When you think of Hawai’i, you think of idyllic beaches, beautiful oceans, lush forests and vibrant flowers. Mountains and volcanoes create stunning views and dramatic landscapes. Back in 1888, when it was officially the “Kingdom of Hawai’i” a magazine called Paradise of the Pacific helped introduce the eight islands to the world.
But when Aniwaniwa (pronounced: uh-NEE-wuh-nee-wuh) Tait-Jones arrived at University of Hawai’i at Hilo in 2020, he wasn’t prepared for one less-than-paradisiacal aspect. Situated on the windward side of the Big Island, Hilo is the rainiest city in the United States. Tait-Jones, having just arrived from New Zealand, didn’t have a car.
“I was getting stuck in the rain biking to the gym,” Tait-Jones recalls, laughing. “I’m at the gym and it’s pouring with rain, so it’s like ‘I gotta stay in the gym.'”
A youth rugby and soccer star, Tait-Jones didn’t pick up basketball until he was about 12, when his dad, Aaron, introduced him to the game, and even when he reached high school, he still only played recreationally. But those poor rec-leaguers never stood a chance, and a hobby became an obsession. Thanks to an unshakeable belief, a lot of hard work, a dedicated support system and lots and lots of airplane miles, Tait-Jones turned himself into a college basketball player. And if the story ended there, it’d be a hell of a story.
Instead, it’s become even more remarkable. Magical. Essentially a fairytale, though don’t misconstrue Tait-Jones’ current team as a Cinderella.
Tait-Jones is the unlikely star of one of the most unlikely stories in college basketball this season: The 26-4 UC San Diego Tritons, a team not only eligible for NCAA postseason play for the first time, but one ready to make plenty of noise, too.
Only four Division I teams have more wins this season. The Tritons are on an 11-game winning streak, tied for the second-longest in D-I. Ten of the 11 are by double…
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