HONOLULU – Two weeks to Boise State.
After finishing on the outside of the PacWest Tournament field in 2025, the Hawaii Pacific University men’s basketball team returned all nine possible returners and turned to the transfer portal to put the program back in position for a postseason run in 2025-26 season.
Eight new faces – six college transfers and a pair of former prep standouts – joined the fray in the offseason for the Sharks. After an offseason filled with summer workouts and a couple weeks’ worth of practices, HPU got some “game” action last Saturday with four quarters of officiated intrasquad scrimmages (that ended up going into overtime).
Here are quick takeaways surrounding the new-look Sharks after a few weeks of observations:
Stolen Goods from the Big Sky
HPU’s offseason started with a pair of pulls from the Big Sky, getting former Idaho State G Quentin Meza and Weber State G Nemanja Sarenac to take their talents to the middle of the Pacific Ocean after each hit the transfer portal.
Sarenac, a 6-foot-5 sophomore from Serbia, has a quick, repeatable shot that can provide long-distance spacing for the Sharks at multiple positions. Part of a smaller overall roster, it’ll be important for the wing to compete on the glass and do his fair share of rebounding against bigger opponents and be passable on the defensive end.
Meza, a 6-foot-0 junior, could end up being HPU’s best overall playmaker when looking back on this year. The 2022-23 Utah Gatorade Player of the Year and a 2,000-point scorer in high school, the guard began his college career at Wofford before spending last season in a reserve role for Idaho State.
The Utah native has looked more and more comfortable as he’s gotten more practices with his new teammates under his belt and shows off a natural passing ability that will result in a plethora of easy buckets in the fast-paced offense that Nakanishi and company hope to play this year. Add that to a lightning-quick shot release and a knack for getting paint touches, and fans can look for him to challenge for an all-PacWest selection and give the team an excellent option to add alongside returning starter Avi Halpert.
Welcome back, Josh
Joshua West and Josh Niusulu had two very different experiences for the Sharks last year.
Niusulu missed the entire 2024-25 campaign after suffering a shoulder injury, forcing the defensive standout to redshirt the season and leaving HPU without one of the team’s most versatile pieces.
Through a few weeks of preseason, it looks like the defensive southpaw might’ve re-found his 3-point stroke of his first year with the Sharks again – Niusulu shot 38.5% from long distance over his first 22 games at HPU, though cooled off and hit just 7-of-30 from range in his final seven appearances in 2023-24.
HPU wing Josh Niusulu (23) returns for the Sharks this season after missing 2024-25 due to a shoulder injury. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN
In the meantime, West broke out in his first year with the Sharks as he averaged a team-best 13.7 points and 6.3 rebounds across 29 starts as he earned All-PacWest 3rd-Team honors in his first season after jumping up to the Division II level. Back for more, the 6-foot-3 senior guard is one of just four total returning all-conference selections in the entire league and looks primed for another year filled with honors.
A smooth-moving athlete who loves to contribute on both ends, West is back better than ever with an improved pull-up jumper and 3-point stroke. The smaller Sharks roster calls also calls for more cutting in the half court – something West can be more effective doing than any other player on the roster.
Smaller but still mighty
Unlike the first two years under Jesse Nakanishi with three giants on the roster at all times, Hawaii Pacific’s roster this season only employs one player at 6-foot-8 or taller and that’s true freshman Zane Gaul, a 6-foot-10 center from Prescott, Arizona.
6-foot-7 forward Maj Dusanic is back for his fourth year with HPU, providing some veteran size for an otherwise guard-heavy unit. 6-foot-6 transfer forward Shawn Villanea will fight for time because of his rebounding motor but offensively doesn’t fit a sweet-shooting lineup.
Purdue-Northwest transfer Quinton McCullough is the smallest of the bunch at 6-foot-4 but looks like he provides the best combination of aggressiveness, motor, physicality and consistency for the Sharks to go with in the frontcourt through the start of the preseason.
Local boy and athletic 6-foot-4 forward Kahiau Bruhn has also enjoyed a strong camp, providing defense at multiple spots while showing off a better-than-expected shot from distance. He will be a factor in the rotation throughout the year.
All of them will need to rebound above their height to get the Sharks where they want to be after a year away from the playoffs.
Competition for final rotation spots is hot
Nakanishi and his staff will certainly have options to try out during exhibitions and non-conference.
Casey Steadmon is back for his third year in the islands and the junior wing from Louisville, Kentucky has shown off a more consistent catch-and-shoot release while looking more aggressive in the half court when attacking the rim. An effortless leaper, Steadmon has powered home a few dunks after driving by a defender and into the lane in practice and singlehandedly forced overtime on Saturday with a pair of clutch buckets in the final quarter of scrimmaging.
Local products Justin Yap (Maryknoll) and J Marxen (Mililani) both have bided their time in the HPU system and have had solid practices with good shooting numbers. They’ll battle with JUCO transfer guard Shinichi Itoh and program stalwart Kemp Van Es for a potential situational role as a depth shooter.
