Hilo High senior Jalen Carvalho was a shooting star on the basketball court, leading not only the league but also the state in scoring with an average of 28.9 points per game, and displaying an improved all-around skill set that
Hilo High senior Jalen Carvalho was a shooting star on the basketball court, leading not only the league but also the state in scoring with an average of 28.9 points per game, and displaying an improved all-around skill set that made him a center of attention.
The 6-foot-3 shooting guard impacted the Big Island Interscholastic Federation with an offensive assault of other high averages: 44 percent shooting, including 40 percent (62 of 129) from 3-point range, 8.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.1 steals per game. When he attacked the rim, he buried free throws at an 82 percent clip.
Carvalho was named the BIIF Player of the Year in Division I by the league’s coaches, beating a field of other worthy candidates.
“I’m really honored and humbled getting player of the year,” he said. “I couldn’t have done it without the coaching staff, my teammates and help of our supporters.
“This is a next step where I want to be. I’ve just got build off that and keep getting better and better, be the best I can be and go to college and play ball.”
BIIF champion Konawaena placed two players on the first team: senior guard Brandon Awa and senior forward Jonah Bredeson. League runner-up Waiakea had the other two: senior center Lucas St. George and senior guard/forward Dillon Rellez.
Last season, Carvalho hurt his left foot and the injury hampered his play. He wasn’t recognized as a junior; Carvalho made the second team as a sophomore in 2012. St. George and Rellez were on the East division’s first team last year while Awa and Bredeson were on the West division’s second team.
Carvalho’s scoring tag-team partner, senior guard Austin “Audie” Dante, received honorable mention as did sophomore point guard EJ Narido. Dante, who wasn’t recognized last year, led Hilo with 16 points against Konawaena in the BIIF semifinals.
“I’ve always thought the player of the year is someone other teams have to practice to stop. That other teams would specifically work on ways to stop that player,” first-year Hilo coach Chuck Vallero said. “Other teams had balance and really good players, but they had to change their defense in how they wanted to go after Jalen. Even though they did that, he was still able to get his points. That showed the type of player he is.”
“I can’t vote for my own player, but the other coaches saw his talent and recognized it,” Vallero said. “He was our main scorer but he still liked to share the ball and was unselfish. He led by example and was a good leader. … He really developed with a lot of time and effort in the offseason. He’s going to have a really good college career.”
Carvalho has about a dozen offers on the table from junior colleges, three Division II schools in Hawaii (UH-Hilo, BYU-Hawaii and Chaminade), as well as a full-ride from Oregon Tech Institute, the NAIA school and home of 2010 Kohala graduate Brandon Bautista.
Carvalho credited his shooting upgrade, especially his fluid catch-and-fire delivery, to Hilo’s first-year coach and Bill O’Rear, a UH-Hilo Hall of Famer, turning what once was a weakness into the sharpest weapon in his toolbox.
“My strength was my pull-up jumper and 3-point shot. Toward the end of the season, I hardly attacked the rim. I mostly hit jump shots because I trusted myself to knock them down,” Carvalho said. “I never really had a jump shot. But coach Bill O’Rear came to practice and taught me to shoot better. I got comfortable and used it more and more.
“Coach Chuck helped me a lot with my shooting balance, dribbling and being smarter mentally. Over the summer, I went to one camp on Oahu and worked on my dribbling and pretty much all the other skills, shooting, passing, jumping and putting in work day in and day out.”
In December, at the St. Joseph Cardinal Classic, Carvalho put on a preseason shooting clinic with 47 points as Hilo defeated Waiakea 67-64 in the title game. He hit two buzzer-beaters, including the overtime game-winner, and buried 21 of 24 free throws.
His most memorable highlight was the last BIIF regular-season game against Kealakehe with the No. 4 and last seed on the line to the four-team playoffs. Carvalho scored 36 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and the Vikings toppled the Waveriders 80-74.
“It was the last game of the season, do or die. If we lose we’re not going to the playoffs. If we win, we have a playoff spot,” Carvalho said. “It was a close game and then we won by six. The best part of the season was being around my teammates, growing with the coaching staff and having fun.”
