A Roderick Flemings interview

KahalaM5 at the Scout Hawaii site message board provides a link to an interview with Roderick Flemings.

Go here.

A little more on Hawaii's guard signings

It's not news but here more from Dayton Morinaga and from Brian McInnis on Hawaii's signing of Jeremy Lay and Dwain Williams.

Both backcourters will upgrade the Rainbow Warrior backcourt.

The biggest question is will Roderick Flemings stay or go to the NBA? We think he has a chance as a late first-rounder --providing he impresses during his visits -- but a much better chance of going higher if he plays another season in Honolulu. Plus, with two new guards and more help on the way, Hawaii now has the opportunity to contend for the WAC title next season. Bob Nash needs to sign a solid big who can score and rebound inside and then Hawaii will be very tough.

Hawaii lands a major talent -- maybe

After all the hoopla and headlines comes the fine print.

We have no wish to rain on Bob Nash's parade as his landing of Roderick Flemings is quite the coup. Flemings is a talent Hawaii desperately needed -- someone who can create and score, as the Rainbow Warrior roster is filled primarily with complementary players.

But Flemings apparently has some academic catchup to do and it also wouldn't be surprising if the kid bolts to the NBA after one season, ready for the pros or not. He's collected a series of mailing addresses since high school so will he or won't he make his way to Honolulu and for how long? Bob Nash is willing to take that chance and the success of the Rainbow Warrior season will be heavily dependent on this one kid.

UH lands JC All-American
Swingman Flemings called most talented recruit since A.C.
Dayton Morinaga
Honolulu Advertiser
April 26, 2008

The last shot of the recruiting season for the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team turned out to be its best.

Roderick Flemings, a junior college first-team All-America player, signed his letter of intent yesterday to play for the Rainbow Warriors.

"Let everybody know ... I'm going to be at Hawai'i," Flemings said. "A lot of schools were looking at me, but I feel like Hawai'i is the best place for me."

Flemings is 6 feet 7 and 215 pounds, and shoots with his left hand. He said he can play either the shooting guard or small forward position. "My game is versatile," he said. "I'm left-handed, so other teams have a hard time guarding me. I feel like I can shoot the 3 or take it to the basket. I can even post-up, if that's what it takes."

The proof is in the statistics. Flemings averaged 20.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.7 steals and 1.6 blocked shots per game as a sophomore at Weatherford (Texas) College last season...

Go here for the remainder.

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Here is a report from a Kentucky perspective:

Yes, Flemings to Hawaii
Jody Demling
Louisville Courier-Journal
April 26, 2008

The news broke last night that Roderick Flemings is going to Hawaii, picking the Rainbows over Kentucky. The UK staff will simply move on.

Remember UK fans, Flemings still has a lot of work this summer to become eligible. So even had he committed it wouldn't have been a sure thing.

Not a huge loss.

and

Friday, April 11, 2008
JUCO standout to visit UK?

Weatherford (Tx.) Community College forward Roderick Flemings is one of the top prospects still available in the Class of 2008. The 6-foot-7 Flemings, who was named a first-team junior college All-American, has a lot of big-time schools inquiring about his status and it appears Kentucky is in the mix.

I talked with coach Mark Osina earlier and he updated me a bit on his status.

"He has taken no visits and every school is calling," Osina said. "He's 6-7, 210 and can play inside and outside. He has a good attitude, is long and very talented."
Osina said Flemings will get plenty of attention from colleges in the coming months if "he can get it done academically. He'll have to go to summer school."

When asked if Flemings had a visit to UK set up for this weekend, Osina said "no, not to my knowledge." I know it's been reported the player will visit this weekend and I have left a message for Flemings to try and confirm if he's coming to Lexington or not.

"Kentucky sends him mail all the time, they have called and been here three or four times," said Osina, who did mention Flemings might visit Hawaii next week.

Flemings has also entertained the possibility of entering the NBA draft, and will be working out for a couple of NBA teams, according to him. However, his lack of D-1 experience make a direct entry into the NBA from junior college an unlikely scenario.

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Here's some more background, a report from 2006:

TexasHoops.com Recruiting Staff
TexasHoops.com
May 9, 2006

Sometimes your initial gut feel doesn't end up working out. When Roderick Flemings originally picked Oklahoma State as his college of choice, the versatile 6-foot-7, 215-pound swingman thought he'd be a Cowboy for his entire collegiate career. But after a year in the program, he felt that a fresh start was needed. Flemings made the decision to transfer out, and he's heading back home to North Texas having signed a letter-of-intent to play at UNT in 2007-08.

"It's just a good program," Flemings said. "I was looking around at some other schools, but I thought that UNT was a good team. I like the coaching staff, the way they run the offense, the environment - everything. It's close to my home too."

Some of the other schools Flemings was in contact with after receiving his release from Oklahoma State included Memphis, New Mexico State, UNLV, and Tennessee. When when Flemings stepped back and looked at the situation in front of him at UNT, he just couldn't turn all that down. "I'll play small forward," Flemings said. "I'll do everything, whether it's posting up or shooting outside - everything. I just need to work on my ball-handling and that's about it."

A hat tip to the on-court Matt Gibson

Love him or hate him and the latter seems to be the choice of the majority of opposing fans, Matt Gibson is a competitor who gives his all on the court. He's certainly stumbled a few times what with some suspensions but the bottomline is we would like having Gibson on our team.

Emotions help ignite UH's fiery point guard
Dayton Morinaga
Honolulu Advertiser

"You can teach fundamentals, like how to dribble and how to shoot," Matt Gibson says. "You can't teach how to have heart, how to play with energy. I've always felt like that's how you can make up for mistakes or missed shots."

This Is The Way I Live

Matt Gibson does everything at full throttle.

Like a speed demon, he is equal parts exciting and dangerous as the point guard for the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team.

It is why he is one of the most beloved and bewildering Rainbow Warriors of all time.

"The first day I met him, I knew he was unique," teammate Alex Veit said. "He's like his own category."

Gibson, a 6-foot-5 senior, is in the stretch run of his collegiate career. The 'Bows will close the regular season with road games at Louisiana Tech tomorrow and then at New Mexico State on Saturday.

The Western Athletic Conference Tournament is scheduled for March 11 to 15 at Las Cruces, N.M.

Hawai'i, which is 11-16 overall and 7-7 in the WAC, will be the No. 5 seed for the tournament, regardless of what happens this week.

"As a senior, as the point guard, I feel like a lot of the responsibility for how we do is in my hands," Gibson said. "The fact that we're not No. 1 in the WAC right now, I place a lot of the blame on myself. But this season's not over. We make a run here at the end, and all those losses will be forgotten."

This Is The Way I Live

The words are part of a tattoo on Gibson's left arm. The rest of the tattoo features a young man sitting on a bench, his face buried in his hands, a basketball at his feet.

"I don't like tattoos, and every time he gets one, I let him know I don't like it," said his father, Lon Gibson. "But that one bothered me more than the others. It just looked so sad."

Gibson had the tattoo done prior to this season.

"It represents the times of me persevering through my struggles," he said. "It reminds me that life isn't always easy or fair, but all I have to do is open my eyes and basketball will always be there."

Just like the tattoo, Gibson can be an enigma...

Go here for the remainder.

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride - WAC style

It was yet another wild night in the WAC Thursday evening -- here you go.

This wasn't unexpected but was closer than many thought:

BSU men all alone in first place in WAC standings
The Broncos win at SJSU for the sixth straight time and turn their attention to Hawaii.
NICK JEZIERNY
2/29/08

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Redshirt freshman Paul Noonan gave the Boise State men's basketball team the lift it needed, then senior Tyler Tiedeman strapped the Broncos on his back down the stretch to help them earn an important win Thursday night.

BSU scored a 74-68 victory over San Jose State in front of 2,247 at The Event Center. The win, coupled with New Mexico State's loss at Nevada, puts the Broncos (21-7 overall, 11-3 WAC) in sole possession of first place.

"It's definitely a big win," said Noonan, who scored 11 of his 13 points in the first half and helped BSU erase a seven-point deficit.

The victory could be a costly one, though. Senior Matt Nelson, who scored 12 points, seven rebounds and a team-high four assists, left with 1 minute, 35 seconds to play with an ankle injury. His status for Saturday night's game at Hawaii is uncertain.

"I don't think he's going to be able to play," said teammate Matt Bauscher, who returned from his own ankle injury and started Thursday. "He basically did what I did."

Tiedeman, who was plagued by foul trouble in the first half, led five Broncos in double figures with 16 points. He scored eight in a row after the Spartans (12-15, 4-9) had taken a 59-53 lead with 7:57 to play to give the Broncos the lead for good...

Go here for the remainder.

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This could have consequences and makes Saturday's SJSU home game versus Idaho critical. SJSU remains a win ahead of Idaho and wants to avoid the task of being a participant in the play-in game to the WAC tourney:

Jason Kaneshiro
Honolulu Star Bulletin
February 29, 2008

Hawaii hadn't lost at home in more than a month. Idaho hadn't won on the road all season.

Both streaks came to a stunning end last night as the Vandals raided the Stan Sheriff Center for an 85-77 overtime win over the Rainbow Warriors before a crowd of 3,411.

A 3-pointer by Idaho's Michael Crowell with 22.1 seconds left in regulation knotted the game at 68-68, and the Vandals (7-19, 4-10 Western Athletic Conference) went 5-for-6 from the field and 6-for-7 from the free-throw line in the extra period to send the Rainbows (11-15, 7-6) to their third straight loss.

"It's disappointing to lose on your home court, or lose anywhere," UH coach Bob Nash said. "But it's doubly disappointing when you have the lead and all you have to do is come down and make a stop on defense.

"When the game is in the balance you gotta make a stop on defense and we didn't get it done tonight..."

Go here for the remainder.

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Nevada seems to have NMSU's number:

Pack hoops: Nevada has 'Fields' day
Steve Sneddon
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
February 29, 2008

It's hard for anyone to get any elbow room in a crowded Western Athletic Conference regular-season title race.

But the Nevada men's basketball team found enough room to squeeze into second place in the race as Brandon Fields scored a career-high 29 points and Marcelus Kemp had 27 points and eight assists to lead the Wolf Pack to a wire-to-wire 98-85 victory in front of 8,750 at Lawlor Events Center on Thursday night. The Wolf Pack, 18-10 overall and 10-4 in the conference, stayed a game behind first-place Boise State, which took a 74-68 win at San Jose State on Thursday.

"It was a big win for our team. It puts us in a better position to win the whole thing," Kemp said.

Fields also grabbed nine rebounds to lead Nevada to a 40-35 advantage on the boards against the WAC's best rebounding team. Fields came back after being held scoreless in the Pack's 74-49 loss in a BracketBuster game at Southern Illinois last Saturday.

"I was more aggressive on the rebounding end and once I became a good rebounder points came to me," Fields said...

Go here for the remainder.

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USU won as expected:

Ags too much for Tech
Shawn Harrison
Logan Herald Journal
February 29, 2008

A strong start and finish were more than enough for the Aggies on Thursday night.

An outmanned Louisiana Tech squad made it interesting for a while, but the Utah State men’s basketball team had no problem staying perfect at home this year. The Aggies snapped a three-game losing skid in Western Athletic Conference play with an 86-59 thumping of the Bulldogs in front of another sold-out (10,270) Dee Glen Smith Spectrum crowd.

This is the ninth straight season USU has recorded 20 wins.

“I’m really excited about that,” said Aggie guard Jaycee Carroll, who scored a game-best 30 points. “I’ve been staring at 18 and 19 on our win column for a long time. We had that losing streak, got off that and now have 20 wins. It feels really good. Now we have an opportunity to get a bunch more wins.”

Louisiana Tech (4-22, 1-12 WAC) did tie up the game at 23 with 6:47 left in the first half. But the Bulldogs would never lead in the contest.

“These games are always hard because you’re in a situation where you feel like you have to win, and you’re supposed to win,” USU head coach Stew Morrill said. “It’s a good win. We shot a high percentage, and we did what we needed to do.”

USU (20-9, 9-4) certainly did shoot the ball well. The Aggies shot a season-high 67.3 percent from the field, including making 35-of-45 from inside the 3-point arc. The 67.3 percent shooting tied for the seventh-best in school history...

Go here for the remainder.

Hawaii on a roll despite injuries

Honolulu Advertiser columnist Ferd Lewis has a column today on the recent impressive play by Hawaii -- this despite an assortment of injuries and missing frontcourters. One element Lewis doesn't touch upon is the experience of the Rainbow Warrior starting five -- four seniors, two of them fifth-year types -- make up the quintet coming out to begin games. That's an enormous factor.

UH hoops hitting its stride
Ferd Lewis
Honolulu Advertiser
January 3, 2008

A month ago as this Western Athletic Conference men's basketball season began, any use of University of Hawai'i and "win the conference" in the same sentence by head coach Bob Nash would have prompted laughter, if not outright derision.

It is still a longshot, but when, in response to a question about the Rainbow Warriors' goals, Nash last night linked the two once disparate elements, saying, "Whether we can win the conference, we're going to give it our best effort," there wasn't so much as a snicker in the post-game press conference.

In the wake of a 71-57 thumping of Louisiana Tech last night that left the 'Bows 6-3 in the conference — and in a tie for third place, a game out of first place — UH is sitting pretty.

Pretty amazing, really.

For here is a team that got skunked — 0-3 — in its own Rainbow Classic and then proceeded to lose two of its first three WAC games. Hardly your precursor of success.

But since then, these 'Bows have won five of six games, including three in a row. Remarkable, really, when you consider that three of their biggest players, 6-foot-11 Stephen Verwers, 6-10 Ji Xiang and 6-8 P. J. Owsley were sitting side-by-side on the bench last night in street clothes. Only Owsley, who has a knee injury, might make it back.

"I'm sure they (the other WAC schools) are scratching their heads and trying to figure out how we're getting it done with all these injuries and problems," Nash said. "I'd probably scratch my head, too, about where we are at this point..."

Go here for the remainder.

Hawaii falls at home

Hawaii had a game in its grasp, one that especially hurts because it was in the islands where the Rainbow Warriors have a solid winning percentage and against a beatable opponent. This is yet another contest that could have helped the WAC RPI rating and now is another of what seems likes a thousand conference 'cuts' so far this season. Will the bleeding ever stop?

Rainbows banished to daylight play in Classic
Dayton Morinaga
Honolulu Advertiser
December 20, 1007

A daytime party isn't quite like one at night.

The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team will find that out the hard way after a stunning 61-59 loss to Louisiana-Lafayette on the opening night of the 44th annual Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic last night

A crowd of 3,583 at the Stan Sheriff Center watched the Rainbow Warriors lose a first-round game in the Rainbow Classic for the first time since 1995.

Hawai'i, which dropped to 3-5, will play St. John's in a consolation game tomorrow at 11 a.m.

ULL, which improved to 3-6, advanced to tomorrow's semifinals, where it will play Ohio at 7:30 p.m.

"It's tough. This hurts," Hawai'i senior guard Riley Luettgerodt said. "The season's not over, obviously. But it feels like it."

The 'Bows led for most of the game, but surrendered the lead with 6:15 remaining.

Hawai'i also blew several opportunities in the closing minute.

"I'm terribly disappointed we didn't get the job done tonight," Hawai'i head coach Bob Nash said. "I thought we had enough preparation for this game. I'm not going to make any excuses. We just didn't get the job done tonight."

The Ragin' Cajuns won despite shooting just 30.5 percent from the field. The key, according to ULL head coach Robert Lee, was defense...

Go here for the rest.

A preview of Boise State men's basketball for 2007-2008

Here's the latest version of our Boise State preview.

Greg Graham can coach--there's no doubt about it. Greg Graham runs a clean program. Greg Graham is the type of person you would welcome to coach your son.

But when contrasted with the enormous -- some would say inexplicable to a degree -- success of the school's football program, men's hoops at Boise State inevitably suffers in comparison.

This has produced a number of Boise-atics who want changes in THEIR men's basketball squad, starting at the top.

Driven by the sports talk show callers and brew pub denizens, the complaints of 'if Dan Hawkins (now Chris Peterson) could do it, when 22 starters are required, then why can't it happen in men's basketball?' are echoing.

Even the success of Gordy Presnell with the Broncos women's basketball team -- conference co-championship, winner of the 2007 WAC tourney, 2007 Russell Athletic/Women's Basketball Coaches Association's Region 7 Coach of the Year and the Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year -- furthers the degree of pressure.

So who and what does Graham have at his disposal in PCB (Post Coby Karl) 2007-2008 to quiet the disaffected?

Here are his returnees:

Anthony Thomas -- guard 6-0 202 sophomore. Thomas was a very pleasant surprise with his numbers as a redshirt freshman and a continuation of his progress is critical for Boise to have a productive backcourt. He averaged 5.0 ppg. (but double figures in the last set of games), shooting 46% overall, 37% on threes. Thomas also compiled 50 assists to 41 turnovers, a decent ratio but especially so for a freshman. To top it off, he garnered WAC Freshman of the Year honors.

Reggie Larry -- forward 6-6 225 senior. The best athlete on the team, Larry scored 13.9 ppg., shooting 48% from the floor and 64% on his foul shots. He also nabbed 8.1 rpg. and led the Broncos with 44 shotblocks. His shooting range is limited, having nailed just 19% of his three-pointers but his physical prowess grants him the opportunities to create his own shot despite taller opposition inside. Larry won a spot on the All WAC Newcomer team.

Matt Nelson -- center 6-9 232 senior. After spending a redshirt season upon transferring from Eastern Washington, Nelson scored 13.9 ppg and grabbed 9.1 rpg., while earning All WAC Newcomer team status. He's only a 58% foul shooter and needs to upgrade that number in order to remain on the court when a close game is nearing completion. Nelson was third on the team in attempted shots, behind Karl and Larry, and should be the #1 or #2 shot taker in the upcoming season. That is, if Boise is to succeed.

Both the scoring and rebounding numbers for Nelson and Larry improved during conference play, indicative of a settling-in and blossoming. Expect more of the same.

Tyler Tiedeman -- wing 6-7 210 senior. He's a long distance, spot-up shooter who will help most in keeping defenders from packing the paint against Nelson and Larry.

Kurt Cunningham -- center 6-9 277 junior. Cunningham is a backup who rarely sees playing time.

Matt Bauscher -- shooting guard 6-2 197 senior. Bauscher is the backcourt version of Tiedeman but a better shooter. He shot 49% from the floor, 38% on 3's last season. Call him the Bronco backcourt designated shooter.

Here are last year's signees, all of whom redshirted:

Paul Noonan -- wing 6-6 200 redshirt freshman. Noonan is described thusly: "averaged 19.5 points and 6.9 rebounds as a senior. Made 54.5 percent of field goal attempts and 79.2 percent of free throw attempts."

Shawn Rouse -- wing 6-7 180 redshirt freshman. As a prep, Rouse averaged 16.3 points while making 46.4 percent of field goal attempts and 31.8 percent of 3-point attempts.

Zack Moritz -- center 6-10 230 redshirt freshman. Moritz averaged 15.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game as a high school senior, shooting 73% from the foul line.

None of these youngsters will play major roles in 2007-2008 for Boise.

Here's the new Graham recruits:

Aaron Garner -- combo guard 6-4 184 junior. A Yuba CC transfer, Garner displays an all-around game and should see time immediately. He averaged 16.2 ppg., shooting 43% from the floor, 42% on three pointers. He also passed for 4.1 apg. while coming up with 44 steals.

Mark Sanchez -- power forward 6-7 240 junior. Out of Pima CC (AZ), Sanchez verballed to Drake right after taking his very first recruiting visit. He then changed his mind after doing a roundtrip meet-and-greet up to Boise, leaving the Missouri Vallery Conference Bulldogs none too happy. Sanchez averaged 19.7 ppg., 8.3 rpg. and 2.0 blocked shots per game. Here's Graham on Sanchez: "Mark brings versatility to the four spot because he is a guy who can play inside and shoot the three. He is a very skilled passer who is unique because he is a 6-7, 240-pound guy who is as comfortable playing outside as inside which is ideal for our system." Sanchez will definitely be in the frontcourt rotation.

Jamar Greene -- combo guard 6-0 190 junior. Greene was a big-time scorer in the junior college ranks but also possesses some creative ability. He and Garner will battle for playing time.

Here's a somewhat fuzzy crystal ball take on Boise's starting five:

center - Matt Nelson
power forward - Reggie Larry
wing - Mark Sanchez
shooting guard - Anthony Thomas
point - Aaron Garner

Larry is but 6-6 but his lack of range predicates he play in and around the paint. Sanchez is bigger and beefier but has better range.

In losing Karl and point Eric Lane to graduation, 190 assists departed, plus Carl's point production. Neither Thomas nor Garner are pure points but, between them, should be able to satisfactorily get the job done.

How will success be defined for Boise State in 2007-2008?

That obviously depends on who is setting the bar. Graham has been successful with the program -- just not at the level some desire. The pressure will be to move the Broncos into the elite of the WAC, say one of the top two spots in the WAC. Barring injuries, with expected player development, Garner and Sanchez contributing right away, and a break or two, such is within sights.

A preview of Hawaii men's basketball 2007-2008

Here's our take on Bob Nash's Hawaii squad for next season:

Bob Nash is finally helming the Hawaii team after twenty years as an assistant in Honolulu. Plus, Nash played as a Rainbow Warrior back in the 70s so it would be an understatement to say he bleeds Hawaii.

Taking over for Riley Wallace, Nash is quickly establishing his imprimatur on the team, implementing an up-and-down playing style featuring an attacking offense and a pressure defense.

But the major question he faces is does he currently have the players to do just that? On television, the saying is let's go to the tape. Here, it's let's look at the roster.

Here's the returnees:

Bob Nash wing 6-6 195 senior. Nash started all 31 games last season, averaging 11.2 ppg. He shot 44% overall from the floor, 33% on his three point attempts. He led Hawaii with 125 long range shots while grabbing 4.0 rpg.

Matt Gibson guard 6-5 180 senior. He started 30 games at point guard after sitting out the previous season due to injury and disciplinary actions. Gibson scored 10.2 ppg. He shot 44% on the season, 36% on 3's. His three point attempts numbered 122, second on the team. Gibson was credited with 107 assists.

P.J. Owsley power forward 6-8 245 senior. Owsley wasn't expected to be a starter but he did just that in the last 23 games. He averaged 6.0 ppg., shooting 42% from the floor. Owsley is an intelligent player, putting his smarts to work to counter average, at best, athleticism.

Riley Luettgerodt wing 6-5 210 senior. More was expected from Luettgerodt as he enjoyed a marvelous sophomore season in the junior college ranks prior to landing at Hawaii. He generally came off the bench -- just one start -- and averaged 6.2 ppg. on 38% shooting. His long distance accuracy was an abysmal 17%.

Stephen Verwers center 6-11 255 senior. A transfer from Colorado State, Verwers was a viewed as quite the catch out of high school. He earned eight starts last season and should see more time in 2007-2008 if for nothing else but the fact he's the tallest and beefiest Rainbow Warrior.

Alex Veit power forward 6-8 220 senior.A transfer from Monterey Peninsula College, Veit was a little used backup last season and the same is expected in the upcoming season.

Here's the new recruits:

Paul Campbell F 6-10 215 sophomore (AR JC). Campbell played on year in the junior college ranks, starting every game but averaging just 3.4 ppg. and 4.3 rpg. Coincidentally, this was for the Fort Smith Arkansas team that new San Jose State recruit C.J. Webster was going to play for before he was injured. Here's Nash on Campbell: "Paul is a talented, young, big man who is a very good student. He had a slow start in juco last year but came on late in the year. He was heavily recruited and we're happy to get him. Paul's potential is unlimited. He's athletic, long, and has very good skills for a big man. We've had success with Canadians (in our program) in the past and we feel Paul will continue that tradition."

Conrad Fitzgerald guard 6-4 208 freshman (FL HS but from California). He attended Pendleton School in Bradenton, Fla., the past two years, a prep school that is part of the IMG Academy. Fitzgerald averaged nearly 17 points and 5 rebounds per game during his senior year playing both the small and power forward positions. Prior to Pendleton, attended Calabasas High School in California for two years. Here's Nash on Fitzgerald: "Conrad is an athletic wing who has improved his scoring tremendously from the perimeter. I first saw him as an eighth grader and he's made great strides throughout his high school career. He has tremendous quickness and his athleticism fits our new up tempo style of play."

Adhar Mayen forward 6-7 185 sophomore (TX JC). Mayen played one year at Hill College in Pflugerville, Texas and was named to the all-North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference first team after averaging 13.7 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game. He shott 61% percent from the field, playing primarily the "4" position. Nash on Mayen: "Adhar is a very exciting, explosive wing. He's very talented and has incredible upside. He made all-conference as a freshman in a very tough juco league. The best part is that he's young (18) and with more seasoning and development, he'll be a very good player for us."

Kareem Nitoto guard 6-3 185 freshman (CA HS). Nitoto is out of San Leandro High School. As a senior, he averaged 10.1 points and 3.6 assists per game. As a junior, he averaged 11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. Nash on Nitoto: "Kareem is a very good student of the game on the court and in the classroom. He's an athletic guard who can play both positions for us. Above all, he provides us a much-needed athletic point guard who can beat people off the dribble. He's an excellent defender. We're excited about his potential and his development in our program. We hope this begins a new pipeline into the Bay Area."

Ji Xiang, a 6-10 kid from China, tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and is lost for the season. He's a project and if he physically recovers, this year off may actually turn out to be a positive in his development.

Bill Amis, a 6-9 210 JC transfer from Pratt Community College in Kansas, was a late signee, coming in as a sophomore. Here's Nash on Amis: "Bill attended a camp this summer for the top junior college players and he stood out among the best. He has great upside, having grown from 6-6 in high school to almost 6-9. He's an athletic forward with multiple skills, a good ball handler and shoots well in transition.

Here's our projected view of the starting five:

center - Stephen Verwers
power forward - PJ Owlsey
wing - Riley Luettgerodt
shooting guard - Bobby Nash
point - Matt Gibson

Hawaii was 18-13 last season, 8-8 in conference, 6-2 at home, 2-6 away. With Ahmet Gueye (best shotblocker, best rebounder, second leading scorer, first in foul shots taken) and Matt Lojeski (leading scorer, second in foul shot attempts, second in rebounding, first in assists) having moved on, Nash will be looking for new leadership to emerge. His son will perform in that role and Gibson will also contribute but frontcourt point production could be a season long bugaboo.

Also, keep in mind that six seniors will depart after the upcoming season so not only is Nash making over the team's playing style but he also is facing an almost complete re-do of his roster. His first recruiting class, albeit with a very late start, is more athletic than in possession of polished basketball skills.