Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones was blessed with basketball genes from his parents, Aaron and Rachel, who both represented New Zealand in netball.
Netball isn’t one of those weird terms like football, what Europeans call soccer. Netball is like basketball but without backboards.
So when Tait-Jones swishes a shot, the UH-Hilo freshman forward can thank his parents for his gifted hand-eye coordination.
On Monday, he was named the PacWest player of the week for the second time after he scored a career-high 26 points in a home win against Hawaii Pacific last Thursday.
Tait-Jones is averaging a team-best 17 points per game, is second in rebounds at 8.7 per game, and leads in blocked shots with 11.
The 6-foot-6 forward dished credit to his team after getting word of the honor.
“It feels great, but I wouldn’t have done it without my teammates,” he said. “It’s not about my individual achievements but for the team as long as we keep winning. That’s the only thing that matters.”
Vulcan fans have not only watched Tait-Jones’ three-level scoring skill set online but also noticed a stark cultural change, after nine straight losing seasons.
“Our coaches have really got us flowing well together. We all play well off each other, and we play hard,” he said. “We pride ourselves on defense, and then everything else comes from there.”
Back home, his dad and his old coach, Kenny McFadden, pointed out the obvious to Tait-Jones after he won his first POW honor.
“Kenny and my dad were beyond happy for me, but they both said that was just the beginning,” he said. “I have to continue to work hard and stay in the gym to get better every day.”
His strength is his transition game. He’s able to rebound, run and score, a reason his stats are so high in scoring and rebounding.
“I feel like I help the team well by rebounding and playing hard,” he said. “The guys really set me up well and put me in the right spots, and all I have to do is put the ball in the hoops.”
In the half-court offense, when he’s on the right low block, Tait-Jones is able to snake through a seam and get to the rim.
Like any good player, he takes smart shots. He rarely forces clunkers, so his 50% shooting from the field is a reflection of his open looks.
When the defensive help comes, the Vuls reverse the ball to Sasa Vuksanovic, who’s made a living dropping left-handed bankers around opponents. He’s averaging 16.5 ppg and 9.9 rpg.
The high-level hoops competition in New Zealand has prepared him well. There hasn’t been a Chaminade or HPU defender who’s been able to put the defensive clamps on him yet.
“I’m used to playing at a high level coming from professional play in New Zealand,” he said. “My teammates and coaches have helped me a lot by helping me with the adjustment to the new style of play and pushing me hard every day.”
The Vulcans visit Chaminade for a two-game set this weekend. They’re 3-1 against the Silverswords.
“We all have the mindset of making it to the NCAA D2 tournament so we’re focused on that,” Tait-Jones said. “We know we have to win every game from here on out, so we have wanted to come out and sweep HPU with two wins.
“We are very confident. We know what we have to do, and that’s win both games. I feel like the guys are ready to go out and play hard, and we’re ready to come home with two wins this weekend.”
Accomplish that and Tait-Jones can finally think about what he misses the most about home, mum’s cooking.
“My favorite dish of hers is a tough one because she has so many,” he said. “I love Mexican food so her tacos are famous around my hometown Wellington.”
