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Reyes returns

In a stunning turn of events just 24 hours before its season opener, the University of Hawai’i basketball team welcomed the return of freshman forward Sammis Reyes.

Reyes, a 6-foot-6, 240-pound power forward, had requested a release from the program in the aftermath of the sudden dismissals of previous head coach Gib Arnold and assistant coach Brandyn Akana.

Screen shot 2014-10-22 at 10.26.02 PM

Reyes, however, remained enrolled in classes and kept hanging out with teammates since the previous coaches were dismissed on October 28. This week, he met with assistant coach Senque Carey and acting head coach Benjy Taylor.

“I had a good talk with the coaches, Coach Benjy, Coach Que,” Reyes said. “I spoke to Coach Que for a little while and he had a nice point of view in terms of making me stay. And thanks to Coach Benjy for being so (understanding). The family, man. I’m back. Glad to be back.”

Reyes had not practiced at all with the team since Taylor took over. Because new schemes have been implemented, he will likely need more time to adjust and learn before seeing significant game time.

“What really made me realize I want to stay was the (exhibition) game,” he said. “I was watching them play and I was like man, I just want to be there with them playing.”

In any case, his return boosts what might have been a thin rotation of post players. In preparation for the season opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, only two post players – 6-10 Stefan Jovanovic and 6-8 Mike Thomas – were expected to see significant game action.

18 Comments

  1. Welcome back Sammis !!
    Rebound and rebound..akuhead2 reversal

    GO WARRIORS

    SLAMMIN SAMMI IS BACK!!
    🙂

  2. A Band of Brothers !!
    Negus and Jankovich happy return of Sammis?
    Just check them in background
    Que did good job. ..sort of re-recruiting sammis again

    Will Benjy be the coach with Que, who is huge in developing guys on and off court..super impressive..

    Man..just give effort and stay together MBB BROTHERHOOD ..

    BACK THE BOWS!!
    WAY TO GO WARRIORS !! 🙂

  3. Several posters were right that watching the exhibition game would lead him back. Who was the one(s) that saw him at that game ?

  4. Forgive and forget. Welcome back Sammis. We’re still looking at 20 wins this year. We got a young team and they will make mistakes early on. Just like the HPU game. It wasn’t pretty but UH’s athleticism prevailed in the end. And as the season progress they will start to gel. I think every player from last year has improved their game. As far as Isaac Fotu is concerned his departure might be a blessing in disguise. We have talent from top to bottom. Had Fotu stayed someone (or two) would have been unhappy with his playing time and their development would be slower. Because we got the depth to step right in and fill the gap. Unfortunately that’s what the football team don’t have.

  5. 🙂 First time we have had a chance to smile in weeks now…welcome home Sammis!!! 🙂

    Sammis certainly has the flair for the Dramatics. Damn, that is good news. Now get into shape, learn the O & D and remember this is DI ball, no more turnovers. Kick some Ass on the other team!

    It’s an important day in a few more hours…Bball is Back.

    In the Pre-season we, as UH Fans, need to Hope that are BW Conference Opponents do well enough to give the BWC an improved ranking. Here are the games to follow for Friday.

    UCSB @ #5 Kansas. ESPN3

    CSUN @ #16 San Diego State, (Let’s see how many players got suspensions) ESPN3

    Long Beach State @ BYU, (one of our early opponents) BYU TV

    Saturday: Cal Poly @ Nevada

    Watch the turnovers and remember who you are playing for-This whole State is rooting for you!

    GO BOWZ

  6. Holy sh**! Excuse my language but I have to admit I didn’t think this would ever happen and this is finally some good news to the team after so much down. Sammis ready or not he has to play for this team and play strong. Its true that he’s only one man and a true freshman but he is a big body and that is exactly what this team needed for the season.

    Lots of chess pieces can move around with this now. Aaron Valdes can go back to playing mostly 3 and Negus too.

    Really excited for this season!

  7. I’m sure Negus is glad to have Sammis back. They have developed a tight friendship since they met up. Hope them two along with Janks can carry on their off court chemistry onto the court and form an explosive trio we can be proud of for the next few years.

    I hope the fans show him love when he comes onto the court. It will make it harder for him to think about leaving if he sees the love he is getting.

    I never faulted him for wanting to leave cause he was far from home and was probably getting bad advices from others.

    Now that he has returned we should open our arms to him and show him he made a right decision to come back.

  8. I love this video by the way. You can see the excitement and happiness in Sammis and it is a good sign that teammates like Negus and Jankovic enjoy being around him and are happy he is back!

  9. Yes…finally turn of events…other thing whenevers..however these 15 are here to go to school and play hoops for Hawaii
    maybe he read Mamma Valdes’ letter?
    Chuck..agree..kahuna..yes we welcome back

    Sammis made sure take care academics so important
    Negus and Janks. And team..don’t worry ..instead of 8 man rotation maybe 9 would be grat
    Play agrssive D and Rebound as team
    sammis just board and Dup will help a lot
    the physical body
    looks like 250? now will only help
    hey fans that can go ..please go and support the team

    Backing the Bows
    wlilling the Warriors..to good season
    this is a win already!!
    :)9

  10. Those HAPPY Guys Come Across As Leaders…

    SURE Looks Like Family, Like Brothers….

    They Got Us Thinking They’re Really Good Guys
    Good Hard Workers …
    Trying to be Good Students (Doin’ Pretty Good)
    Trying Really Hard to be Good D-1 (and later probably Pro, too) Players

    I Sure Like the Way They Seem to Genuinely Care ‘Bout Each Other
    I HOPE (Expect) HI-BB-IQ and Social Skills
    AND TEAM Skills Results in Good, Winning Chemistry

    The NEAR Future Is Sure Lookin’ Brighter!
    We Saw some of Coach Benjy’s Previous Teams
    I remember almost feeling sorry (for them) that they didn’t have More Talent
    BUT More Enjoyed Watching UH Beat ‘Em Up
    GLAD we now get to see Coach Benjy take The SSC Court with More Talent
    AND It’s UHMBB Talent

    One of My Favorite Memories from Coach Wallace
    was his Acknowledgement that Better Players Sure Made HIM Look Like a Better Coach…

    Counting: Game ONE Of The Benjy ERA…

    What’s BJ Gonna Do IF BT has a Winning Record?
    I’m Guessing He At Least Gets to Apply/Audition for The Permanent Job
    BT & SenQue PASSED ONE of The Tests:
    ABLE TO “RECRUIT” Their Own Players
    Retention IS a BIG Part of APR…

    GO ‘BOWS!
    Looking Like WINNERS!
    With Sammis,
    Looking Like Better Rebounders, too…
    This Team Seems to be Rebounding
    IT IS What Good Teams Do…
    Tomorrow We Begin to See What This Team IS and Will Be Made Of…

    I AM Amazed…
    We CAN Still Have So Much Optimism…
    BUT Good People (As i Think This Team is Full of…)
    Make Good Things Happen…
    SOON, Really Soon
    We’ll See

    SWEET DREAMS, ALL
    Who Woulda Thunk just 24 hours ago…?

    GO ‘Bows!

  11. Best news all month! I think this a testament to what kind of recruiter Coach Que is. He wasn’t going to let Sammis go that easily.

    I would have told Sammis, hey, with Fotu gone, you’re going to have a shot to play way more minutes as a true freshman. What other program out there is going to give you minutes right away especially with the season already in full swing? You have a chance to establish yourself starting tomorrow.

    Thanks Sammis, for putting your teammates and coaches of Hawaii first. It says a lot about your character.

    By the way, this article made me think a lot about Fotu. It’s about Todd Gurley, who broke some NCAA rules, and how he’s putting his teammates and the Univ. of Georgia first by playing out the rest of this season, even though their team’s season has been a let down. I wish this could have been the story for Fotu.

    http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/93485/gurley-puts-team-before-himself-this-time

  12. Good job Coach Que. Good job coach Benjy. The big reversal with a big freshman. We will be able to savor this for a few years.
    Calling Coach Brandon Loyd ! Make sure Sammis gets his academics in order and get him help ‘before’ he needs it. This is a guy that knows what training is all about, and he just has to apply those same principles to the books. Prepare, prepare, prepare, and the tests will be, well, easier. This is a guy with all the confidence in the world, and he is calling it out early, ” ‘trying’ to take care of his academics’. He has got to get the academics under foot. He was ‘out’ of the system for a few weeks and the staff may not have been keeping up with following up. Maybe you’ve got to ‘double follow up’ now for a bit. Indeed, its a whole new culture for him, and this was not an easy decision for him. We all respect that. Now we have got to see that all the i’s are dotted and the t’s crossed. And get him on the court !!

  13. Great Comments

    Great Site

    Mahalo Dayton & Co., Schmidt ‘Ohana, Contributors & Posters

    Mahalo Coaches and Team/Captains for Steppin’ Up and Re-Recruiting Sammis
    (On Balance, maybe coulda Re-Turned Fotu OR Shamburger…).
    Recruiting And Retaining Are Tough.
    Keeping a Heralded but Challenged Freshman a Whole Continent and Half the Largest Ocean away from His Trusted Support is (at least Potentially) Huge.

    Game Day #1
    WIN ‘Bows!

  14. Mahalo Sammis!

  15. You think he’d be willing to grow a fro?

  16. Welcome back Sammis! Thank you for returning to the Ohana! No bad feelings, just ALOHA. We understand the unfortunate situation and cannot really ask for more. You will be a difference maker, for sure. While the bigwig/fathead cowards, also known as the UH administration are trying to take down our sporting programs, basketball will remain a success thanks to the dedication of our players and support of all the true diehard fans. Mahalo Sammis!!

  17. Hey Sammis,

    You are wise beyond your years as alluded by “i stand corrected!”:
    You had regained a possibly 14 life-time loving-friends.
    You had given yourself a second chance to earn an UH DEGREE.
    Shown what a coach-able talented athlete that you really are.
    You retake the Aloha royal fans extended to you.
    Count and trust of a coaching-staff like you will find in nowhere else!
    Truly, this place is good enough for you to establish you a family!?

    Lets go, “15Champs”!

  18. Cheeee!!!! Huuuu!!!! Welcome back Sam

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