Digging into Hawaii basketball 2011-12

Not to downplay what appears below but it's always critical to keep in mind that some of the players on any team will move forward over the summer, some will remain in a static state and some will regress. Coupling that with 'determining' the impact of new (unseen) recruits make the following a fun exercise but not much else.

Here's Coach Gib Arnold's current roster:

Dillon Biggs SF 6-foot-6 & 200 FR
Gerry Blakes SG 6-foot-4 & 175 FR
Hauns Brereton SF 6-foot-7 & 205 JR
Dominick Brumfield PF 6-foot-8 & 220 JR
Vander Joaquim PF 6-foot-10 & 240 JR
Zane Johnson SG 6-foot-6 & 210 SR
Bobby Miles PG 6-foot-1 & 190 SO
Pi'i Minns SG 6-foot-4 & 180 SO Walk-on
DeShawn Mitchell SF 6-foot-5 & 205 JR
Davis Rozitis PF 7-foot-0 & 215 SO
Ronnie Stevens PF 6-foot-8 & 225 FR
Shaquille Stokes PG 5-foot-10 & 160 FR
Jace Tavita SG 6-foot-4 & 205 JR Walk-on
Joston Thomas PF 6-foot-7 & 225 SR
Trevor Wiseman SF 6-foot-7 & 210 SO

That breaks down to Vander Joaquim, Davis Rozitis, Joston Thomas, Dominick Brumfield and Ronnie Stevens upfront.

Joaquim and Thomas should be the starters, the former a lock, the latter a strong probability. Joaquim and Rositis are the centers and it will be equally interesting to see if Joaquim can take his effectiveness up another notch or two like he did this past season and if Rozitis can contribute at this level (the PAC-10 was simply an overreach).

Thomas has to demonstrate he both understands and accepts where on the court he can contribute the most and simply forget the trey ball (of which his accuracy was 15%). There's also no way he should be at 45% overall shooting although his long distance attempts are dragging down this number. Bill Amis has departed so his minutes are there for the earning.

Brumfield is an unknown. He underwent microfracture knee surgery and basically disappeared from sight this past season. Again, playing time is available if he can take advantage of the opportunity and UH would be a much stronger team if he asserts himself as a solid forward option.

Stevens will be brought along slowly this season unless injuries create an opening.

The so-called 'Smalls' upfront are Trevor Wiseman, Hauns Brereton, DeShawn Mitchell and Dillon Biggs at the wing with a bit of two guard mixed in. Brereton has the most complete game, bringing in shooting and rebounding, Wiseman is the team's top defender and energy supplier while Mitchell, the ultimate in hit-and-miss recruits, could really help with dribble-drive scoring which is a need on the squad.

Brereton did go to the foul line 193 times last season in community college ball, so that combined with his catch-and-shoot talent, makes him the odds-on favorite for starting at the wing but he may have to play some four depending on the development of others.

The lefty Mitchell had previous stops at Rider and UNLV (did we miss any?) and seemingly is in a similar category as Joston Thomas was this season. That being he needs to earn the PT he desires or some resulting attitude may get displayed. But Mitchell has run out of possibilities if he wishes to play D-1 ball as yet another transfer isn't feasible. He can help the Rainbow Warriors if he buys in and plays the role designed for him by the coaches.

Wiseman will get his minutes because he does the dirtywork coaches relish plus he's a strong rebounder for his size.

Biggs has solid potential but the body isn't there yet -- in fact, he might be a redshirt candidate.

There are certainly a lot of interchangeable upfront parts to tinker with here.

As for strictly guards, it's Zane Johnson, Bobby Miles, Jace Tavita, Shaquille Stokes and Gerry Blakes.

Johnson can also play some at the three spot but should be employed major minutes as a shooter-scorer in the backcourt. Developing a fill-in (and eventual replacement) for him is a necessary goal for the upcoming season. Can frosh Gerry Blakes do just that? Right now, he's more of a transition talent so monitor his shooting prowess and progress.

Miles, Tavita and Stokes are the candidates for running the show, until Miah Ostrowski returns in December or so from playing slotback on the football squad. Miles was effective early on but hit a bit of a wall as the season progressed. Stokes, even as a freshman, looks like the likeliest candidate to earn the early-on starting nod. Tavita, a Utah transfer, is a January eligible who looks like he has some passing and defending skills.

SUMMARY

With Bill Amis gone, this is Zane Johnson's team and him remaining healthy all season is a must.

PTW sees Brereton as the next leading UH scorer and second best distance shooter, with Thomas and Mitchell falling in next. For the sake of harmony, these are roles best suited for each. But Joaquim needs to get his portion of shots too so it's going to be a fascinating situation to study.

Stokes needs to be the real deal from the get-go at the point.