College basketball was always the goal for Jessiya Villa, and he's certainly seen his share of it. After graduating high school in 2017, could he have imagined he'd still be playing NCAA basketball as a 27-year-old?
"I didn't expect to be a super duper senior, but I do appreciate every second of this time that I've been granted, and I do believe that there is a reason for it, whether it is to inspire certain people or for me to learn a life lesson," Villa told Aloha State Daily in a recent interview. "It's been a long journey, but I've appreciated every step of the journey."
Born on O‘ahu, Villa spent his early childhood in the Philippines as his father finished his professional basketball career. The oldest of 10 children, Villa immediately took a liking to basketball and shined on the court. A three-year standout at Martinsburg High School in West Virginia, Villa played his senior year at Kahuku under his uncle, Brandyn Akana.
Led by Villa, a shifty 5-foot-11 point guard, the Red Raiders won the state title in 2017. He went on to win a bevy of individual awards, including Gatorade Player of the Year in Hawai‘i. He signed a National Letter of Intent with the University of Hawai‘i on a basketball scholarship before going on a two-year church mission to Ghana.
"It definitely opened my eyes quite a bit," Villa recalled. "You grow up pretty fast. After you leave the comfort of your own home and the comfort of your own family, I definitely grew up quite a bit at a rapid speed, just being on my own and trying to figure life out."
Upon returning from his mission, Villa redshirted the 2019-2020 season for the Rainbow Warriors to get his bearings back. In the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Villa transferred a mile over to Chaminade, where his grandfather, Bill was the athletic director from 2008 to 2020.
Villa competed for four seasons for the Silverswords, yet by the time the 2023-2024 season was complete, he still had two seasons of collegiate eligibility remaining. The 2020-2021 season did not count towards a given player's eligibility clock due to the pandemic, while Villa was granted a medical hardship waiver for the 2021-2022 season after an injury limited him to play just two games.
Prior to the 2024-2025 season, Villa joined Hawai‘i-Hilo, where he joined forces with his brother Telryn, the second oldest of the 10 Villa children. Telryn Villa, a 2020 graduate of Martinsburg High School, is curently a junior. Jessiya and Telryn never competed on a team together prior to Hilo.
"I wanted to play with my brother, and that would have been the first time in our family that it has ever happened," Jessiya recalled. "I just wanted to represent our family in a different way, and obviously play alongside him, and then play under a great coaching staff as well."
The on-court chemistry between the brothers is there, despite their previous childhood battles.
"We competed every day," Jessiya Villa recalled of their younger days. "We would fight over who would plug in something first in an outlet. When our mom asked us to go to bed, who could turn the TV off first?"
In his final season of collegiate basketball, Jessiya Villa has been a steady presence at the point for the Vulcans. Despite a 98-46 loss to Hawai‘i on Wednesday night at the Stan Sheriff Center, Villa had 10 points, two assists and no turnovers in a start against the team he began his collegiate career with.
Collegiate athletes in Villa's age range have generally tried their hand at adulthood first. In Villa's case, a set of circumstances have kept him in college following his mission in Ghana.
"It's crazy that it's been nearly a decade. I didn't think my career was going to be this way. However, I'm grateful and appreciative that it has because I was able to inspire a lot of people that I've played with, and vice versa. I've played with a lot of amazing athletes and very high IQ individuals," Villa said. "I've played under amazing coaches, amazing staffs, and hopefully it continues to the professional level."
When his playing days end, Villa already has a head start on his next chapter. His business, Island Grind LLC, assists in helping young hoopsters with skill development.
Another indication of how long Villa has been in college? UH-Hilo freshman guard Nahiku Nahale-a is one of Villa's former youth clients at Island Grind LLC. Villa's Vulcan teammates occasionally rib him about his age, skipping the "unc" description and going straight to "grandpa." But to Villa, getting a prolonged college career beats never having one.
"One of my main takeaways will be a piece of advice that I actually strive to live by, and that's to expect nothing but appreciate everything," he said. "I cherish it every day. There are times where adversity hits, there are times where I see the lows, but for the most part, it's been up, and it will continue to be up.
"I think I'm continuously learning a lot. You got to have fun your last year. If it's any piece of advice I could give to seniors in their last collegiate game, or season for any sport, it's to just cherish the moment. Have as much fun as you can, because you don't get this time back."
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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
