Jawato and Smith glad to start training
Official practices for the University of Hawai’i basketball team are still two weeks away, but sophomore guards Brandon Jawato and Quincy Smith have already overcome hurdles.
Jawato and Smith were both able to participate in preseason workouts this week after being previously sidelined with injuries.
Jawato has been battling an ankle injury since the end of last season. It kept him away from training for the past six weeks. The injury is not yet healed, and may not be for a while. However, Jawato said he wanted to be available for the start of practices, and is willing to play through the pain.
“It’s going to be bug me throughout the whole season, but I’ll be fine,” he said. “I’m just going to play through it. I don’t want to sit out; I don’t want to get surgery, so I’m just going to continue on doing rehab every day and just come in and work on my game and hopefully get better.”
Jawato led the team in 3-pointers (43) and 3-point percentage (.413) last season. He has already used a redshirt season (2011-12), which is another reason why he wants to continue playing this season.
“I talked to the doctor and he said surgery is not 100 percent guaranteed it’s going to feel better, so I’m just going to wait it out and play through it,” he said. “No excuses, I’m just going to play hard.”
Smith has been hampered by a toe injury since the middle of summer. He said resting it for the past month has allowed it to heal.
“From here on out, I’ll be participating in everything,” he said.
Smith said he has been using a special insert inside of his shoe to help stabilize the toe. “It’s kind of uncomfortable, but it helps my toe a lot,” he said.
Smith is in his first season at UH after playing his freshman season at City College of San Francisco.
“It wasn’t like this at junior college,” he said of the rigorous daily schedule. “We start early in the morning at 8:30, and we don’t finish until 7 at night, so it’s a full day.”
Total respect for RS sophomore Brandon “B” Jawato and JC transfer sophomore Quincy “Q” Smith. A lot of guys would not work as hard to get better, participate in preseason workouts, get going in class, and open gym grind.
Good job Brandon J and Q Smith!
You guys are both Rainbow Warriors, true warriors!
Have a great season to the both of you! And Brandon Jawato, I have had similar injuries, like you and Q, however , back in the day, we just rest, heat, stretch, strengthen and ice down. Pretty much, unless total break or fracture of bones, just keep on grinding and go old school.
I can tell that you guys want to be part of a BIG SEASON, hopefully go to NCAA’s, love your attitude and all of your other great 15 teammates!
Go UH MBB team!
Uhfanzonly1.
Brandon and Quincy: Great to hear, and see you guys in open gym, despite rehabbing from injuries. Hope you do get better with time Brandon Jawato, those kind of injuries or wear on joints follow you later on in life. Work with doctor, therapists, and nutritionists too!
Take care, and glad to see you guys back! Jawato, you do provide a very, very valuable 3rd year in the UH MBB program leadership and experience, you look in great shape, bodily wise, you are going strong to the hoop and your shot is there, just shoot with confidence, we need your 3 pointers
Q, your choice to come to Hawaii, thank you so much, as you can see the comments from WI forum regulars old and newbies, love that Keith S, you, Dyrbe, Nikola, …possibly combo guards Spearman and Nevels, all can handle the rock and pass the ball, UH MBB team, at least Gib’s first 3 years, we never had 2 or 3 very athletic guards running O sets, getting steals and blocked shots, nice assists, and running transition.
Love that you, Keith, Nevels and Spearman, all don’t mind taking the ball to the hole, either to score and one or to dish off the dime to open teammate. Great stuff!!
Take care Q and B, thanks for working hard, and WE need you guys!
Go Rainbow Warriors!
😀
I tell you what…..this is what separates the boys from men
Hey ‘Jaw’ & ‘Q’,
This is encouraging news for your avid fans –
Glad that Dr’s approval came in time & you know how to take care of yourselves..
Eliminated the worry of missed seeing you play for a whole year!
You are the important x-factors of strong, quality guard presence this “Incomparable Ten” year –
Your skills, smart & strong will be major contributions toward an achievable goal.
Luck & successes throughout the season and beyond!
Brandon and Quincy,
Hope you ARE Both feeling significantly better — you both got as much rest as this yearʻs schedule will allow without dropping behind on Team skills…obviously youʻre both working HARD on managing the nagging injuries and pain, playing through — and work your game and skills around that — weʻll see and pray that these all get better over time with better training/health regimen, healing and your hard work — [Even, Bill Amis was able to work and get past his nagging foot injuries and continue his pro career after years of fighting/working through it, as frustrating as sitting/working through it must often seem…]
i see you both as Tough ʻGamersʻ, playing the Cards youʻve been dealt, smartly pushing and working through, with the best coaches, trainers, doctors and advice you can get, Finding Ways to Perform and Win …and most casual fans will never know how hard you had to work to get where you are and Help this Team as much as you Will … find the ways and the means… iʻll be prayinʻ that you both get the good fortune of not only managing through these injuries but also having some of Your Three remaining seasons mostly “Flyinʻ Free” of the injuries!
Go Warriors!
Go ʻBows!
Great comments all!
Eagle, and n2joy, hawaiifan09, and other forum members,
I, just my opinion, get sense that walkons, scholies, RS’s , returnees, can see with the addition of Shamburger, Nevels, Smith, also, now emerging potential of Michael Thomas, hard work of Aaron Valdes offseason, and RS future NWC addition, that UH MBB team has talent , Basketball athletes to go far, even THIS YEAR.
Potential, even though not playing organized ball or high level team and individual defense, mostly working on offense, ball handling, running and conditioning, there is talent from spots 1 to 5.
That is the attitude, I know that Christian, Fotu and Shamburger, Spearman, and the rest definitely are going to be fighting to win that BWC tourney crown and NCAA bid.
Wish good health to all, injuries, are part of the game, hope all the guys stay safe and physically sound, in open, gym, they all Look Like Basketball players. Hopefully, this season they will, and I believe they will be rockin the SSC !!
Go Rainbow Warriors! Hey count down: 11 days after today’s post till first regular practice, Fri Sept 27 2013!
😀
😀
As some poetry verses beautifully ascribed that a person’s smile as the ‘voice of the heart’:
Your headline pix broadcasting to the World that >> I am a very warm, kind, and friendly individual. Happily enjoying my opportunity to represent Hawaii through this WI+ report..
Wouldn’t it be nice, ‘Jaw’, go ahead and ask Dayton to fix you up with an enlarged copy of it?
As something to show your son later in the future, of the happy days as a Warrior.
For you then, ‘Q’, yours is a totally different story (solemn, serious business minded expression) >> I enjoyed the Diamondhead-view hotel locality, where I completing my NLOI for UHMBB. Feeling extremely comfortable with my TEAMMATES & coaching Staff. Gratefully wanting to repay their kindness immediately!
Hawaii is blessed to be associated with such a wonderful bunch to “Grind at her beach at Waikiki”!