Jankovic ready for new start in Hawai’i
There will be no break for the starters on the University of Hawai’i basketball team.
After bringing home two road victories last week, the Warriors will be greeted a new-look scout team in practices this week.
Stefan Jankovic, a skilled 6-foot-11 forward, is eligible to begin practicing with the Warriors this week. He is a mid-year transfer from the University of Missouri, so must sit out one year as a redshirt per NCAA transfer rules. He can practice with the team for now, and will become eligible for games in late December of the 2014-15 season.
“My last game was against Hawai’i (on November 16) and at that point I really made the decision,” Jankovic said. “I decided it was the time to make a move.”
Jankovic appeared in three games – including the Missouri win over Hawai’i – this season for Missouri, averaging 3.3 points and 2.5 rebounds per game in limited minutes.
Negus Webster-Chan, a 6-7 guard/forward, transferred from Missouri to Hawai’i last summer. He and Jankovic have known each other for nearly a decade.
“At first I was open (to any school) and obviously I looked at places I had friends at and stuff like that,” Jankovic said. “Me and Negus have been playing together for five or six years, have known each other for 10. We definitely have a close relationship so I could trust him.”
Jankovic and Webster-Chan are both from the Toronto area in Canada. They both were standout players at national power Huntington Prep School in West Virginia. They both then signed with Missouri out of prep school.
Now, they are both Hawai’i Warriors.
“On the court, when we’ve played together, we’ve always played to each other,” Jankovic said. “In high school, I threw him lobs all the time. We play well together, and that chemistry helps.”
Jankovic has the size to play center or power forward, but also has the shooting skills of a small forward. “Getting a real talented player – versatile,” Webster-Chan said. “He’s going to help us a lot next year when he’s eligible.”
Jankovic was born in Serbia, but raised in Toronto, Canada. Game announcers – and fans – will likely get confused when looking at the UH roster and seeing a 6-11 Stefan Jankovic and a 6-10 Stefan Jovanovic.
“I’m good for (any) nicknames, I don’t mind,” Jankovic said. “The other Stefan was here first so I’m not going to try to make him get a nickname.”
Jovanovic currently wears No. 15, while Jankovic has chosen jersey No. 33. “I guess you can call us by our numbers … whatever works,” Jankovic said.
— — — — — — —
The Warriors will begin a four-game homestand this Thursday, when they host Long Beach State in a Big West Conference game. Hawai’i is 14-5 overall and 3-2 in the Big West; the 49ers are 7-12 overall and tied with the Warriors for third place in the conference at 3-2.
Here is a video look at Long Beach State’s top two players – Mike Caffey and Tyler Lamb (note that this video was posted in mid-January):
O.K., So it’s Probably Just Great Video Editing… There Goes Dayton, Again [Mahalo, Anyway…]
The Way BOTH Negus and Janks POUR The Ball into the Net from Near (With Power, A Heavy Ball) And Far…
Even Seemingly at the Same Time As If the Rim Got Bigger and The Ball is just Magnetized to The Inside of The Net…
Just a Couple More Scout Teamers Lookin’ Good ‘cos they’re Playin’ Against AIR — NO DEFENSE…
Just Like All That Off-Season Open Gym Stuff…
NOT!
REAL AWESOME…
Better Than Much of The Open Gym Stuff
which is Now TOP 20 Scoring Material
AND Improving @ Home And On The Road…
And Maybe 75% + Winning Clip
(IF They Keep it Going…)
Pinched and Awake…
BIG Smiles All Around
Welcome, Toronto!, EH!?
Here’s Your NEW Second Home
IF You Win Three In A Row @ BWC Tourney
Then You Only Gotta Win Two Times Each Week
(Three the First Week, IF You ‘Earn’ An Extra ‘Play-In’ Game)
For Three More Weeks
THAT GOAL of Yours
We’re Good With That, Right, UHMBB Fans?
[Authorized…Endorsed]
Welcome again Stefan. I know all of the UH fans are really looking forward to you and Negus taking the court next season. With you stepping in for Christian and Negus for Brandon, the team shouldn’t miss a beat. Work hard in the gym and the classroom, the year will go by fast and we’ll be there to cheer for you when you knock in that first basket as a Warrior!
P.S. There SHOULD Be a Line Forming…
OF Recruits who wanna play with these guys
SOON…Going, Going, GONE on the Last Scholie …
FIRST UP… AND More Walk-Ons?
Wanna Be The Third or Fourth Guy with This Team?
Reminds Me of Miami Heat “Recruiting”
GIB IS Earning Good Cred with Good Players
The Other Sure-Things and Three-Stars-Plus…
FOTU, Fleming and Thomas…
Shamburger, Nevels, Q, AV and Anyone Else Ready
to Step it UP Big-Time Got To Be Elevated
Jovanovic and Dressler; Getting Healthy, Stronger, Quicker
By The Negus-Janks WORK ETHIC and HIGHER Expectations
Kinda Like The AC Or Henderson Effect,
Lookin’ Like “Money” Years
Is The NEW GOLDEN AGE of UHMBB Already On The Court?
(Already In The Games…? )
I Still Find it Hard to Believe I’m NOT Nervous About Losing
BWC Players of the Week Spearman and Standhardinger
Because we Back-Fill with TOP 100 Players NEGUS and JANKOVIC
Love the mindset and mission — “Winning the national championship.”
By the way, welcome to Hawaii, Stefan. The program is looking mighty dangerous next year with you and Negus on board.
Look like how UH does this year 20+ wins and NIT and NCAA run. The pipeline to great talent will start from anywhere. on the planet. However. .the guys this year ..they have huge Heart and grit..hope that NWC and SJ Ii are One Ohana..if they are willing to wait one year to play..I think they will be fine ..key if Negus and Jankovic play awesome D..Huge upside and talent for couple of years ..awesome additions..
I still think Gib is looking for tall athletic rim protectors. Imagine UH will be in a couple years..elite eight..final four? Why not?
Go Bows!!
😀
Team goin b unreal next year..national title?..why not.. negus:why settle for less?
Go Warriors!!
😀
The 1 question I have for jankovic is, How hard is it to guard Fotu?
ROB T: Good thing, Jankovic, Stefan, KNOWS he has to work on his defense. That was a liability of his at Mizzou, too, he has to move his feet, and be able to defend. His skillset and athleticism, both he AND Negus, are very high, very mobile, good handles, and can score, inside and out, just great offensive players. However, to be really good ,and eventually NBA or high Euro leauges, they have to be able to defend.
One thing, luxury for Gib now, he has guys that can score coming back next year, Keith, Nevels, Fotu, mabye Aaron, Mike T., as they develop, even this year..a Coach, would love to be able to work with, and develop their Defensive skillset, this coming year, the spring and summer, and for Stefan, the early 2014 fall before he joins team in December eligible.
I LOVE this year’s team, they have such heart, and that starting 5, one of the best I have seen, in many, many years! Look for good things hopefully a great finish through March for Fotu, Spearman, Standhardinger, Nevels , Shamburger, Rozitis and company.
Then next year, the Mizzou transfers will add firepower to the 3 and 4/5 spots, should be awesome.
You are right Rob T., Isaac has INTERNATIONAL big experience, he is one of the best 4/5’s in the nation , in my opinon! He CAN shoot FT’s, an excellent touch, his mid range game 15-18 feet out, is money, and his one on one post moves, reminds, me of Kevin McHale, Tim Duncan, the footwork , world class. Jankovic, will have a test guarding, Isaac, and Christian, and Rozitis, they will go hard at both Negus and Jankovic, in pracitces, but you know what Rob?
It will make both Negus, Jankovic, better, and prepare, this year’s squad for a run, at post season play, ..Great team, some, 18 strong, including RS’s, awesome!
Go Warriors!
😀
Well , Rob T, Isaac”s and Christian’s spin moves, are super. Christian, draws a lot of fouls, and he is strong enough to finish, plus he can shoot FT’s too, key ones. Isaac, go left, go right, he has to finish, those hook shots with left hand, go to left too, those great Athletic, bigs, he will face in post season, and next year, will guard him , force him just go LEFT, if Isaac is burning them either way, wow, he is All American mention, all region for sure, maybe even this year, as they win, and play well, Christian and Isaac, would flourish on any DI team in the land, they are That Good!
Go Bows!
😀
One of the things that I was impressed with during the Irvine game is our adjustment to their zone. We eventually got to moving the ball around the zone to get the right shot. Holding on to the ball too long can really hurt against a zone. Great to see better execution develop as the game wore on.
ROB T…. to answer your question… hard
This big key to next season is who steps up and becomes the leader(s). Christian, Davis & Spearman are the unquestioned leaders of this year’s team and all are finished after this March (April?). The other question to be answered is how much defense is going to be played with 5 very good scorers on the court? That’s going to be the key.
The talent will be even better next year. Plus what’s good is that the players expected to fill Christian and Spearman’s departure are already here. Jankovic and NWC presumably will step right into the starting roles.
I just want to see Jovanovic and Jankovic on the court at the same time and see how the announcers handle it.
keep working on explosiveness and get in that weight room and become a defensive stopper…another big on the radar not sure how high we are on his list Emmanuel malou…would be a huge pickup
hawaiifan09: yes…that is what Gib and staff said they would do …CONSTANT, evaluation and upgrade where they need help. That Rim Protector, or even for following years, would make UH really a tough, tough team. Hey , this 2013-14 group not bad at all.
If Gib holds the last scholie for that shot blocking, sky walking, athletic 6’9″- 7″0″ big, the Last Line of defense, when teams, break UH’s full court pressure, would be nice.
😀
And FUHA, pretty soon we will here reports, from BM, …WI,…DM…etc, how Stefan is doing in pracitce…Isaac is very,. very good, now that he is pretty much healthy, he could almost, go off for 20+ a game, he is providing great front line, and mid range firepower, that footwork, and the quick spins, one on one, with guys his size, he is going to score, score and one, or draw fouls. That jump shot mid range, he keeps on hitting that, opens, up for Christian’s drives…Unreal; to think how two 6’8″ PF’s, Isaac and Christian, though not the skywalking, shot blocking type, really affect winning. I would say ,as a winning tandem, one of the best pair of Power Forwards in the Pacific Rim, West Coast to Hawaii!
Awesome!!
😀
Regarding last scholie, it seems U of H is interested in Sammi Reyes and Emmanuel Malou both very versatile forwards. Seemingly, the team is evolving to a more athletic and up tempo style of play. So it seems for their last get, looking for a 4-hybrid type of player. Nonetheless, exciting times THIS week and who’ll be the last recruit.
with this last scholie no way would I use it on reyes…go hard on riak bol, emmauel malou and abdoulaye ndoye
FUHA — It May be Similar to 2005-2006 when we had Matt Gibson and Matthew Gipson;
Although this one may be More Challenging since The Stefans are Similarly Sized
Versus what Bobby Curran Called BIG Matt and Little Matt…
It Would Be Great to See them ¨STAR¨ Enough to See it Featured on National Media [#Stefan-Hawai’i]
One ‘Ohana, One Name…Almost the Same Surname…What ARE The Odds?
I Remember thinking it was unusual they were even in The Same Game @ Missouri…
NOW Same Team for Three Years…
I think Stefan JOVANOVICH will be good next year…he is so physical, and learning a lot going up against Isaac, Christian, now Jankovich, and Davis..Jovanovich, work on getting bigger, stronger, develop low post moves, and finish, plus his mid range to 3 line game, he will be solid 5, Center. Knows the system. Smart BB player.
Stefan JANKOVICH, such a skilled euro style player, however, he has major hops, very long arm, wing span, and can handle ball, quick..he should get stronger, etc and learn UH system, big advantage, as was mentioned by others. Negus and Jankovich, having about a year plus, to learn system, they are going to be good, just have to play D, in Gib’s system. Even if it were Riley or Little, you have to play team and good D to play major minutes.
Maybe being Serbian, they must have middle name, or nicknames in Serbian., Jankovich, says He IS 6’11” and Jovanovich says, he is a shade under 6’10″(unless, and would be nice if he grew another inch or two)..could still be big Stef and Lil Stef, Old School coaches, would just shout out Jovan!! and Janko!!(Yanko) Jov and Jan, who knows, both of those guys, plus Niko Filopovich, the team will be loaded, at PG, SG, SF, PF and a couple of true Centers, Dressler, Jovanovich, and that coveted shot blocking athlete !
Heck, as long as this year team can go NIT or NCAA, call the two Stefans, Uno, Dos, they will help team win next year too!
winbow: maybe, you have a point. If the Stefans have Serbian Middle names, or initials. Or, call by their jersey number, in serbian, maybe Gib calls, Jovanovich , Stefan since he was here first, then Stefan Jankovich, Yankov…ahhhh, it will be fun next year. and yes, hawaiifan09, Gib and staff, looking at several athletic shot blockers, guys with builds, not as heavy though , like those Senegal 3 , really long wing span, hops, block shots, and finish. Man, if Gib, can score one of those 6’9″ to 6’11” freshman, can develop for 4 years, whew! UH MBB team, can be on the rise for years to come, and keep the wings, and great shooters, PG’s coming too!
This team, we not looking to far ahead. Guys, take care of business, actually play better, keep improving, get leads, out to big ones, and close out at home and on the road, actually, I think Gib has this team, their attention, and they have bought in entirely, this 2013-14 team very special team, with a lot to chase : championships!
Go Bows!
😀