assists on February 26 against the Sharks and a game-high 20 points in the PacWest semifinals on March 6 to eliminate HPU.

Point Loma made the NCAA Tournament in 2025-26 and advanced to the Sweet 16 round for the third time in the last four years. This PLNU group set a piece of Sea Lions history by appearing in regional title games in consecutive seasons for the first time in program history.

“I’m a competitor at heart and will do anything to win,” Matingou responded when asked about the type of player that Rainbow Warrior fans are getting. “I play with tons of energy – like Russell Westbrook – that’s why I wear No. 0. Off the court, I’m very intentional and driven … [but] a little more laid back than I am on the court.”

The 6-foot-3 guard also considered Montana, Colorado State, Cal State Fullerton, UC Irvine and others before deciding that he would make the islands his home for his senior season.

In three seasons, Matingou went 77-21 with the Sea Lions and tallied 718 points, 295 rebounds and 265 assists while appearing in 95 of 98 possible contests.

Matingou joins Arizona State F Marcus Adams Jr. as the earliest pickups for Hawai’i. The Rainbow Warriors currently are bringing back just two players from last season’s Big West championship squad as they move into the Mountain West.

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Trio of Hawai’i hurlers shut down UC Irvine to secure rare series win over Anteaters

Trio of Hawai’i hurlers shut down UC Irvine to secure rare series win over Anteaters

Apr 11, 2026

Trio of Hawai’i hurlers shut down UC Irvine to secure rare series win over Anteaters

Starting pitcher Hekili Robello tossed another strong six innings in a Rainbow Warrior win. | Photo: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

HONOLULU – What a great time to get off a cold spell.

Behind another brilliant Hekili Robello start and the hot bats of corner infielders Josh Martin and Tate Shimao, the University of Hawai’i (18-13, 8-9 Big West) took down UC Irvine (15-19, 6-8 Big West) again on Saturday night with a 3-0 victory over the Anteaters inside Les Murakami Stadium.

Robello (W, 6-2) turned in his seventh start of 6+ innings this season, twirling a full scoreless 6.0 frames while only allowing two hits and striking out seven UCI batters before handing the ball over to fellow RHP John Alkire II.

Alkire II took the seventh inning, giving up a hit and walking another UCI batter to work into some trouble before escaping with a strikeout of the looking variety. Freshman RHP Brody Martin-Grudzielanek took the final two innings, tallying three strikeouts while picking up his first collegiate save.

Coming into the weekend, Hawai’i hadn’t won a series against UC Irvine in eight years and had lost nine straight games against the Anteaters.

With a 14-6 victory from Friday night in the back pocket, the Rainbow Warriors looked to secure a crucial series victory over the Anteaters as the two teams tussle in the Big West standings for one of the five postseason tournament spots available and turned to one of the two major aces on staff in Robello.

Hawai’i helped its starter by giving the hard-throwing righty an early lead after Shimao reached with a two-out walk, advanced to third on a double from Martin and scored on a wild pitch by UCI starter Finnigan Wall (L, 3-2).

Shimao reached again in the bottom of the third inning with a base hit and moved from first to third on a single to right field by Martin. Similar to the opening frame, the UH third baseman came home on another Wall wild pitch to make it a 2-0 lead for the hosts after three innings.

Robello continued to cruise, only allowing three more batters to reach base and none to advance past first until he gave the ball off to Alkire II in the top of the seventh.

After Alkire worked through a minor scare in the top half of the seventh, Hawai’i tacked on another insurance run in the bottom half as Evan Rolbiecki ripped an RBI single to left that scored Josh Martin and made it a 3-0 game.

Brody Martin-Grudzielanek got his first taste of closing out a close game for the Rainbow Warriors, making his ninth appearance of the season and fifth in relief. The freshman showed off his strikeout stuff in an impressive two innings of work, collecting three backwards Ks while retiring the final six batters he faced for the save.

Josh Martin continued a scorching hot three-week stretch with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate with a double and a run scored. The junior first baseman is 9-for-21 over his last six games for the Rainbow Warriors with a pair of doubles, three runs scored and three more batted in.

Tate Shimao bumped his average up to .296 on the season after another two-hit performance, going 2-for-4 at the plate while scoring two runs for Hawai’i. The Cal Poly transfer has gone 12-for-28 over the past seven games for UH, scoring six runs and collecting five RBI in that same span for an offense finally beginning to awaken.

UC Irvine mustered just four hits against the trio of Rainbow Warrior hurlers, striking out 11 times while failing to record an extra base hit all game for just the fifth time this season.

With the victory, Hawai’i moved within 0.5 games of CSUN for the fifth and final spot in the conference standings that would qualify for the Big West Championship in late May.

The Rainbow Warriors and Anteaters will look to wrap up the three-game set on Sunday, April 12 with first pitch scheduled for 1:05 p.m. HT/ 4:05 p.m. PT.

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Former Arizona State F Marcus Adams Jr. commits to Hawai’i

Former Arizona State F Marcus Adams Jr. commits to Hawai’i

Apr 11, 2026

Former Arizona State F Marcus Adams Jr. commits to Hawai’i

Dec 6, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona State University Sun Devils forward Marcus Adams Jr. (8) dribbles the ball against Oklahoma University Sooners in the second half at PHX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Anna Carrington-Imagn Images

HONOLULU – An old foe, finally a friend.

Arizona State forward Marcus Adams Jr. announced his commitment to the University of Hawai’i men’s basketball program on Saturday, becoming the first major addition from the portal for the Rainbow Warriors’ 2026-27 roster.

A former four-star high school recruit, Adams Jr. graduated early from Narbonne (CA) after reclassifying from the Class of 2024. Despite giving up his No. 29 spot in the ‘24 rankings to move up a year, Adams Jr. still finished among the top 50 recruits in the Class of 2023.

Originally signed to Kansas, Adams Jr. transferred to BYU before ever suiting up in a game for the Jayhawks. He appeared in just one contest in Provo as a freshman before an injury forced him to miss the remainder of the season.

Despite an outspoken love for his time at BYU, Adams Jr. decided to enter the portal after family hardships saw his presence needed closer to home in California.

Back home and playing in the Big West with family matters handled, Adams Jr. enjoyed a healthier campaign at Cal State Northridge where he averaged 16.1 points and 4.9 rebounds across 32 games (20 starts) and earned all-conference honors.

After flashing the four-star potential he had shown throughout his high school career, the 6-foot-8 wing took a jump to the Power 4 level once again as he joined Bobby Hurley and Arizona State for the 2025-26 season.

With the Sun Devils, injuries plagued the redshirt sophomore as he appeared in just 14 games before getting shut down due to a back injury. His numbers were somewhat muted in the 14 contests as he tried to re-find a rhythm following a preseason injury, averaging 3.6 points and 2.4 rebounds in just under 12 minutes per game.

Jan 3, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils forward Marcus Adams Jr. (8) against the Colorado Buffaloes at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

After ASU announced on March 11 that head coach Bobby Hurley’s contract would not be renewed after 11 seasons leading the program, Adams Jr. hit the portal again with two years of eligibility remaining and hopes of rediscovering the elite form he showed during his single campaign at CSUN.

“The people were great,” Adams Jr. said about Arizona State. “It was a really challenging year having to work through the injuries and after I found out they were going to let go of my coach, I just felt like a fresh start would be good.”

His eyes weren’t fixed on the islands alone, but Hawai’i certainly was among the most immediate places for a new home to jump into his mind after playing against the Rainbow Warriors three times in the past two seasons.

The interest was mutual as Adams Jr. was quickly courted by the UH staff, first connecting with assistant coach Gibson Johnson before fellow coaches Clay Wilson, Rob Jones, Juan Munoz and head coach Eran Ganot followed along to make their case to the redshirt sophomore.

“It just felt like they were super invested in me from the beginning,” Adams Jr. said in a phone interview with HSRN.

The forward also pointed to his memories of playing inside the Stan Sheriff Center, both from his 18-point, 3-block performance with the Matadors back in January 2025 and the atmosphere from the 4,700 fans in attendance when he returned to the islands with the Sun Devils last November.

“The fans are just super passionate,” Adams Jr. recalled. “Even when the building was half-full, it was still so loud.

The travels of the UH fanbase to support of the Rainbow Warriors as they advanced through the Big West Championships and into the NCAA Tournament was also something that stuck out to the talented scoring forward as he prepared to hit the portal.

“I know it’s not a short trip to the continent,” Adams Jr. said, lauding the dedication of Rainbow Warrior fans and their support. “I definitely noticed that … I wanted to play at a place with fans like that.”

He also believes that the fan support will only grow after last season’s Big West title and with the team playing against even better competition in the Mountain West next year.

While the coaching staff continued to pursue the Arizona State transfer, he took it upon himself to speak with some of the players that are graduating from this year’s squad while connecting with returners Tanner Cuff and Isaiah Kerr.

After connecting with players from this past season’s Big West championship squad, Adams Jr.’s decision was all but complete.

Playing in paradise, playing high-level competition and still going to a place that wants him as much as he wants to be there?

Sign ‘em up.

It’s a strong Hawai’i start to the portal period.

Rising Defensive Prospect Davian Whitener Commits to Hawaii

Rising Defensive Prospect Davian Whitener Commits to Hawaii

Jun 30, 2026

Davian Whitener spent months weighing one of the biggest decisions of his football career. When the process finally came to an end, the feeling was a mix of excitement and relief. The Class of 2027 prospect from Desert Mountain High School has...

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