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Fall semester begins for Warriors

Monday was the first day of classes for the Fall semester at UH-Manoa, and yes, Vander Joaquim was there.

Joaquim and 12 other members of the Hawai’i basketball team attended classes in the morning, and then got to know each other during an open gym session later in the day.

Joaquim, the Warriors’ all-conference center, spent the summer traveling and training with the Angola national team, and returned to Honolulu on Sunday evening for the start of his senior year at UH.

“My thought was to come back and finish, get my degree for my family, and for me, of course,” he said. “But my mom, she always wanted me to get my degree, so it was important for me.”

Angola did not qualify for the Olympics in London, so Joaquim said he used the time to visit family and friends in Angola and across the United States.

A newcomer to Monday’s open gym session was transfer Keith Shamburger, who arrived in Honolulu on Saturday. He played at San Jose State the past two seasons, and thus made two previous trips to the UH campus to play against the Warriors while he was with the Spartans. He said Monday’s session was his first interaction with many of the other Warriors, although many of their basketball skills looked familiar to him.

“It was funny because I knew what some of the players could do already,” he said. “I feel good playing with them. They’re good players. This is a real good team.”

Most of the other first-year Warriors have already been in Hawai’i for several weeks. Thirteen players participated in Monday’s session: Joaquim, Shamburger, Hauns Brereton, Manroop Clair, Caleb Dressler, Dyrbe Enos, Isaac Fotu, Michael Harper, Brandon Jawato, Garrett Jefferson, Brandon Spearman, Christian Standhardinger and Jace Tavita.

The latest recruit – Ozren Pavlovic from Croatia – was scheduled to arrive in Honolulu on Monday night. Also, junior forward Davis Rozitis is expected in later in the week due to previous obligations in his home country of Latvia.

36 Comments

  1. Dayton,

    thanks for the timely update. There’s many out here wondering if Vander was returning or not. So, it seems everyone got here

  2. Mahalo Dayton and WI.

    Welcome back Vander! Can’t wait for the season to start.

  3. Excellent news! Looking forward to an exciting first season in the Big West.

  4. main piece back…forgot how small shamburger was but remembering him being tough, quick, smart and can shoot

  5. Vander was a man of his word, even last year, when asked would he be back for junior season, he said YES..Vander get degree, make himself and family happy, then if he has a great senior season, could play for Big Pay as a Pro!

    Welcome back Vander! and later Davis, and welcome Ozren!!

    Thank you Dayton…with all these great and late night preparing of reports..(do you have time to sleep? Nah, just joking)for the timely updates..great reports, and MBB, STILL high interest , great job, and thanks to the Tony Schmidt Ohana and sponsors!

  6. hey, Big Vander:

    ur a Big disappointment 4 the boo-birds'(now called bb) seeing u (thanks 4 found your way back).
    Big pivotal-yr starts now, ’till post-season’s play-offs.
    Big West conf 1st yr.
    “BW Player of the Yr”, ‘cos they want to “pressured u”, from taking the Championship !
    Big 1st sold-out crowd (came with loud & Big applause), celebrate with you, on victory over Illinois.
    ur the Big One to make all of these a reality.
    this is the year for the “Big Sr” !
    Mike’s Mum plans to come watch him play, will u ask your Mom to keep her company(use milage) ?
    (every family, friend of the TEAM are invited as always. Hawaii will cheer ever-harder for your sons).

    ———————————————————————————————————————————————

    hey, small Keith:

    missed u in the Summer League.
    the bb’s tried to demoralized your many fans, can now be proved futile.
    we can be relaxed & enjoy your contributions in sharpening the TEAM’s performance 4 this time;
    fans will miss your proven PG playability. (pls no worry, just keep counting how plenty’ll stepped-up !?).
    next year => “The Yr of the Smalls”. u’ll be the 1st “Sweet Sixteen” Winners !

    —————————————————————————————————————————————————

    hey, OZ:

    welcom to “The Land of Pavlowiz” (Hawaii) !
    ur the “The Talk of the Town”.
    we haven’t had such a Sensation for the longest time.
    we amazed @ how u can captivate your new fans (the Ohana).
    u just nosed-out Roopi 4 “the New-Comer of the Yr”
    ur the fulcrum of the sold-outs & victories in your whole career with UH !

    Mahalo to our TEAM, WI..

  7. Welcome, Keith (See Commentary Below)

    Welcome Back, Vander…
    i’m Glad You’re Happy to be Back (Yeah, can tell)…
    These All, and especially (maybe? 😉 This Year can be among the Best of Your Young Life…Have a Great Year…

    “Total Mahalo” Dayton…

    Filling Up the Deck
    As we had been Accurately Updated !

    and i cannot thank WarriorInsider.com enough…
    It is so much, so much, better living in the light…
    Less Guessing, Fewer Untrue Rumors

    Get it SOONER Here and Backed Up with Video so All can See It for themselves…

    (…always taught our managers that IF you don’t let your people know what’s going on, they will fill in the blanks AND You Will NOT Like (at least some of) what they come up with …)

    —————–
    Couple More Days — Get in Oz & Davis
    (There were years, that alone would have been helpful or even exciting.)

    Then At Least We Know WHO we got …

    How Well can they Prep for D-1?
    …a Lot of that is on the Juniors & Seniors

    What We DO Have: A Team where every position has:
    1) Size
    2) At Least Two-Deep (Minimum 10 Fouls so “Can” Play Aggressive)
    3) Ability to Shoot/Score (including second team/ALL subs)
    4) Physical Ability to Play Defense (IF it’s Any Good, that’s Up to them)
    5) Potential to Play Hard/Smart for 40 minutes+

    That’s A LOT…
    That’s More than Most Years

    ———-
    NOTE: No Conclusions BUT…some indications…

    Shamburger said (i’m suspect we’ll hear if they change their minds) he thinks all positions are covered (that was one of the reasons he said he sought to transfer so he probably watches for that on all teams, part of the pg/qb mindset looking for weaknesses or mismatches to exploit), and he specifically mentioned point guard (he didn’t hesitate or flash a doubt; he ought to know AND he ought to be watching, although this is only a first afternoon assessment; i think he also would’ve immediately tested and should continue to be testing the guys to see if they can’t handle the position or himself; just part of leadership and ownership of the pg position…NOTE: i Would “Hate” to see MY Team losing, esp. at My Position when i Have To Sit…That would be one of the Most Frustrating Experiences, to not be able to find a way to help my teammates.)…[Keith: V. Cool Underhand/Bowling Ball Power Pass…hard to keep low and tight and still be catchable.]

    pg: Still An Open concern, we should know by Diamond Head Classic, January or even sooner… (when OZ makes it in, probably clears the Hauns backup concern)

    ——————-

    (Even as we let friends and acquaintances know a little insight, they’re getting some of The Buzz… Let us Know when you can hear/see it…)

    Hey, Dayton … How Much video did you need to cut ?
    What you kept looked pretty #!&^## good…

  8. Gotta admit that I was a bit nervous that Vander may or may not return but looks like all systems are go! UH football will probably end up being a bitter pill to swallow this year, but on the other hand, there’s excitement in the air for UH basketball!

  9. mahalo dayton.

    i like the overall depth.
    seems like joachim gained 10-15 lbs which will do him good.
    jawato looks like a gazelle compared to last year.
    good to see jefferson dropping some shots.
    three lefties.
    shamburger…nice. only wished he could suit up this year.
    roop is looking better these days needs to visit rainbow drive inn more often.
    will a pg emerge out of the bunch?

    looking forward to a much anticipated season.

  10. the Beast is back! and Keith you can smile now, you’re in Hawaii , not San Jose! You didn’t look happy at all last year , now it’s turn that frown upside down! 🙂 Welcome to the real Beach ,Shammie!

  11. Way to Man Up…Honesty is Good ….
    i was not only nervous, but getting irritated that so many “smart” guys kept talking (and deciding or trying to speak for a very honorable guy) and kept proclaiming week after week that the birth certificate was a fake …sorry, that was the other Hawai’i super-star…

    Football — hope they can win a few (more than two) in September and October, as much as The Futbol Wahine?…

    ’til Midnite Ohana
    When the rest of the fans see these guys, should boost ticket sales…

    al — ditto on all comments …i’m amazed/surprised that the training program “looks visible” on the court — maybe that’s what happens when every one IS a hard worker (really working and Not Faking or pretending or whatever the non/low-improvers were doing)… just a team work mentality manifest physical thing…
    The Improvements in speed, physique, muscle, shooting, speed “look” real (and probably are)… ‘Roop looks more mature (make the gain, muscle ‘Roop); even Hauns’ drives to the basket look quicker …and there seems to be a tendency or an emphasis on takin’ it to the hole …

    see how it plays out in the game but it ‘looks like’ there may be an ability to run…
    1) they ought to be able to play defense, then
    2) “own” the boards which is parts one and two…
    and a few can run …

  12. Excited for this season, cant wait to see Oz with these guys and hopefully another guy.

  13. All those guys look pretty awesome to me – what a privilege it is to be part of the UH Men’s Basketball team/family.
    Thanks again Dayton

  14. Much mahalos to WI. This is such a great site and over the past two years has really built up quite a following. The majority of WI updates gets double digit comments from followers. Impressive! I posted the comments below on the WSN board but figured I’d add them to here as well.

    The open gym highlights are awesome (even though they are just highlights… it’s better than nothing). In general, the team looks to have way more depth than the past two seasons. What I like about this group is that they are, for the most part, not one dimensional players, have good versatility, and can put the basket in the hoop. One thing that I can honestly say is that I can see the talent and skills that each player brings to the roster. The coaching staffs main responsibility to them is to develop the players, make sure everyone is on the same page, and put together a successful team.

    The front court with Vander, Standhardinger, Fotu, Dressler, and soon to be returning Rozitis looks skilled and ready to go. Vander and Standhardinger look very good and should work well together. Fotu has been very impressive and his ability to catch and finish within 5-10 feet may be the best on the team (at the very least second to Vander). Dressler shows skill and upside and I hope we’re able to redshirt him to further his development and not waste a year since we also have Rozitis coming back who hopefully has improved as well.

    To no surprise, the backcourt will be the biggest question mark to start the season. While there are a lot of candidates, we don’t have a proven +10/game scorer/shooter at SG and no proven facilitator at PG. The simple question is who will step up? With Shamburger redshirting due to the transfer from SJSU, the PG position is basically down to Jace and Clair. Jace has the upperhand based on experience and ability to create offense for his teammates. But if he’s unable to hit open shots or create offense… Clair has has an opportunity to seize the position. Clair has a great looking shot and decent handle but still haven’t see an ability to run the team in half court sets. Once official practices start, and the offensive/defensive sets are implemented, that will be the true indicators on where each player is at. Take Shaq Stokes for example, he looked very good in open gym and in transition but struggled a lot within the half-court. Enos will provide another practice player and depth at PG. From the open gym highlights, I’m glad that Shamburger is getting into both players and testing them full court. This will help both players come the start of the season. At SG, there is Spearman, Jefferson, Jawato, and Harper. I like Spearman’s solid all around game and think he’ll be the starter to begin the season. Jefferson has come a long way from a last season, and I hope he continues to build confidence in his outside shot. I like Jawato’s improvement from last year. He’a a lot quicker and in better shape, which has allowed him to attack the basket better. Brian McInnis mentioned on his blog that Harper is trying to make the transition to PG… While he is a decent shooter, has good size, has a nice feel for the game and general makes good decisions with the ball… He has a lot to work on if he wants to be a PG (ball handling, quickness, etc.). Great get as a walk-on with the ability to earn a scholarship. None of these guys are pure shooters like Zane, but they all have more versatility and ability to create off the dribble so we’ll see how it translates to actual game situations.

    Hauns is set at the 3… unless Fotu pushes Standhardinger to the 3 and Hauns to the 2. I could see this happening for minor stretches of a game but it will depend on the match up. We’d have some size with this lineup but we’d be exposed defensively. I’m curious to see who will back Hauns up. Based on his highlights, the most obvious choice based on skill and size is Pavlovic… but we’ll see once he arrives on campus. Other possibilities could include Jefferson, Jawato or Harper.

    Will Pii Minns and Tyler Brown return as walk-ons? They tried out for football in the spring but it doesn’t look like they made the training camp roster. Also, what happened with Kainoa Chu who was supposed to walk-on last year but injured his knee? What about the other Australian walk-on?

  15. hey Dayton:

    wow, really out of my imaginations, seeing how good each of’em alreadied are..
    soon, comes Hollywood, claiming their new “Movie Editor” ! (or, Director ?).

    Fotu & Harper (1/3 of my fellow-lefties. a NCAA team record ?) impressed the most with their progressions. (i’m just as proud as their parents).

    no misses, lessen both reboundings, which is 2nd in importance to scoring in terms of performances.
    token defense, caused lazy offensive execution, forming bad habit, + ineffective blocking as well !
    we need Frees (u knew why).
    happy that we’ve gotten all the “hurts” out for the season ! (thank you very much!).

    get stronger, moving faster (sured u knew what else).
    so.. u can “Run them to the floor” !!!

    would like to see how OZ pulls the rabbit out of the hat in Hawaii..
    lastly, not the least that how DaBeast bests his Beasting this time around (we need him to, in games, of ‘cos) ???

    Hats off for your good job, my friends !

  16. I guess Pocho, Eagle etc. if Coach says guys will be here, and the athletes themselves say they will be here..conclusion: THEY ARE HERE AND ALL IN…

    Great guys, enough of that negative stuff, now team is going to work , hard , smart and together, MBB interest is on a REAL HIGH..They play as a TEAM first and DEFENSE first, man they got the shooters, 1 through 13, all Bigs and smalls, walkons, RS, to transfers, returness, I cannot remember a Rocha, Little, Oneil, Wallace, or Nash coached team that had that much firepower, now just have to harness.

    Look forward to great year from UH MBB team, truly HIGH CHARACTER GUYS, they want to be in Hawaii and play for Hawaii

    UH MBB TEAM: all you guys are winners already! Thank you for bringing the buzz back to MBB! Mahalo and Aloha!!
    And welcome Ozi, Ozren!!

  17. I guess Pocho, Eagle(you guys kept the faith!!) etc regarding the naysayers, Fotu can’t get in, Vander not coming back, can’t recruit freshman, all the guys not qualified..well… if Coach says guys will be here, and the athletes themselves say they will be here..conclusion: THEY ARE HERE AND ALL IN…!!

    Great guys, enough of that negative stuff, now team is going to work , hard , smart and together, MBB interest is on a REAL HIGH..They play as a TEAM first and DEFENSE first, man they got the shooters, 1 through 13, all Bigs and smalls, walkons, RS, to transfers, returness, I cannot remember a Rocha, Little, Oneil, Wallace, or Nash coached team that had that much firepower, now just have to harness. Team with good students athletes and people!! They are going to have fun year!!

    Look forward to great year from UH MBB team, truly HIGH CHARACTER GUYS, they want to be in Hawaii and play for Hawaii

    UH MBB TEAM: all you guys are winners already! Thank you for bringing the buzz back to MBB! Mahalo and Aloha!!
    And welcome Ozi, Ozren!!

  18. Thanks WI, Dayton for your tireless effort to update us with the MBB. The team is starting to build up quite a fan base here in Aotearoa New Zealand, and I won’t be surprise if few from Down Under (NZ and Aussie) will be there to watch Isaac and Harper in the Diamond Head Classics. I am looking forward to catching up with further update. GO THE MIGHTY WARRIORS.

  19. The Tonganator:

    It sure is exciting, and Coach Gib thanks you too I am sure. Dayton will let UH staff and team know there is an international following. From Auckland to Angola to Croatia, and Kapalama Heights(thanks fan from Dyrbe!).
    The Tonganator(love that name!) Look forward to seeing you all at SSC!!

  20. Thanks for the update, Dayton. It’s good to see (a bigger) Vander back, not that there was any doubt in his returning. Now the usual suspects can silently bite their tongues, although I’m sure even they can see the promise that this team has.

    On another note, I was about to ask the Tonganator what he thought of Tai Webster. I googles Tai, and it looks like he’s made a verbal pledge to Nebraska. Not sure if UH was recruiting him, but knowing that he’s Tony’s son … well, that speaks volumes for me. One story said Tai also had offers from Pitt, LSU, Virginia and Saint Mary’s. Guess he wasn’t flying under the radar! Too bad; will have to track his development from afar.

  21. Hey clyde. As you know Isaac, Tai and Reuben won the youth world championship 3×3 in Rimini last year. It would make a good story if all 3 end up at UH. I can’t make any comment here that would create unnecessary speculations. I frequently watch Tai play for his High School team and he is currently a hot property and will attract a few offers, but like you mentioned, his dad Tony will have a big influence in where Tai would end up at. Lets hope it’s Hawaii……

  22. Aloha, Aussie Mum,
    Tonganator,
    International,
    Continental, parents:

    thank you very much for having your sons as our exciting MBB Warriors —
    they are the best young men with a bright future.
    you can expect that their talents in academics as well as athletics,
    will ultimately developed so as to fully prepared to achieve great successes in their lifetime.

    to further enjoy their current improvements..
    beside the wonderful WI reports, you might like to check out the PRINT REPLICA daily online:
    http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/ (no connection with them; just trying to be helpful to you).

    we appreciate your posts, Mahalo!

  23. Tids and bits:

    Gobows I am on your page.
    Uhfanzonly1 you hit it right on the nail—HIGH CHARACTER GUYS.
    With all this international interest maybe we should also show scenes of our beautiful state with the players in the picture.
    Wizard of Oz (one of my all time favs) the mystery man!
    Vander will be Big West Player of the Year.
    Isaac is Enforcer.
    Hauns is Mr. Leadership
    Brandon—Prime Time
    Garret–Strategic Defense
    Christian is the John McEnroe of basketball—Complainer but the heart of a champion.
    Too many good things in this year’s team not to succeed.

  24. i’m Happy for All of You…
    Players, Coaches, Families, Friends & Fans
    i think we’re watching something special (as some have said, maybe even better than most allowed ourselves to expect)…

    “How Special” will be the Result of MORE Hard Work, Team Work, Chemistry, a little Luck; probably Coaching (No Excuses, the Athletic Director that hired Coach Gib is already OUT so the New Guy will probably have NO Loyalty or Basis to hesitate — that makes it even More of a Money Year…

    BTW, RE-Reviewing the Video i think Keith Shamburger WAS harassing, challenging and testing ‘Roop… [Thanks, KSham]

    i can also see another reason why Vander might have been smiling so much — he WAS challenging some of those shots ten feet in; and even the freshmen had skills to score cleanly anyway… looks like some of those summer league shots work, at least against our own guys … ;-}

    —–
    …and Aussie Mum, Tonganator (Agree, Best Tongan Call sign i’m aware of… Right Up there with Vili the Warrior (C) — Get it Copyrighted) et. al.

    …i/we (if i can echo or speak on behalf of any others) consider it an honor that you’re and your sons are here as well …

    R/ Giddy? Yup!
    (Let’s GO!)

  25. Thanks, Tonganator. Actually, I knew Isaac was part of that 3-on-3 championship, but didn’t know until today that Tai was also of that team. As part of my job, I got to know Tony Webster during his time here and had a lot of respect for him as a player and person.If Tai is anything like his dad, that’s good enough for me. I’m almost certain Tony enjoyed his time in Hawaii, where he really matured into a solid citizen. Earlier, he hinted to Stephen Tsai (a reporter here) that Hawaii is a lot “closer” to New Zealand than any other school. But, maybe Tai wants to create his own path. For now, it’s just a verbal commitment. We’ll see.

    By the way, I thoroughly enjoyed watching Isaac play in the summer league. It’s my humble opinion that he’s got the best offensive skills in the post on the team. Quick feet, soft (and big) hands, and sees the floor well. There’s still a learning curve to navigate, but I think he has a tremendous upside. It’s going to be fun watching him grow as a player and person.

  26. Aloha again, Tonganator:

    wow, i’m experiencing a great excitement.
    you know what, you can make history as well as good foreign relations for our beloved countries;
    go for a volunteer recruiting assistant for Isaac’s sake –
    offer to take Tai & Reuben along for the DHC, let them enjoy the games & re-bonding with Isaac..
    we then, just watch how the ball BOUNCES !

    may Lady Luck be with us ! (President Obama will be grateful)

    —————————————————————————————–

    ps; IIIIFFFF Hawaii MBB Warriors won the NCAA National Championship before he served his
    2nd term, he will talk to all of them + you then, proudly says “I am from Hawaii, too !”

  27. Aloha, kiaora and thanks clyde and n2o4joy for positive comments and such enthusiasm. I play rugby for a very long (still do) but got to really enjoy watching basket ball especially because all my kids play the game and good at it as well. One big potential to strengthen relationships between UH, NZ and Aussie, is to have the team engage in their 4 yearly overseas trip and play teams here in NZ and Aussie. If Tai and Reuben come to UH, and come on that trip, we can fill venue here in NZ as fans would love to see Kiwi boys (men) come home and display their skills. Awesome way to recruit as well. Wouldn’t that be something!!!! Anyway, just a vision and a dream but hey remember Martin Luther King…..One Day it’s a possibility…

    Mahalo, Ka kite.

  28. greetings, Coach Gib:

    everything is potentially making history or record breaking paces;
    the fans are enjoying, amazed, excited.. very positively reacting to the TEAM’s output.

    how about an answer ?
    which is your pick !
    a) roomed Roopi with KS.
    b) roomed Roopi with OZ.
    c) roomed all three together [allowable?].

    thank you for everything.

  29. tai webster looks like greg salas…he’d be a good pick up…love the accent also can’t wait to hear the aussie aussie aussie oi oi oi chant

  30. The Tonganator:

    sorry, i stand corrected.

    in addition to VRA, you’re a coordinator as well.

    FYI, just last Summer, Coach Arnold took his TEAM to China, Japan for the 1st tour.
    he’s right up there with you for International relationship.
    timing couldn’t be any better – you get the good players here for him then, he may take’em
    back in 2-3 yrs from now. so, if you prefer & can cut it, your team may be here 1st !
    (oh boy, Isaac you be a busy “Hero” to your pals).
    you’ve got such visionary ideas, better get together with Coach Arnold ASAP [love this].

    BTW,how many bro & sis Isaac has, age, ht ???

    also, our women BB’s new Coach Laura Beeman is well respected & competent as Coach Arnold.
    needs good bigs & pg too. [wow]

    your kids inherited all the good genes from you, will make themselves famous in time liked Isaac.

    Both Coaches love to had good & fit student-Athletes.

    a 6’4 woman from Auckland NZ just graduated, a 6’0 Soph, she is from Hamilton NZ.
    bring your girl(s) to meet, pre-check everything (surprise Isaac).

    “I got a DREAM”.

  31. Vander, you are a sight for sore eyes!!! Welcome back, man.

  32. n2o4joy

    Isaac got 2 sisters and 2 brothers. His young sister ( 16 yrs old) has 2 years left at high school, already representing New Zealand in under 16 and under 17 year old grades, very quick. Already been approched by a couple of US colleges. His younger brother, I think will be better than Isaac (13 yrs old with size 13 shoes), but Isaac would disagree…lol. I will be happy if they do well at school, and added bonus if they good at sports of their choice.
    Possibility we will be over to Hawaii a few times to watch the warriors…

  33. Hey n2o4joy, that six-footer from Hamilton you mentioned is Ashleigh Karaitiana. After she had to sit out last season to become eligible, I’m really looking forward to seeing her play for the Wahine this year.

    And as long as we’re talking about the Kiwi connection, let’s not forget that Ashleigh will be joined on the UH women’s team this fall by freshman Morgan Roberts from Auckland.

    I hope Ashleigh and Morgan are able to do some great things while they’re here, and maybe even evoke a few memories of Tania Brunton, the number five career average scorer in Wahine history (14.5 ppg) who went on to play for New Zealand’s Olympic teams in 2000 and 2004.

  34. Aloha, The Tonganator:

    you & i jost gained a mutual fellow-fan in HawaiiMongoose,
    who has some interesting info about Wahine BB players.
    pls refer to the post above for details.

    ———————————————————————————

    Aloha, HawaiiMongoose:

    thank you for your interest & attention on our exchanged topics.
    we appreciate your special info for us.

    i forgot that Morgan is from Auckland as Rebecca is !
    Tania was my fav player too; wonderful that she became an Olympian.
    a credit Vince deserved.

    Mahalo !

  35. Dayton,

    I hope you have the time to do more of these open gym video’s or hopefully The Gibper will allow you to film their 4 player workouts. There’s a lot of us out here thirsty for updates on how the teams coming along. There’s 34 posts prior to this one.

    Mahalo

  36. Dayton, let me add.

    A video interview/workout of Ozren would be nice as no one here has seen him play except for that one youtube of him. Of course besides The Gibper

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