Warrior Insider

The Inside Source for Hawaii Men's Basketball
Search

Catching up with Brandon Spearman

Brandon Spearman’s junior season with the University of Hawai’i basketball team did not end the way he wanted it to, so he’s making some early adjustments now to prepare for a stronger senior year.

Spearman is one of three seniors on the 2013-14 roster, and he’s been putting in extra time in both the weightroom and the gym this preseason.

“A typical day for me? Start off with study hall – have to hit the books first. Then get to class. After class, get to the weightroom for a half-hour or two, then we’re in the gym, grinding and working,” he said. “We’re in the gym for a good amount of time. Everybody don’t leave until they’re successful of getting the work in. It’s a grind, an everyday grind.”

Spearman1AirForce

Spearman, a 6-foot-3 guard, sat out five of the final six games last season with an ankle injury. The Warriors finished with a 2-4 record in those six games.

“Just getting stronger and working on my legs,” he said. “Last year my ankles were kind of weak toward the end of the year.”

Spearman averaged 9.6 points and 2.9 rebounds per game last season, and ranked third on the team in 3-pointers with 30. In addition to strengthening his legs, he said he has focused on improving his ball-handling skills during this summer.

It also helps Spearman to have a year in Hawai’i under his belt. He transferred to UH as a junior prior to last season, so this is only his second year living in Honolulu.

“I like to go North Shore and Sandy’s,” he said. “I got out to eat at Teddy’s from time to time. And there’s a (food) truck I go to over in Kapahulu.”

15 Comments

  1. Mahalo Dayton for Spearman update!

    Way to go Spear!
    Brandon keeping on working hard, and have a great senior season!

    I think Key, one of many for this year, the leadership on and off the court by returnees, Seniors, and Sophs, Harper, Jawato, as well as RS’s Enos, Dressler, Shamburger and Valdes. They have been together in UH system for at least one year, some more, so as they go, the new guys will follow!

    Have a great season UH MBB team!

    Uhfanzonly1.

  2. Thank you Dayton for video interview.

    Brandon Spearman, really loves Hawaii, and for what he went through last, year, and now dedicated to get better physically, emotionally, and mentally, it speaks volumes. He looks in great shape. Hope you have a good senior season Brandon. Go out and chase the BWC regular and Tournament championships!

    Go Rainbow Warriors!
    😀

  3. The Mantra: work harder than the other guys(NCAA opponents). Looks like Gib by year four, it is TEAM first, no ego maniacs, melodrama, whether walkon or scholie athletes, work hard in gym, weight room, as a person get better, bond with team, and constantly seek to get better.

    Looks like this Team wants to go to NCAA’s. For 17 diverse guys, working as hard as they are, I think they can have a good year!

    Spearman, Rozitis, and Standhardinger as seniors want to go to NCAA’s and advance, no other UH MBB team has won one game in NCAA tournament, that would be huge!

    The guys, still have a couple more weeks of open gym, personal workouts, and Waikiki Sat AM grinding in paradise Beach workouts,then fans, the real deal : first day of official practice Sept 27 2013, a little over month from that , first exhibition against HPU, then…boom Rainbow Classic!, Can’t wait!

    Have a good year seniors, and Gib have a great 2013-14 season and beyond!

    Go Rainbow Warriors! I wish tomorrow were start of season!

    😀

  4. A nice Aloha to Tonganator, TribeV, Aussie Mum, and The Serbian Mums(Niki and Stefan’s parents), Davis Rozitis ohana, Christian Standhardinger’s aunty in Honolulu, feeding him good filipino food, Negus Webster-Chan, a great talent with great family from Toronto!,

    UH MBB are truly blessed to have so many fine men and athletes from an international community!

    A heartfelt, mahalo and aloha to Aussie Mum and Tonganator, who share the southern part of the Pacific Ocean with Hawaii. Your two sons, Michael, and Isaac, are cool kids, both working very hard.
    I am sure they are letting you know, they want season to start too. Very soon young guys, very soon, time goes by fast when you all are training and maintaining 3.0 in classroom!

    Thanks to TribeV, our ohana, connection, and Basketball guru in Cali. TribeV, Aaron, is just showing a glimpse of what he can do for UH MBB team this year. He has great attitude, and thank you for having him be a part of UH MBB ohana! Aaron will be throwing down this year, same with Michael T.!

    Mahalo to Gib and staff, smart, very akamai, Gib, have 16 available guys, RS active, newbies, scholies, and walkons, to work with, better to have more to develop and get to run your system, then having 3 guys sick academically, physically or emotionally, and you are down to 8 guys, better to have as full an active roster, if that is what you want, then have that pressure D and uptempo, and solid, run by PG and SG, halfcourt sets, with PF’s supreme, and the three centers.

    My choice for captains this year: Christian Standhardinger, Brandon Spearman and Davis Rozitis, lead by example and teaching the new guys!

    Uhfanzonly1.

  5. Hey Spearmint,

    “You are super refreshing!”; Your leadership revitalized the TEAM into a group of maximum performers.

    A Warrior for four consecutive years; A fearsome fighter as JC as well as at elevated D1!

    Takes care of business; Prioritized academics with dedication.

    Everyday grind polishes to show the shines in all the facets of this diamond!

    Inch for inch you owns the strongest body on this TEAM; Translates to excellence in ‘D’.

    Your legionary successes will be proudly remember.

    PS: Please train Michael T to be you then, adopt him as your twin brother; A crony who will perpetuates your contributions for three more years!

  6. Great Work, Brandon!
    Work Harder and Smarter than The Competition
    Get the Degree…
    May be…
    Get the Conference Prize…
    NCAA Tourney Win(s)…

    YOU and Christian are Potentially TWO who can make ‘The Play’ with the Game on the Line…
    Probably Shamburger, Fotu and Nevels will Elevate and Cover You on other Nights…
    i’m betting we have more game-winning baskets This Season
    Because You (All) Can and would accept nothing less…

    …and many other weapons available in the course of the game…
    IS There another Fotu-Like Freshman or sophomore arising on this team?
    IF SO, it will be Via Your Seniors’ Leadership & Calling,
    Empowering and Elevating your teammates to The Championship Level that for you is now second nature,
    coursing through your blue blood…

    i’m Betting that for Spearman and Standhardinger…
    This League ain’t seen nothin’ yet…
    (i’m o.k. if you wear “S”‘s under your uniforms…)

    [Oh, Yeah….T-E-A-M….
    But it takes individuals with Championship Fortitude on That Team…]

    [Mahalo, Dayton & Sponsors…]

  7. Eagle:

    Hopefully, TEAM first, Ohana wins, is what Gib is trying to instill, and very, very telling for Senior, Spearman to say on above video, that the whole team is working hard, getting better, no one is better than the OTHER, …all working hard Together.

    However I agree, with Standhardinger, Fotu, healthy and stronger, one year in system Spearman, alongside, Shamburger , the returnees, RS’s and the newbies, UH has a core, of good athletes to help UH win a lot of games. The key, BWC play, and winning the regular and BWC tournament season championships, that is the ultimate goal.

    For Team and great UH athletes, BWC regular season champion= NIT auto invite
    BWC tournament champion= NCAA auto invite.

    I hope the go dancing!

    Go Rainbow Warriors!

    😀

  8. Hey, Brandon–
    Got to see you last summer including your amazing performance in the championship of the summer league–you were still flying high right after that game. We cheered you & the team on all through the season. Watching you this summer and listening to you here–it’s clear that you’ve worked hard, developed all of your skills (treys too), now truly believe in your team, and that you are focused and ready to play and win! Can’t wait…but I guess still gotta for a few weeks.

  9. playhoopsa,

    ANY One can make a Big Play during tje 40+ minutes in each game ….
    BUT when The Opposition is trying to get that last five minute ‘Stop’
    Proven Players come through Time and Again and will Not Let Themselves be stopped
    IF their path is blocked, they’ll find an Open Teammate with a Better/Easier Shot
    OR just go straight up and Nail It…

    Eventually, Ideally, ALL the Highly Skilled Players come to realize that in any moment. they can overcome the opposition Or Pass to a Teammate who Can and Will and Win, Over and Over,,,
    THAT is an Advantage where Every Player knows How to Put it IN The Hole…
    more than Any Team (i think) ’til now….

    BUT The Team Leaders have AN Answer Ready at any Moment, i think…
    More Than Less…. A Player like THAT is probably an All-American or NBA player or such,
    and maybe we have a potential for that, or even two…;-}

  10. Eagle: I know only Open gym and summer league, however, All the UH athletes new and returnees, show ability to put ball in the hoop. In the past, some Rocha, Little, Arnold, Frank, Riley and Bob Nash teams, had maybe 2 or 3 guys that were scorers.

    Gib and staff did a good job in getting two of the better all around athletic guards in Quincy and Garrett Nevels, plus Jawato, if healthy, can score, Harper, smart heady aussie, Hackman is showing a true shooters form, Dyrbe, in UH gym and amongst his fellow teammates, Dyrbe can and will hit the open 3, of course, Shamburger, he is showing me, he is a hell of a tough dude, run the show, D up, to the rim, assist and shoot out to 3 line.

    So you are correct, the real heady, and this is where BBIQ, they always talk about it nowadays, like Baseball savvy, is so important, if UH has 10 guys, and anyone of the 5 on the court at the right time, makes the steal, blocks the shot, gets the stop, the rebound, the putback the FT, the layup, or 3 pointer to seal or win game, that is BBIQ, I think this team is trying to develop that mentality,WE ARE CHAMPIONS…I believe, Gib does not want a JT, SS, VJ, mentality, too selfish, and they could not finish games, one even walked out, very immature.

    Davis, smart guy, still awaiting his 0pen gym, to see if Rozitis has gotten stronger, just Dunk the dang ball Davis, beast it, and swat away the weak stuff, hit the cutters to the rim, and the 3 ball shooters in the corners, wings. You can do it. Fotu, a highly skilled PF, Christian, working with the youth German National team did him wonders, love how he is mentoring Stefan, the Serbian supter attitude and ability BB athlete, as well as Spearman, another strong dude, as well as ALL WAC PG Keith Shamburger.

    If you put a starting 5 of Davis, Fotu, Standhardinger, Shamburger(1 yr RS in UH system), and Spearman, …
    along with bench of Harper, Niki Filipovich,Jawato, Dressler, as TEAM Green versus

    TEAM White starters, Jovanovich, Aaron Valdes, Negus Webster-Chan, Garrett Nevels, Quincy Smith …
    and bench of Jack Hackman, Michael Thomas, Dyrbe Enos..

    THAT would be an interesting game, or Green White scrimmage coming very soon Oct 19 2013. Notice, all the guys from PG to C, can shoot, looks like all can pass the ball, rebound and run.

    I believe that first 5 the Green starters, would have advantage knowing Gib’s system, however, with Q, Nevels, NWC, AV, MT, Stefan and Jack Hackman, the White team can shoot and run and gun.

    What a neat dilemma for Gib to have, a LARGE roster of good athletes, hopefully led by the upperclassmen leaders, and Eagle as you say the 4 or 5 or 6 guys, not afraid to make big plays on O and D to win games, and to put games out of reach by taking care of ball, FT shooting and getting all the loose balls, and O and D rebounds.

    Shoots, we still have to wait,, however, Women Soccer team had two huge wins on the road against Oregon and Oregon St. in Women Soccer, swept a road trip against 2 Pac 12 teams. way to go Bud Nagamine…now that is what Gib , Norm, Charlie and Mike T, have to do , and eventually they will be doing it as teams mature and recruits are elevated academically, socially and atheletically.

    Eagle, would be nice if team had, Tom Henderson or AC Carter, those two guards, were the ones, coming out of JC for two years at UH, that made a huge difference by their being part of roster, they made others around them much better, in particular, AC, made Alika very good shooting guard, and if AC did not get hurt, his two years, they would have went NCAA back to back, guaranteed!

    Maybe this year, Fotu, Standhardinger, Spearman, Nevels, Smith, maybe even Enos!(our 808 boy!_ will lead team to NIT or NCAA tournament.

    Eagle, we have been waiting for 4 years, I think this team is like Gib’s first year, when he had Amis and Hiram Thompson, leaders personified, that team almost won 20 games, and were ranked as one of the top defensive teams in all of NCAA D1.

    Go Rainbow Warriors!

    😀

    A little while longer Eagle, then the Rainbow Warriors can start to hoop it up, just playhoops!

  11. What To Do while waiting in The Lurch?

    WHO WILL EMERGE?
    NEW TV Shows Beginning…
    UHMBB Will Become a Mid-Season Hot Ticket
    [BTW, BASKETBALL Fans, This Year, Na Wahine will also be Fun to Watch
    We would do well IF we coulda got BW to pair up the Teams]

    Pre-Season Prognostications…(A First Guess…)

    PROVEN & Market-Ready:
    Coach-Certified and Known to The BW Media:
    Standhardinger & Fotu

    NEWCOMER / ALL BW 1st/2nd Team Candidates:
    Garrett Nevels, Keith Shamburger
    IF Spearman makes 1st/2nd Team UH in Top Two/Three Teams

    ALL-Freshman Candidates:
    Aaron Valdes, Michael Thomas

    Longer Shots (Among the Best True BIGS):
    Jovanovic and Dressler (BEST BW Two-Headed Monsters /Tandem)
    (Does the BW Value Bigs? Soon, they will)

    [Next Year’s Newcomer of the Year Candidate: Negus]

  12. To all the returnees I hope you worked on something new to present this year. Don’t be like Vander and bring the same predictability; although Vander did add a semi-successful 3 point shot, he failed to mix up his post game or add a new wrinkle to throw off defenders. BW teams have tons of tape on the returnees and know all their tendencies. That’s what the off-season is all about, trying to get better. You can go out and shoot a thousand balls a day but will that make you a better player? Your weakness is what they will exploit. So better to eliminate that weakness. Sometimes I think that a good first year player would have just as much success if the veterans simply showed up and brought last year’s game to the court. Of course easier said than done. That’s why we belong in the stands and not on the court.Wish all good luck and much success to this basketball season.

  13. It’s refreshing to come to posts that state their point of views succinctly, practically, not simply dreamed on & on like I am. They also expresses their honest opinions based on facts & intent to help the TEAM (players will surely be appreciative!).

  14. Love All of the comments observations of the WI fans, very objective, very thought provoking
    I just have feeling Ben J. sat down with Gib, and said: I want you to get 1)good students first: check..

    2)Good young people: check… and

    3)good fit athletes: check..

    .4)Lastly, team stays together, and either goes pro NBA or High euro, and on track for degree, or better yet, finishes 2 or 3, 4, or 5 year in program and graduates:

    Mentors, not that UH upperclassmen and returnees, in system RS’s, are afraid of losing starting job, or PT,
    nice to see…Standhardinger, Fotu, Harper, Jawato, Enos, Rozitis, Shamburger, Valdes and Dressler, helping…
    Smith, Nevels, Jovanovich, Filipovich, Thomas, NWC and Hackman, get used to Hawaii and MBB system. That on the beach grind., open gym, and weight room, running, shooting 300 FT’s and 300 3 balls a day will pay off.

    I hope UH FB with NC, even if you have to Norm, change___run a pistol or read option with smaller back ,speed slots, and different__, might be able to score points!Shoji wins one more NCAA title before retires very soon. Michelle Nagamine, wins that BWC title!, Laura along with Gib’s team, I am with you Eagle to NCAA’s together same year!

    Baseball makes it back to CWS, MVB makes it to Final Four, all UH athletic teams do well on court, in pool, track, stadium , arena in community and classroom. Go Rainbow Warrior Student/Athletes! This year, could be a good one. NIce if UH Women Soccer team could play at TC Ching Field, with new seats, and facilities, perfect venue on campus!!

    Keep working hard, guys, as Spearman says, and I know what he is saying, WE ARE A TEAM,
    As Eagle, n2joy, jjay, servante, FUHA, al, hawaiifan09, clyde, ROB T, TribeV, Aussie Mum, Tonganator, , we all are getting anxious! Can’t wait for first game of Rainbow Classic!

    If we fans are going to dream , might as well dream BIG, back to MBB , yes, if older mentor the newer, and every one buys into helping TEAM win championships, look for great things one year before NEGUS!

    Uhfanzonly1.

  15. Apologies Fans of WI: I got carried away! Such a fan and alumus of UH, that I started to blog about other UH sports.

    WI is for ALL thing UH MBB!

    Team is on the right track! Working their butts off! Returnees helping new guys get in system. The seniors are working toward NCAA’s or bust.

    I believe, if UH MBB team believes and works hard and smart and together, they can win championships and go NIT or the ultimate NCAA’s and win a couple if not more games.

    With NWC, it could be 2 or 3 big time Post Season invites in a row, then Gib , and his MBB program with help of solid coaching staff, academic advisors, doctor, trainers, and maniacs, will be on their way to top level Mid Major, the best NCAA D1 program in the Mid Pacific in the the World!

    Uhfanzonly1. Sticking ONLY to MBB (and as a side note: Laura B. will B good. ! Wish her well)

Leave a Response

Login or fill in the fields below to comment. (New user? Register)

Supporters