Aloha, Brandon Jawato
Brandon Jawato is ending his basketball career with the University of Hawai’i a year earlier than scheduled. To call it a frustrating finish would not be doing it justice.
“It’s been really tough for me; really hard,” Jawato said. “I don’t know, I just can’t seem to get healthy, but I’ll be alright.”
A couple of severe injuries and an on-target academic graduation were the key factors in his decision.
Jawato, a 6-foot-4 junior shooting guard, missed most of his sophomore season last year with an ankle injury that eventually required off-season surgery. This season, it was a back injury that has kept him off the court.
Unbeknown to most, Jawato’s current back injury is serious enough to make him ponder his long-term health.
“I’ve been talking to my trainer and several doctors and they were just talking to me about my future and if I wanted to move around like I am now,” he said. “It’s been really tough on me. I love the game of basketball, but then again, I want to be healthy when I’m older. It was tough, but I just have to move on and go to the next chapter in my life.”
Jawato is the longest-tenured player on the current roster – the only player remaining from the 2011 “Warriors to Asia Tour” in China and Japan.
He redshirted the 2011-12 season, then showed glimpses of shooting brilliance during his freshman season in 2012-13. He led the team that season with 43 3-pointers and a .413 percentage from 3-point range. The .413 percentage is still the fourth-best mark for a season in UH history.
Most memorable, he went 7 for 7 from 3-point range, all in the first half, during a victory over UC Riverside in 2013. “That was nuts,” he said. “Just the fans in the stands were going off, and I’m just going to miss all those memories.”
Through it all, Jawato maintained his academic progress. He is on track to graduate this May with a degree in Family & Human Resources.
Jawato came to UH from El Segundo High School in Los Angeles, Calif. He said he has relatives in both Southern California and Bali, Indonesia. He said some of his immediate future plans include “travel the world,” including spending time with his family in Bali.
Jawato expressed gratitude toward numerous people for his stint in Hawai’i, including his parents and family, the coaches, teammates, and the fans.
The injuries put Jawato in the background for the past two years, but he was always one of the most positive and jovial members of the team. He was one of those guys who always had a smile on his face and an extended arm out, ready for a handshake. Regardless of what he may have – or have not – done on the court, he will be missed.
He will be honored during “Senior Night” at the home finale on Wednesday, when the Warriors host UC Santa Barbara. Senior Garrett Nevels will also be honored.
Here is a flashback video to 2013, featuring a healthy Jawato:
Mahalo Brandon…come back to Hawaii teach youth…
also Benjy permanent 3 year contracted head coach!!
🙂
Brandon , pundits, ferd, bobby , jeff jack..hope they feel for team and wonderful student athletes like yourself…
some media except gary d.,,,,,no heart
thanks Dayton…beautiful as always , video interviews and closeups of mbb program..
Yes..team win for Wato, TJ… and Hawaii
Mahalo Brandon , take care..maybe one day can play ball again..
Aloha and mahalo, indeed. It’s always nice to sit back and watch these young men mature over the course of their careers, particularly those who have been here for a few years like Brandon. He’s come a long way to becoming the man his mom wanted him to be. This must be an excruciating decision to put aside his dream, but a mature one knowing his long-term health is what is really important. Lots of good memories. Mahalo, Brandon, and thanks Dayton for including that Riverside clip.
Mahalo, Brandon
Will Look forward to your kids contributing to UH Athletics And The Community…
Always a Positive…
I’m Happy for You that you had The Conference Player-fo-the-Week Awesome Game —
So much in One Night AND Leading the Team in 3-Point Shooting The Whole Season —
Highlights you Can Keep — Like The Degree — No One’s Takin’ that away…
WISH You The Best of Health
Stay Close to UH
When Breakthroughs In Sports and Medicine Come Through As They WILL
It Should ALL Get Better — Maybe FAST – 99% of ALL Scientists/Researchers in the HISTORY of Mankind ARE Working Right Now — WE Double Our Medical Knpwledge Every Few Years — DNA Reaearch that Took Months a Few short years ago (and were Not Even Possible shortly before), Now Take Minutes/Seconds…
Botton Line — In The Sports and Hawaii-World of Medicine…
It Won’t Be Lomg Before Those Pains, maybe even the Condition get addressed…
(RE: ACLs and Tommy-Johns used to be Career-Enders?)
Live A Good, Clean Life
You’re Smart Enough to Have BALI And HAWAI’I!
with a “Free” (EARNED) Non- MAJOR-DEBT-Degree…
I Agree…
You — And Your “Over-Achieving” Teammates…
WILL BE FINE… Already Are…
Congratulations!
Finished! Strong!
Mahalos and good luck to Jawato main thing he completes his degree as we expect Nevels will also graduate. Senior nite will be great for these two Warrior Natiion show your support and pack the damn house It s the last game for the season and the last time these two will be in uniform for our team. Let’s stop talking about contracts and stuck to the subject at the top. Salute to Brandon and upcoming senior nite for Nevels. They deserve the attention.
Benjy, all we are saying jjay, is give the guy a chance.. otherwise, your MBB program will , perhaps go backwards for next 3 years.
Benjy and great guys like Jawato, always smiling, funny, and jovial, not so hung up, made this team, solid.. they really like one another.. lighten up, and enjoy senior nite.. if you can go, and healthy, go to the game.. Hawaii, and bedroom community.. I just hope 7000 will show up for senior and junior to grad nite..
And no.. I will keep pounding away, until Benjy is made permanent HC. he deserves it, UH admin is not supporting him.. going national, and making him apply, however, I hope he does.. it would mean solidarity.. I mean, jjay, could anything you say.. or complain about.. stick to topic, and fill the .. da.__ house.. make any difference? Benjy taking the helm, and the guys buying in, that is why , you are looking at possible 20th win of season UCSB game.. BECAUSE of Benjy, taking the high road, Bad rap for him, Bad rap for his athletes. they are humble and hungry..
No.. I will keep on, along with several other thousand fans.. harping on dumb admin to put Benjy on top of the list.. by going national search.. total slap in Benjy and the MBB team’s face, total disrespect..jjay what if UH MBB makes it to NCAA tournament.. and UH let’s Benjy go.. hires, a JC coach, or BWC other school coach.. totally Mental.. no wonder, 9000 plus will not support UH admin, they got it OKOLE backwards for a Hugh Durham Mid Major Coach of the year. and No. 122 in the land BPI ranked team
Runbows you have your own agenda. As for myself I support the program and for what it’s worth when I buy season tickets ., pov and road trips for football, it’s about the program and the students not any coach. The programs will go on no matter who coaches. I’m not going to say the words awesome were in 6th place or 5 th place. That’s mediocrity. Nitety nite Go Warriors!
Runbows? Gonna answer my question as”true fan” of UH bb? If someone other than Benjy hired, your support stays the same? If not, auwe…..
This is very refreshing to see a kid like Jawato who understands his future and is not in the all or nothing basketball mindset that some other youngsters these days have. On the other hand I watch the past video of that Riverside game and think what a great shooter that Jawato! One thing the team this year could use is that deadly 3 ball shooter and if Jawato was healthy he would be the guy to make the team that much more dangerous.
Main thing he getting his degree and taking care of his body. Mahalo for being a true Warrior Brandon!
Brandon good parents.. great student…. he focused on getting his degree which is excellent.. I remember him going on that summer late 2011 Warriors to Asia Basketball tour in China, Japan, man, time flies.. remember , UH with Shaq, Joston, Jawato, played well on that tour.
Brandon, wish you the best again, really feel sorry about injuries, sometimes it happens, however ., strength and reaching goals through adversity, maybe, with rehab, and as eagle says, the newer orthopedic procedures, those bulges in your back, or ankle rehab strengthing, and making sure concussion like symptoms okay, you will one day play competitive basketball again..
Either way, Brandon , the first of Gib Arnold’s freshmen recruits to finish graduating and earning degree in 4 years, though he had one more of basketball eligibility as a 4 year Jr. RS.. Awesome.
Come back, teach, coach, train, and start family in Hawaii, great place to be.. and we can always keep up with you and family through the coming years.
Thankyou and big Mahalo Brandon, B. Wato, Jawato ! 3 ball specialist.. supreme.. we will always remember the record for UH MBB , the 7 for 7, until you were hurt at half.. otherwise, maybe 10-10 !!
Correct Me IF Disagree….
BUT By His Own Standards, he might (‘positively’) point out some selection shortcomings or concerns…
Like IF The Next UHAD ‘Fell’ For The BIG Story: Big-Time ‘Proven Coach’ [BYU Frank?] Who KNOWS How to WIN {BUT From 3 to 6 Time Zones Out in MID-PACIFIC?] OR Stepping-Stone ‘Super Recruiter’… OR Used Car Salesman Who Knows Something’s Different BUT DON’T REALLY “GET” Hawai’i…
BUT Would Maintain, As a Minimum, a largely positive perspective
AND Full Support of The Players and Families
Coaches By their very nature, Are Subject to The Waits-and-Sees,
Ws&Ls and Unfair Shots like Any Leader, Administrator or Referee…
At Whatever Rate Upper Campus Snails Along,
At Least there is Some Talk, Some Money and maybe even some (Late) Action…
maybe “soon” — Easier after TWO or THREE WINS NEXT WEEK….
(Better, BUT Still Marginal @ ‘One’)…
We Can ALL Start Returning to Lightness
NCAA Would Be Killing their Own FEW Remaining Golden Geese IF they were to Heavily Sanction UH (St.Mary’s, Syracuse) Versus The Blatant Cheaters like UNC…
How Long Before The Power-Money Hungry RICH FIVE Try to Take/OWN BOTH Basketball And Football?
The TWO BIG-MONEY PILES … Pay for PLAY? Count On It…
AND A Bright, Solid, Future
Like The Next FOTU(S)?
OR Top 100 Transfer/Recruit…
[Janks, Negus & Isaac;’s Super-Friends…,]
GO ‘BOWS!
FINISH UCSB!
Don’t Let ‘Em Escape a Second Time
This Week OR Next…
20 NOW
This Is The…
FINISH!
STRONG!
Hey Brandon, great place to teach, basketball, or work in your field and raise family. Hope you stay in touch with UH MBB !!
Mahalo for your good nature, always smiling and cheer on team, a great 4 year to grad Gib recruit.
Mahalo Brandon for your athletic contributions to the University of Hawai’i. Good to know that your future plans are to live and raise your future ohana here! Good luck, God speed, and a fond Aloha!
jjay, sorry, support for the Bows and the program, UH moves so slow, and should take care of any coach interim or permanent to help them succeed.. that is the enigma.. if Benjy is at 20 wins for season, even if one and done in BWC tournament.. For Benjy and Bows, and most importantly their families.. keeping program together and good winning season for this crazy season.. Fantastic job..
Why Benjy put out in pool, to reapply.. offered that 1 year deal 185K? and just a continuation of Interim, with provision that after next season, if UHadmin found another HC, he would be gone? I don’t know all the particulars.. however, Gary D……, sport animals, quoted as saying, it is a slap in the face.,
Shoji, Beeman, Wade, Coolen,..have to see who is the next AD? John McNamara, for one, knows the ins and outs of UH athletics, been around for awhile.. he knows coaches situation and feeling of fans towards coaches and programs..
Have to have good leadership.. and that leadership from Governor on down to Chancellor, support the winning coaches in Class and on the playing field or court or pool…
jjay, enjoy the Farewell Night to Nevels and Jawato,.. will be really special for UH to get that win against UCSB… if UH pressure defense, and harass their top shooters.. as well as Janks, Nevels, NWC, AV , Bobbitt having good offensive games too, and Whole team, just all out effort to battle.
I believe UH can get 20th win this Wed. March 4 2015 at SSC.. sad that some who had tickets for Thursday game originally cannot go to game on Wed.. however if 7000 plus show up, I hope more.
jjay, will make lot of noise.. should be fun..!!
🙂
I go back to my first question I said a couple of days ago, who recruited these group of current players, Gib Arnold or Benjy Taylor? My guess would be Gib Arnold. But, he’s gone now so we try to do the best of the situation the team is in. Taylor and his staff has done an admirable staff, but the players are the ones who have performed. There is talent on the floor, it’s quite obvious. Bobbitt is the MVP of the team clearly. He’s the leader, the point, leads the defense, he steals passes like no other I’ve seen, he causes havoc all over the place that his teammates gets into the act. When he doesn’t play well, we lose games, period. Just check the stats. Can you imagine if we just had Fotu this season!!!! Still, like somebody said earlier, this is a 7-7 conference team right now in the Big West. That’s average. This is not the Mountain West. If we were in the MWC now, we would be near the middle or towards the back end of the standings. We’ve got a long way to go. And it’s not even close to better UH teams have had.
The best UH team since the Fab Five was tge 2001-2002 teams that went to the NCAA and won the Western Athletic Conference. They beat Tulsa 3 times that year, won the WAC with a 15-3 regular season record, Won the Conference tournament and had a tough loss to Xavier in the NCAA tournament. You had Savovic, English, Martin, McIntyre, Shimonovich, Zivanovic, Mindaugus, Jason Carter, Akpan, Campbell, Peciukas, and company. I would say that team is even better than the Fabulous Five team to me. Even the Alika Smith and Anthony Carter teams were better than this group. But, if we had Fotu and Reyes playing, well you never know what would have been. You have to remember that the Big West Conference as basketball is concerned is NOT a very strong conference. Hawaii with it’s arena, etc. should contend for a conference crown every year. In 3 years, Laura Beeman is showing that Hawaii is a contender and now a conference champion on the women’s side.
Let’s not forget that these current players and coaches are doing the best that they can to be successful and there is much more to do and they are to be applauded. Keep everything in perspective. UH still needs to respond back to the NCAA and it’s nearing the 60 day window soon. You don’t know what’s going to happen next. Focus on what can be controlled today, because the future is very clouded, maybe storming!!!
Can anyone beat Jawato’s 7 for 7 on 3 pt.FG’s ? Negus, after missing one, hit three in a row in the previous game, missed one, and then made two out of his next three shots.
Islandman, hard to beat 7 for 7 in one half, much less an entire game. Glad to say that I was at that game. For his efforts, I think he was Big West Player of the Week. Glad he’s going to graduate soon and that he has his life ahead of him. Being healthy is #1 always. Good luck, Brandon Jawato!
I always enjoyed watching warm ups before the game. Jawato was always shooting 3s from very deep and he was making them with regularity. He had that kinda like line drive shot with 2 hands, but he was very deadly with that. Ah, memories!
Janks OR Negus ‘Could’ Surpass Jawato’s Seven in The Next Two-Plus Seasons…
BUT Seven For Seven i believe Was a Conference Record…
I think Zane Johnson is the best pure shooter, at least from the outside. If you’re talking about clutch shots, I would put my money on Savovic. That 2001-2002 team could shoot the three. Savo, English, McIntyre, Burneika, Peciukis, Carter, could all shoot it, and Campbell on occasion.
Webster-Chan is coming into his own down he stretch and that’s a big plus for the team. If Nevels gets hot, watch out. He’s a senior leader so it’s his time. Come on, Garrett!
No question, Jawato has been an asset to this team and to the school. His support for the team as a player deserves much Mahalo. My thought is that he will now come over to this side of the bench and be a fan. I expect he will attend a few games next year and be cheering for the team !! Go Bows !!