4-Star PG JJ Mandaquit Recaps Washington State Visit; Talks LSU, Hawai'i, and San Diego State
JJ Mandaquit is the No. 51 player in the 2025 On3 150. The 6-foot-1 point guard at Salt Lake City (UT) Utah Prep was one of 84 players participating at the USA Basketball Junior National Team October Minicamp this weekend. This is Mandaquit’s second year participating in the USA Basketball program.
“Last year, playing with all those talented players, I really needed to carve out my role,” Mandaquit told On3. “I needed to be the floor general who helped everyone play together, be a glue guy, and do whatever the team needed for me to win.
“I’m a leader; I look to make everyone around me better. Coming into camps like this, I look forward to getting guys in the right positions and getting them easy looks.
On3 caught up with four-star JJ Mandaquit to talk about his recruitment.
“I’ve taken one official visit so far, Washington State,” Mandaquit said. “I’ve been talking with Hawai’i, San Diego State, and LSU some about possible visits.”
Mandaquit Talks Washington State
Washington State: “The visit there was awesome. Pullman is a very special place. It was a great weekend to be there, too. The women’s volleyball team beat BYU, which was a huge win. The football team beat Wisconsin that weekend, and everyone rushed onto the field. It was cool to see how the community really supports the school and how the school really represents the people. The coaching staff welcomed my family with open arms. It was a great experience.
“Derrick Low, who played at Washington State, has been somewhat of a mentor to me. He has been someone I can really lean on through the process. He’s been through it all and has been someone I can call if I’m going through some stuff.”
Mandaquit Talks Recruitment
Hawai’i: “It’s my home state. I have a lot of pride in representing Hawai’i; it really means a lot to me. I’m always rooting for them, and I feel like everyone who is from Hawai’i has a lot of pride and looks forward to representing that. It’s been to see them progress and get really good.”
LSU: “Their brand stands out for me. They’re a program that is really growing. The staff is doing a really good job recruiting. I have a good relationship with them. I think they can turn the program around and have success; there are a lot of things there to be excited about.”
San Diego State: “The coaching staff sticks out to me. I really like the way they do things around the program. A lot of people talk about culture, but Coach Dutch (Brian Dutcher) has been there forever. He’s always been successful. Just to see the run they had last year, carrying that underdog mentality, is something I like, too. I like how they run things over there.”
Mandaquit’s USA Basketball Experience
JJ Mandaquit made the USA Basketball team this summer, winning the FIBA Americas U16 Championships. Mandaquit played 15.1 minutes per contest, averaging 2.7 assists and 2.0 steals.
“I believe I was the first person from Hawai’i to make the USA Basketball team,” Mandaquit said. “Everyone was super excited for me and reaching out and supporting me. As I said, Hawai’i means everything to me, so to be able to represent them and make the team. All the love people back home showed me has been amazing.”
The Decision
The relationship with the coach is going to be big for me,” Mandaquit said. “I’ll look at the play style too. I want to go into the situation and make an immediate impact. Really, finding somewhere that is the best fit for me is really important.
“I think I play really well in transition and playing fast. I read the defense best that way. Playing in many ball screens, I think my IQ sets me apart, and I can make a big impact in those situations.”