Vulcan senior earns wings
By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer
As a youngster, one of Kyle Bartholomew's favorite pastimes was Bird watching.
The Hawai'i-Hilo senior forward spent hours watching his father, Jay "The Bird" Barthol-omew, showcase his All-America basketball skills in recreational leagues.
In the 1970s, "The Bird" put UH-Hilo on the basketball map, leading the Vulcans to two NAIA district titles and two national tournaments as a high-scoring small forward under coach Jimmy Yagi. Bartholomew, a UH-Hilo Hall of Famer, was a two-time NAIA All-American ('76 and '77).
More than 20 years later, Kyle has emerged as one of the best Hawai'i-born players in the six-team Pacific West Conference and has helped the Vulcans (6-3) to their best start under fourth-year head coach Jeff Law.
"I always wanted to be like him," Bartholomew said of his father. "When I was growing up, he showed me a few moves. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him.
"The best thing I can say is: My dad won, and now the teams I've been on, we win."
Hard work has enabled Bartholomew to succeed. The 1999 Waiakea High School graduate is in the Pac-West's top 15 in scoring (12.8, 12th), rebounding (4.6, 15th), offensive rebounding (2.0, tie 8th) and blocked shots (0.67, 7th).
Bartholomew, 6 feet 4 and 207 pounds, routinely guards taller and heavier opponents. In basketball terms, he's known as a "tweener," a player who is between two positions — too bulky to play the guard position, but too small to play the post positions.
That hasn't stopped him from shooting over taller players and overpowering smaller guards.
"We try to use his tweener to our advantage," Law said. "We let other teams worry about trying to match up with him."
Jay Bartholomew said his son worked countless hours improving his footwork, streamlining his moves and gaining strength.
"It didn't come easy for him," said Jay Bartholomew, who works as a paramedic and is the head boys basketball coach at Waiakea. "He's not a real athletically gifted player like some of the other guys on the team, but he's accomplished everything because of his hard work."
As an example, two summers ago, Bartholomew spent his own money to fly to the Mainland to work with University of Oregon strength and conditioning coach Jim Radcliffe. Working on plyometrics — drills to improve explosiveness and power — he returned stronger and has become one of UH-Hilo's most consistent players.
While teammates rave about Bartholomew's relentless drive, fans gush about his leaping ability. He is a two-time UH-Hilo dunk contest champion.
"He always wins it," guard Kimo Keiter-Charles said. "He's a crowd favorite, by far."
Bartholomew returned the compliment and said many of the spectators are former coaches and players.
"I really like the fans," Bartholomew said. "Half the guys in the stands are the ones who got me to where I'm at."
Added his father: "He's a great example for the high school kids on what they can accomplish if they're willing to work. Kyle didn't have any special talent coming out of high school as much as some of the other guys, but his willingness to work is what really set him apart."
• HPU time moved: The Hawai'i Pacific men's basketball game against the University of Alaska-Fairbanks originally scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Sunday has been moved to 4 p.m. to accommodate Alaska-Fairbanks' travel plans.
VOLLEYBALL
• Must-see TV: The Brigham Young-Hawai'i national champion women's volleyball team will be featured on an upcoming CBS television special.
The program, "CBS Sports Presents Championships of the NCAA," will be aired nationwide on Dec. 28.
A CBS crew followed the Seasiders on the day of the NCAA II championship match. The activities will be condensed into a three-minute segment for the hour-long program. BYUH won its 10th national championship overall, and second in NCAA II, with a victory over Truman State.
The program will air on CBS affiliate KGMB (channel 9) at 8 a.m.
