August updates from Gib Arnold and Brandon Spearman
Gib Arnold earned a lot of frequent flier miles in July – “I know I can fly the family around the world if I had to,” he said.
The true payoff will come in mid-November, when recruits can sign National Letters of Intent.
July is considered a busy recruiting month in college basketball, mainly because most of the prospects are participating in summer tournaments. Arnold and his staff represented the Hawai’i basketball program around the country – and the world, for that matter – to scout some of the prospects.
“I think it went really well,” Arnold said. “A lot of travel, obviously … we got a lot done. Couple of the guys we’ve been recruiting for a couple years now, we’re real close to getting those commitments sealed up. We feel real confident in that. And we saw a couple new guys that we liked and we’ll have them come here on visits in the next month or two.”
Most of the scouting was for the future – prospects for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons. However, the Warriors have two scholarships available for the upcoming 2012-13 season.
August is considered a “quiet” period for recruiting, so Arnold and his staff will remain in Honolulu this month. They finished up the individual workouts with the current players enrolled in summer school this week.
“Summer school is about to finish, so we’re done with all our workouts and guys are finishing finals,” Arnold said. “We get the two big fellas coming back in Davis (Rozitis) and Vander (Joaquim) to join the guys, and we’ll most likely have maybe another surprise to join us at the beginning of school if things go as planned.”
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Junior guard Brandon Spearman put on an impressive display in the championship game of the Hawai’i College Basketball Summer League last weekend, tallying 45 points and 14 rebounds to lead Solar Universe to the title.
Now, it seems more impressive. Spearman fractured a finger during that game, but still managed to lead his team to victory with several key plays down the stretch.
Spearman’s adrenaline was apparently in full flow during the game, as he said he can’t even recall when the injury occurred. In any case, his left (non-shooting) index finger will be in a splint for the next two to three weeks.
The injury comes at a time when the Warriors are on a break from individual workouts. Spearman, however, said he will still conduct his own workouts.
“Doctor said I’m going to be out two or three weeks, but I’m still in the gym, still putting up shots, still conditioning, still in the weight room, somewhat. I’ll be OK,” he said.
Dayton and Warriorinsider: You are THE SOURCE for all things UH MBB..!! Great report and thankyou for keeping the flames of MBB alive..we appreciate you and your staff’s very, very hard work and the excellent sponsors..!!
Spearman appears to be such a great kid; love his attitude. He’s someone who will represent the university well in the next two years. While watching him in the summer league, I thought he was perhaps too nice a guy, always smiling and very engaging off and on the court. He was more inclined to give way than to take charge. But last Saturday, he really showed the grit and leadership needed to compete in Division I. He played extremely hard and still managed to keep his composure in a very physical game. Wish him the best.
Funny how Gib likes to tease … “maybe a surprise” player still coming aboard before Aug. 20. Keeps interest in the program alive in a “dead period.”
Thanks Dayton for the updates.
Gib, is west coast, USC asst. former..a lot of bulid up, “teasers” at the movies, or on cable TV..what is coming up , cliffhangers..Clyde, if he gets that surprise, we will be loving it. especially a lot of us who stick with program through good and bad. I believe MBB and WBB are on the rise, and with THE 3rd former USC asst coach, NORM CHOW, look for good things in the years ahead..Great job Dayton..and gobows, you are correct, if surprise is still awaiting , maybe THAT HS SF, and one more to offer, maybe a euro late get, or Aussie , “Patty Mills” or Luc Longley walk on, that would be a feather in Gib and staff’s cap! Kudos to Gib and company for weathering that Hell month this past spring and getting us ready for competive team this fall..I am , and so are several thousand faithful fans, just LOVING IT..Go Warriors/Bows/Wahine..Go Gib, Laura, Dave, Norm, Bob, etc. Go UH! and powers that be, upper campus and politicians, and private sector, give a little to upgrade facilities for MBB and WBB and WVB, will go long way towards improving UH’s stock as the premier DI NCAA program in the Pacific!! Thanks Dayton for a clean, non abrasive(don’t here for the personal attack guy anymore, since Fotus, and Breretons and Harpers log in)and fan and family freindly UH athletic forum blog site..right on Dayton, mahalo plenty!!
Sorry fans, to my above post : I meant we don’t hear from the abrasive, negative, personal attack guy , ever since found out that the loving family and friends of Isaac Fotu, Michael Harper, Hauns Brereton and a lot of other BB players log on to this site.. This is fan friendly and family freindly..for those families that make sacrifice to have their young sons come here to share talent with Hawaii University and fans..Thank you so Very, Very Much!!
(don’t here for the personal attack guy anymore, since Fotus, and Breretons and Harpers log in)and fan and family freindly
Don’t think The Gibper can comment of Shamburder until he’s enrolled and in school. So, I hope that surprise is some other player
a surprise guy that is most likely coming here….gerry, dillon or aaric…a previous recruit that we knew couldn’t make it or maybe a new name
agreed: I don’t think Gib is saying Shamburger is surprise, the surprise is to fill one of those vacant scholies. Dillon?Aaric, Aaron, maybe a huge late get we never even heard of ..that would be A HUGE surprise, and don’t forget, they still have one more to offer, if not maybe that late Aussie walkon(if we heard it right) Gib is probably as anxious as us all, he will wait to official, I bet he has maybe one or two lined up in case THE huge surprise not all cleared..staff seems quietly confident..aaah..we wait see!!
As Good as Shamburger is (and proven)…
he’s already identified so THAT Would be Disappointing …
One More…
Two More…?
Count toward “Next Year”? (i.e., One Semester on Daddy’s Bucks…)
Several More… ?
One thing Great about the November Signees (so far);
they’ve tended to be Strong Academic Qualifiers…Not Even Close…
Upgrades? Likely…
With a Solid Baseline in the players already on-board,
I expect the Staff to be Tracking Red and Blue Chippers…
Onward and Upward…;-D
Aloha. Thanks Uhfanzonly1. Just tuning in, looks like things will get interesting in the next month with activities going on.
I would like to acknowledge the coaching staff as we have met face to face with Coach Arnold and coach Fisher. And for the last wee while we got to know coach Akana quite well and I guess that’s the Polynesian Ohana (aiga, famili) connection.
Keep up the good work Dayton and the team. Will be tuning in regularly, and GO THE WARRIORS.
Please gods of basketball , make Aaric Armstead appear on Manoa campus come first day of class!
Aloha to the Fotu Ohana(family). We love what Gib and staff set out to do, make UH MBB global. Thank you for sharing your son with the UH MBB program, he is a nice young man as well as all the other athletes from Angola, Australia, Canada, Latvia, Hawaii, Chicago, California, Washington State, New Zealand and soon maybe other countries. Look for good things ahead, Mahalo(thank you) for your kind thoughts. I am sure Dayton feels same way.Great site Dayton, you have gone Global!!
re: nice comment from “The Fotus from NZ”…
Sorry, and of course Memphis, the Haunster, Hauns Brereton from Tenn. and Jace Tavita from Utah!!
Cosmopolitan, I don’t think any MBB NCAA DI program has such a diverse group of athletes from around the world!
Unless any fans know of another program with as many! Anyways glad to have these guys as Warriors. Look forward to a surprise or TWO from Gib before Aug enrollment date(just wishful thinking)!!
My apologies! To the highest motor outside of Motor City USA, Christian Standhardinger from Germany, representing to ethnic groups, German and Filipino(have to love that Filipino food from auntie!)
Thanks for coming to Hawaii Christian, you will be good leader and go full bore on offense and defense for whole game..keep cool, and in game, you will be difference maker, your whole TEAM will be winners!!
Nice shaka Brandon! You’ve got it down pat. 🙂
Whew! Thanks, Dayton, Staff, Pacific Risk & Sponsors…
This feels like so far ahead of last year and China Tour…
Vander and Garrett’s improvement are clear…Maybe Jace & Jawato will also…
“Newcomers” Christian, Spearman and Jace are now eligible to contribute and bring D1 experience…
Newbies clearly bring bb skills, size, shooting ability and working hard…
Coaches scouring the bb landscape and building even with families of players already here–just smart priorities and good effort…even more help on the way…
5-2, 7 day & night work weeks–Grinding….Talent, Smarts and non-stop hard work Will Create good to great results…much like the “everyday” stories we see now during the Olympics…
ALL this going on and maybe “most fans” would never know but for WarriorInsider.com…
[As good as this coverage is I think UH Athletics ought to also sponsor WI.com]
Dayton does a great job, Star Advertiser needs to get him on staff full time.!
Have a feeling Ako Kaluna is one of the players close to committing to UH.
^^^^^ he’s a 2013….we’re still looking for 2012
Gib says most of the scouting was for 2013-2004 dude, Kids are gonna start committing soon, the early signing period for 2013 recruits is just a few months away.
Why people still use to read news papers when in this technological world the whole thing is available on web?