Post-season interview with Gib Arnold, Part I
The off-season started much earlier than the Hawaii basketball team would have preferred, but head coach Gib Arnold is not going to sit at home and mope about it.
Arnold hit the recruiting trail less than 24 hours after the Warriors’ season ended with a loss to New Mexico State in the semifinals of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament on March 9. He hasn’t stopped since.
Arnold is currently on a cross-country trip to scout various prospects, and then will head to New Orleans next week to watch the Final Four and meet with other coaches from around the country.
WarriorInsider.com caught up with Arnold before he departed on his trip to chat about several topics. The interview will be posted in three parts over the next three days.
In Part I posted here, Arnold discusses:
• The season just completed. “I thought there were some great moments in the season. I was proud of the guys for a lot of things they did,” he said. “I thought how we ended the season. I thought we played really well at the WAC Tournament and played with great heart, and I think there are a lot of bright spots to look forward to … we had a tough two weeks there where we didn’t play really well, but outside of that, I thought the season went real well.”
• Goals for this off-season. “Right now, I’ve told the guys that their No. 1 thing they need to do is concentrate on academics. They need to finish strong,” he said. “On the physical side of it, get bigger, stronger faster.”
• Vander Joaquim’s potential off-season with the Angola national team. “We support that if that’s indeed what he wants to do,” Arnold said. “I think that’s a great experience. But Vander is also trying to decide if that’s the best option for him. There’s a chance that he could stay here and workout and continue on with some summer school courses.”
Arnold could not comment on specific recruits, but said: “I can’t get into specifics at all … just going out there and looking for the next great one.”
(WarriorInsider.com file photo courtesy Brandon Flores)
hopefully u come home with 3 big smiles…you and two recruits
… TWO (or more) with Legit Chances to be The Next Great One … and the One After That …. SOONEST …
[IF You Don’t Ask, You Got No Right to Expect…]
Go get ‘em, coach! Enjoyed watching Zane and Miah play during their collegiate careers and best wishes to them with their future endeavors, but time now to reload!
Vander should do what his heart tells him to do, but I’d like to see him take a break from basketball — meaning stay in Hawaii — and get in the weight room and work on strengthening his lower body, and also work on his individual skills. There was a point in the season when I wondered if he was starting to burn out after playing a full college season, followed by a summer with the Angolan national team. Maybe he might benefit from taking the summer off from playing ball and recharging because I’d imagine the demands of the national team are every bit as taxing as the college season. Just my two cents. And thanks, Dayton, for the postseason interview. Looking forward to parts II and III.
Vander also needs to work on the mental aspects of the game and to stay in control . Maybe talk to a sports psycologist on staff at UH, also hit the weights with Heffernan, he is by far the best on staff at UH and has the knowledge of up to date techniques for a particular sport. Vander make an effort to get help from Tommy Heffernan. He is the man.