Highlights from Awards Banquet, Part II
Wins and losses aside, the 2014-15 University of Hawai’i basketball team made an impact on the community.
The proof came during the team’s annual awards banquet last week, when sophomores Stefan Jankovic and Negus Webster-Chan were recognized as the winners of the Community Service Award. Jankovic and Webster-Chan made a home visit to T.J. Fernandez during the season, and dedicated the season to the Pearl City High School student. Fernandez continues to battle an inoperable brain tumor.
“This is a special group of guys,” former head coach Benjy Taylor said. “Not only did we win 22 games, we did it the right way. This is a great group; we did a lot of stuff. One of the best things we did all year was taking T.J. on and making him a part of our ‘ohana.”
Jankovic and Webster-Chan made “T” signs with their hands to honor Fernandez in the games immediately following the visit.
“He gave us such a boost,” Jankovic said. “For him to tell us thanks for coming and thanks for coming to see him, it’s great. But we play basketball. It sucks sometimes to run suicides (sprints) and this and that, but for someone who is fighting for their life and is so young, that really has to be appreciated.”
Also in the above video, sophomore Stefan Jovanovic received the award for Top Scholar-Athlete, and redshirt freshmen Zach Buscher and Brocke Stepteau were honored for the Team Player Award.
Good to see Jamie, Janks, TJ’s father and the others.
Dantley Walker may be transferring to UH ? noted on wsn. He was an all time great Nevada high school player. Went on his LDS mission. Only played in 11 games at UNLV. Supposed to be a good shooter.
He would be a good pick up. Hope he is available to play right away.
Raphael Maia got picked up By PIttsgburgh!! Shows how desperate teams are for big men that are available to play right away.
How good a shooter?
He scored 73 points at Lincoln County High in 2011 with 3 rougher on him!!!
Less than 50 is considered a bad outing.
Countless state records.
They retired his number.
He may have to sit out one year ? He is a freshman who already red shirted one year. An article said he has has some difficulty in defending and ball handling on the Div I level. But his high school tape shows him running rings around the opponents, ( like the CSUN guard who ran rings around the Wahine).
Again… Mahalo Benjy and the Bows !! If only had a couple more years together.. wow.. what staff and team good accomplish.. in community, bringing fans back to SSC and making many fans around the country, and being able to Finish strong and well.
High Character, great gets, recruits by previous staff, and coaches.
now up to Eran,…and I wish him well..
it is going to be a super test.. to see if he can match or surpass this group 2014-15 Warrior BB team !!
Fans, really a Once In a Lifetime achievement , by underdogs, backs to the wall, every which way but loose, and they came out absolute WINNERS..
Mahalo Benjy, and your team, or HAWAII’s team, and the Standing O.. greatly deserved.
Now.. UH.. how to answer, and new coach how to steer the next couple of years..
wish the BEST..
And thankyou Dayton, and especially Schmidt Ohana for sponsoring WI site !!
… AND OUR LOVE AND WISHES go TO TJ and HIS OHANA !!
A TRUE WARRIOR..
Janks and Negus, that is the way of Warriors !! Rainbow Warriors..!!
say, again.. very HIGH CHARACTER TEAM.. UH Rainbow Warriors and the staff.
TJ.. WE ALL WITH YOU IN YOUR FIGHT !!
Coach Taylor… Great video , and conclusion to season Dayton..man, for those of us that could not go.. we had No idea what was said and sentiment, the video, said volumes..
Still scratching my head.. great staff, great players, good citizens, matured, lived , leaned, and got better as a team, as persons.. What More Could You Ask of an NCAA Div 1 Coach and Team? Under the circumstances.. has to be the.. oh well, here I go again, VERY unusual.. end of year awards banquet and great , REAL speeches, for a coach who IS not the returning coach, and a Team that could have been 9-26, however they win 22.. amazing..
Coach Taylor, The Fernandez family and TJ, Janks, Negus, G, Q , Jamie the whole team, .. man, if there were some way to live another year, with a 27 game winning, NCAA invited team, the same guys.. would be a great thing. However.. UH made their pick.. and we move on !!
Dantley Walker transferring to a different Univ of Hawaii; Chaminade Univ. ( of Hawaii). So much for 70 pts. etc.
Chaminade was about to RE-BRAND to University of HONOLULU…
I Can Understand that….
BUT Before they could Execute The Name-Change,
They defeated #1 Virginia & Ralph Sampson…
Still Considered “The Biggest Upset” in CBB History…
and CHAMINADE quickly Earned Too Much Cred & Brand-Name Recognition to give up the name……
It’s called Chaminade University (of Honolulu) , per the internet.
For what it’s worth … Star-Advertiser reporting that UH and Arnold have been given 15-day extensions to reply to the NCAA’s allegations. It had been due April 30. As previously noted, UH considering self-imposed penalties and has also consulted Ganot on the matter. Probably a reason there is no contract in place.
thank god that would be a horrible first recruit for ganot
Walker got to have some talent with all his state records and being named McDonald’s first team All-American. I guess his strength was his court vision and shooting.
In Walker’s defense, not that he needs any, the guy was a Parade Magazine First-Team All-American, along with the likes of Austin Rivers, Bradley Beal and some guy named Anthony Davis. Obviously, Walker had a stellar high-school career. Wondering if he’s really transferring to Chaminade. If so, it’ll be interesting watching him play here.
OK, since it’s a little quiet here … one last thing about Walker. Chaminade has announced his signing; he’ll have three years of eligibility remaining. An interesting side note: among the teams scheduled to participate in this year’s Maui Invitational … UNLV.
I have to agree with some that are reliefed that the UNLV kid is going to Chaminade and not UH. His highlight video showed great shooting but look like wasn’t the best opponent competition and I saw that he played on a lower level of high school. If you just look at his numbers it could be like if a kid on Kauai averaged 36 points a game and then turned out wasn’t really ready for college D-1 ball. Good luck to this kid and maybe he can light it up at Chaminade. I hope and pray Coach Eran comes up with some long and athletic shooters and a big man to fill out the roster.
Gib’s lawyer, James Bickerton, said Gib has to do a lot of the work because UH reneged on paying legal fees. Gib had an attorney who specializes in NCAA matters working on his case before Gib was dismissed.
If his instagram account is an indication, looks like Gib has been traveling a lot on the mainland and elsewhere while working on his case.
Also, his grievance is pending against the UH for the $1.4 million .
islandman…thanks for updates about Gib
1)His grievance about backpay salary going to arbitration, represented by HGEA
wonder if settlement reached..think that is way headed
2)JMO..fans..what if Gib actually wins his appeal against ncaa allegations? Then what?
Crazy scenario…Gib gets ncaa to back off on half of serious infractions, lessened or reversed..
doesn’t it benefit not only Gib, but UH MBB too?
Say level I allegations lessened to level II..
JMO..Think if Gib challenges ncaa and wins some..UH in better situation?
Like chess match or poker game..UH waiting to see what he might do..and visa versa..
Only brought it up , since any length, and amount of sanction/penalties if any..
wiil impact greatly or not as much Eran
Will UH come out as Hawaii MBB fans heroes or..?
Slow MBB time..looks like ncaa thing drag on till summer
6 more months away start of next season.see what transpires
Back in 1976-77 and 1978-79… Larry Little’s first two years, and he being a Great Gentleman, good guy and coach, guided UH through that ncaa probation period. Last time UH played in post season, was 1974 Bruce O’Neil coached team led by Olympian, First Team All American, and NBA eventual world champion Tom Henderson. They beat Fairfield in the first round, then lost to Purdue in the 2nd round of NIT at MSG in NYC.. finished at 19-9 I think.. point being?
After the sanction/.probation of seventies, it took 15 years till 1989 when Riley Wallace, Reggie Cross, Chirs Gaines, David Hallums , Terry Houston led team went to the NIT.. lost first round to Cal at Cal on the road.
All we can do is wait. and see.. either a long 2-4 years of whatever comes down, or shorter, or minor?
sorry, edit to above post. Little’s first two seasons 1976-77 and 1977-78.. first year led by late Gavin Smith..
Omg! Here we go again with the “what if” Gib thing. “if pigs had wings they’d fly”. Please snuff about Gib
The old guy is killing the site with his non sense again. He’s the equivalent of spam on site. Takes too much effort to get through the spam to find the real posts.
6 posts. Only person with two 3 consecutive posts
Really great information ! With context and timeline !
Mahalo ! Thanks !
Zane Johnson is one of Ganot’s staff, per booster club meeting attendee, noted on wsn forum.
Recruits coming in for visits soon, targeting your post man and shooters.