Warrior Insider

Justin Webster’s personal motto is “get comfortable by being uncomfortable.” It is a big reason why he is choosing to attend the University of Hawai’i next season.

Webster, a combo guard from Dallas, Texas, made a commitment last week to play for the Rainbow Warriors in the 2019-20 season. He is 6 feet 3, 175 pounds, and will be a freshman this Fall with four seasons of eligibility.

“I actually told my parents early on that I wanted to get away and see something different when it came to choosing somewhere to play (college basketball),” Webster said. “So when Hawai’i came into the picture, I had a feeling it would be a place for me.”

Webster averaged 16.2 points per game as a senior at Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia last season. However, he went under the early recruiting radar and remained uncommitted after the national signing period in April.

“I really don’t know why my recruiting slowed down, but I just kept working hard,” he said. “In a worst-case scenario, I was going to do a post-grad (prep school) year, so I felt like everything was going to work out.”

Webster said he met Hawai’i head coach Eran Ganot and staff in May, and it was a whirlwind process from there.

“Hawai’i obviously has a great atmosphere and it’s a great place to be,” Webster said. “I really didn’t know much the Hawai’i program so I took the time to learn about it and I liked what I saw. And once I got to know the coaches … I love Coach Ganot and what he’s about. The way he presented himself and his coaching staff is something that really caught me.”

Webster said he enjoyed the sights and dining options in Honolulu during his recruiting visit earlier this month. But what stood out most to him was the program.

“Coach Ganot, his selling point came when we were sitting in his office and he showed me a depth chart and told me about all the different options and opportunities I could get to make an impact right away,” he said. “And then I got to hang out with Drew Buggs and he explained a lot of things to me and made me feel like I’ll fit in right away.”

Webster was raised in Dallas and learned basketball from his father, Jeff Webster, who was a star player at the University of Oklahoma in the early 1990s, and a second-round pick in the 1994 NBA Draft.

He played his first three seasons of high school at Prestonwood Christian Academy in Plano, Texas. He averaged more than 20 points per game and was an all-state selection as a junior, but then opted to transfer to Hargrave Military Academy for his senior season.

“I wanted to experience a different level of competition,” Webster said. “I feel like I learned a lot and now I can do it again at Hawai’i.”

Webster said he is considering a career in sports marketing. He already showed some potential in that field when he announced his commitment to UH via a social media video that included his family.

“It took quite a while – two or three takes,” he said. “But it was just something fun we wanted to do.”

Webster said he will be in Honolulu at the end of this month, and plans to enroll in summer classes starting on July 1.