Throughout the 1980s, a tiny Catholic school right next to the H1 Freeway was a giant in Hawai'i high school boys basketball.

Maryknoll did not even have a gym, but it did have premier players like Francis Fletcher - a former Honolulu Advertiser two-time All-State center who died Tuesday after a fall at home, according to the Hawai'i Pacific University athletics Web site.

Fletcher, who played his college ball at Creighton and Chaminade before becoming a longtime assistant coach at HPU, was believed to be 46.

"I've always had the attitude that hard work pays off, and Francis truly was one of the hardest workers I've ever known," said Tony Sellitto, who coached Fletcher at Maryknoll and alongside him at Hawai'i Pacific. "He was a great friend."

Fletcher was the third of a brothers trio that helped turn Maryknoll into a basketball powerhouse. Following in the footsteps of older brothers Kenny and Damon, Francis emerged as a sophomore post in the 1979-80 season going up against local basketball legends Leroy Lutu (University High), Sam Johnson (Moanalua), Dan Hale (Punahou), Reed Sunahara (Hilo) and Frank Lutu ('Iolani).

In 1981, Fletcher led Maryknoll to the state championship game, where the Spartans fell to Hale and Punahou. The following year, Maryknoll returned to the state title game, only to fall short against a Kailua team led by future San Jose State standout George Puou.

At 6 feet 7 and weighing over 200 pounds, Fletcher was a blue-collar worker around the basket with a surprisingly soft touch. He was among the Interscholastic League of Honolulu's free throw leaders, usually hitting about 80 percent from the line.

"The longer I coached, the more I appreciated a guy like Francis," said Sellitto, who built the dynasty at Maryknoll and won an NAIA championship at HPU. "He wasn't the most talented guy, he wasn't pretty to watch, but when the game was over he'd have 25 points and 15 rebounds. He was extremely physical."

Sellitto recalled that when Fletcher was at Chaminade, he helped the Silverswords upset Southern Methodist and Louisville.

"SMU had (future first-round NBA draft lottery pick) Jon Koncak, but Francis just ate those guys up," Sellitto said. "He played in Europe, and if you can't play, you won't last one day in Europe - they're very unforgiving over there. Francis played there eight years."

Fletcher is the third former Maryknoll basketball standout from the 1980s to pass away in the past three years. Blaise Villa, an ILH all-star point guard on the Spartans' 1981 state runner-up team, died in a motorcycle accident in 2007.

Pio Sagapolutele, an ILH all-star center on Maryknoll's 1987 state semifinal team, died last year after an aneurysm.

"It's been tragic," Sellitto said.

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