Still looking for a summer activity for the kids? There is still time to register for the 2013 Hawai’i Basketball Camp.

This year’s camp will include two sessions: May 29-June 1, and June 3-6. Both sessions are open to boys and girls ages 6 to 17, of all skill levels (players will be separated into groups based on age and skill level). Players can register for either session, or both.

Head coach Gib Arnold and his staff will be in attendance each day to lead the instruction. Current and former University of Hawai’i players are also expected to assist.

The various gyms on the UH Athletics Complex will be used, and each participant is guaranteed to spend some practice time on the Stan Sheriff Center court during the camp.

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Christian Standhardinger has a good reason to return to his home country of Germany this summer, and it goes beyond family.

Standhardinger, a 6-foot-8 forward, has been invited to train with Germany’s national team. He completed his final exams at the University of Hawai’i last week, and is scheduled to depart Honolulu this week.

“I have to try out, so I think I am on the second team,” Standhardinger said. “But if everything went good and I get lucky, I might make the first team.”

There are no major international tournaments coming up in 2013, but the FIBA World Championship will take place in 2014, and many nations are starting to form rosters. Standhardinger previously played on Germany’s junior national program.

Standhardinger said he hopes the training will help him prepare for his senior season with the Warriors in 2013-14. “I know exactly where my weaknesses are and where I have to work and improve on,” he said. “I will get them out, I will get them better, and we will attack next season.”

He is already considered the top returning player for Hawai’i in the 2013-14 season. He averaged 15.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game as a junior in 2012-13, and was a first-team All-Big West Conference selection.

Although he will likely be nominated for several more awards entering the 2013-14 season, Standhardinger said his primary goal is to play in the NCAA Tournament.

“I don’t even need King of the Beach or any other awards … I just want to go to the tournament,” he said.

There are some accolades that are simply more worthy than others for a student-athlete. A college degree is right at the top.

Davis Rozitis – who still has one more year of eligibility remaining with the Hawai’i basketball team – can now call himself a graduate of the University of Hawai’i at Manoa. Rozitis has earned enough credits to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, and he participated in the UH commencement ceremony on Saturday at the Stan Sheriff Center.

“This is like the cherry on top the whipped cream that is called the college life,” Rozitis said. “It’s not really about the degree, it’s about the journey. But this is the reward at the end of the road.”

Rozitis’ accomplishment is all the more impressive when considering that he was born and raised in Latvia, and English is his second language. He first came to America in 2009, when he played on the USC basketball team.

Gib Arnold was an assistant coach on that USC team, and when he was named the head coach at Hawai’i, Rozitis followed and joined the Warriors in 2010.

Rozitis could have left the program with his degree in hand, but the 7-foot forward/center has decided to return for the 2013-14 season. He will take graduate courses next season to maintain his status as a student-athlete.

His mother, Zane Rozite, made the long trip from Latvia for the graduation ceremony. “Without her, I probably wouldn’t be here in the first place,” Davis said. “I would probably be playing pro basketball somewhere in the world, so I want to thank her.”

Hauns Brereton, who completed his senior season with the Warriors in 2012-13, has also earned enough credits to graduate, although he did not participate in the ceremony.

(Photo courtesy Valerie Schmidt)

The eight-team field for the 2013 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic is set. Akron was named this week as the eighth team for the field.

The other seven teams (Boise State, George Mason, Iowa State, Saint Mary’s, Oregon State, South Carolina and host school Hawai’i) were previously announced.

If you haven’t heard of Akron, that’s understandable. But the Zips have been one of the top mid-major programs in recent years. They won the Mid-American Conference and finished 26-7 overall last season, including an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Three of the top four players from that team are expected to return.

The 2013 field is certainly a notch below last year’s field that featured three Top 25 programs – Arizona, Miami and San Diego State. However, there are several upstart programs in the 2013 field, including Akron.

Former WAC member Boise State received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament last season, and is considered a legitimate contender in the competitive Mountain West Conference for 2013-14.

Iowa State advanced to the second round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament, and head coach Fred Hoiberg made headlines recently when he signed a 10-year, $20 million contract to stay with the Cyclones.

If there is a marquee team in the 2013 field, it would probably be Saint Mary’s. The Gaels have won at least 25 games in each of the past six seasons, including a 28-7 record in 2012-13.

The pairings for the 2013 Diamond Head Classic will be announced later.

The 2013 Diamond Head Classic is scheduled for December 22, 23 and 25 at the Stan Sheriff Center. In 2012, 11 of the 12 games in the tournament were televised nationally on either ESPN2 or ESPNU.

There is still one week remaining in the current signing period for recruits, which means there is still time for the Hawai’i basketball coaches to continue searching.

Head coach Gib Arnold said he has one more scholarship available for the 2013-14 season, and he is looking for “a right fit.”

Arnold recently returned from a lengthy recruiting trip that included stops throughout Europe.

“Got a couple guys in Europe who still have to pass the SAT, so we’re going to wait for that, and that’s not offered until June 1,” Arnold said. “If we don’t find the right fit or if some of these guys don’t make it, then we’ll probably keep it through the summer. There’s always a chance of finding a guy or maybe even a transfer in the summer. If not, we’ll just keep it until we get the right fit.”

Arnold said the target areas for this recruiting period were “guards and quickness and athleticism,” and he feels like those targets were hit with the signings of Garrett Nevels, Quincy Smith and Negus Webster-Chan. Because of that, Arnold said he can now focus on “a best player available” for the open scholarship.

The signing of Smith was declared official this week, as was the requested transfer for senior-to-be Garrett Jefferson. Arnold shares his thoughts on both players in the above video.

Arnold also noted that most of the current players will be returning to their respective homes around the world to spend time with family. He said he expects most of them – and the new recruits – to be in Hawaii by early July to attend summer school and participate in workouts.

After a slight delay, the National Letter of Intent signed by Quincy Smith has been declared official by University of Hawai’i officials.

Smith, a 6-foot-1 point guard at City College of San Francisco, actually signed the letter of intent during his official recruiting visit to Hawai’i more than two weeks ago. However, the official announcement was held until today because some of the paperwork remained under review.

Here is the press release from the UH Media Relations Department:

HONOLULU – University of Hawai`i men’s basketball coach Gib Arnold announced the program’s third commitment during the spring signing period. Quincy Smith of City College of San Francisco signed a National Letter of Intent and will join the team for the 2013-14 season.

Smith, a 6-0 point guard, will have three years of eligibility with the Rainbow Warriors. The native of Antioch, Calif., helped lead CCSF to a 31-1 record for the season, including the program’s first-ever undefeated regular-season (28-0). Smith earned first-team all-conference honors as freshman while leading the Rams in assists (3.6 apg) and steals (2.3 spg). He also averaged 9.1 ppg, while shooting 46 0 percent s from the field, 74.2 percent from the free throw line and 28.6 percent on 3-pointers.

“I believe the most important stat for point guards is wins, “Arnold said. “Quincy won more games then any point guard for the No. 1 ranked team in California. He is an outstanding defender, plays with great control and makes his teammates better. He’s quick and athletic and an outstanding student. With three years of eligibility, he’s another great addition to our team.”

Prior to attending CCSF, Smith played the 2011-12 season at La Jolla Prep, where he was a teammate of current Rainbow Warrior Aaron Valdes, a redshirt this past season. Smith is the third player to sign with the Rainbow Warriors during the late signing period. The team already received commitments from Missouri transfer Negus Webster-Chan and Garrett Nevels out of Mt. San Antonio (Calif.) College.

“I felt that after our initial year in the Big West we needed to get deeper and more athletic on the perimeter,” Arnold said. “Garrett and Quincy are both very quick and athletic and two of the best junior college guards in California. Along with Negus, we’ve definitely achieved our goal of improving our depth and athleticism for years to come.”

This year’s recruiting class also includes early signees Stefan Jovanovic and Michael Thomas, a pair of California prepsters.

In addition, Arnold announced the departure of junior guard Garrett Jefferson. Jefferson served as one of the team’s top defensive players in his two seasons with the Rainbow Warrriors after transferring from Citrus College in California. The native of Lakewood, Calif., provided one of the most memorable moments of this past season with his game-winner at the buzzer to lift UH over Cal State Fullerton.

“Garrett approached us and explained his desire to find a team where he will be able to play more minutes his final year,” Arnold said. “Garrett has been one of my most favorite players here at UH. Although he did not play a lot minutes he always had a great attitude. He has been an excellent student and teammate and we all hope he has success at his next stop.”

2013-14 Recruiting Class
Stefan Jovanovic, 6-10, 235, C, Fr., Belgrade, Serbia., Bishop Montgomery High School
Garrett Nevels, 6-2, 180, G, Jr., Los Angeles, Calif., Mount San Antonio (Calif.) College
Quincy Smith, 6-0, 170, G, So., Antioch, Calif., City College of San Francisco
Michael Thomas, 6-6, 200, F, Fr., Woodland Hills, Calif., El Camino Real High School
Negus Webster-Chan, 6-7, 200, G, So., Scarborough, Ontario, University of Missouri

After weeks of contemplation, Davis Rozitis has decided to return to the Hawai’i basketball team for the 2013-14 season.

The 7-foot forward/center has earned enough credits to graduate from the University of Hawai’i, and he thought about taking that degree and exploring possibilities outside of the islands. Instead, he will return for a senior season with the Warriors.

“I’ve decided this summer I’m going to bring my talents back to Waikiki Beach and play for the University of Hawai’i,” Rozitis said.

Rozitis averaged 1.9 points and 2.1 rebounds per game as a junior last season, but his primary role was on defense. He played at the top of the team’s “point defense” zone that often caught opponents by surprise. Rozitis received the Defensive Player of the Year award at the team banquet last month.

Rozitis, who is originally from Cesis, Latvia, was one of head coach Gib Arnold’s original recruiting class to Hawai’i in 2010. He played his freshman season at USC – when Arnold was an assistant coach there – then transferred to Hawaii after Arnold was named head coach of the Warriors.

Rozitis will maintain his eligibility for the 2013-14 season by taking graduate level courses at UH.

It might not have been the most memorable season on the court for Ozren Pavlovic, but his overall freshman year at the University of Hawai’i will be one he will never forget.

“This was a really good experience for me,” said Pavlovic, who will be leaving the Hawai’i basketball program after just one year to pursue a professional career in Europe. “If I could go back in time and decide again whether to come or not, I would definitely decide to come again.”

Pavlovic will be leaving Honolulu in a few weeks to return to his home country of Croatia. He will attempt to play for a pro team in either Italy or Croatia next season.

“I have tryouts this summer, in August,” he said. “I just made a decision with my family, I wanted to be closer to home.”

Pavlovic, a 6-foot-8 guard/forward, averaged 2.7 points and 1.4 rebounds per game during his true freshman season with the Warriors. He started one game midway through the season, but was mostly used as a reserve at several positions.

Pavlovic said he was first contacted about a pro opportunity midway through the season, but he opted to complete the semester.

“I need to finish this semester because of credits and the APR of the team – I just don’t want to hurt the team,” he said. “I don’t want to hurt the APR, so I’m trying to finish strong in school.”

When Pavlovic first arrived in Hawai’i last summer, he was 18 years old, and it was his first experience in America – not to mention an introduction to college courses and NCAA basketball. He admits it was a difficult adjustment, but the year also included its share of ups.

“I’m going to miss the people, the culture here, and my teammates,” he said.

Quincy Smith has patience. It is one of his virtues as a point guard. It is also why he is not worried that his paperwork has apparently yet to be cleared by the University of Hawai’i.

“Everything’s good,” he said. “I’ll be out there in a couple months.”

Smith committed to play for the Hawai’i basketball team a week ago, and even signed a National Letter of Intent during his recruiting visit (the proof is in the photograph at right). However, it has not yet been approved for official release.

“The coaches said I had to fill out an application for the school, so I think that was the last thing,” Smith said.

The 6-foot-1 point guard is no stranger to waiting. He sat out his entire senior season of high school due to a controversial transfer ruling. In an effort to make up for that lost season, he enrolled at La Jolla Prep for the 2011-12 season, but had that season cut short due to an ankle injury.

Current Warrior Aaron Valdes was a member of that 2011-12 La Jolla Prep team.

“I talked to Aaron a couple of times before going out there for my visit, and of course that helped,” Smith said. “But it was really about liking the coaches and the school and the program. It was all a good fit.”

Smith rebounded from his early setbacks with an all-star season in 2012-13 at City College of San Francisco. With Smith as the starting point guard, the Rams went undefeated during the regular season and advanced to the final four the state tournament.

“It’s been a long journey for me,” Smith said. “Everybody who knows me and what I went through to get to this point, they’ve all been saying how happy and proud they are for me.”

Interestingly enough, Smith and one of his younger brothers, Kendall Smith, both signed NCAA Division I letters of intent during this current signing period. Kendall, who is a senior at Deer Valley High (Calif.), committed to UNLV in January and signed with the Rebels on April 17.

“We talked about maybe playing each other sometime in the next few years because I know UNLV played Hawai’i last year,” Quincy said. “But we never really talked about going to the same school or anything like that. He had his thing and I had mine. We’re happy for each other.”

Quincy and Kendall will get a couple of months to train together, though.

“After school ends in May, I’m going back home so we can workout together,” Quincy said. “At least two times a day.”

They have two younger brothers who are also expected to be coveted recruits in future years.

(Photos courtesy Smith family)

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No recruits are expected to visit Hawaii in the coming days, although the coaches still appear to be searching for prospects for the 2013-14 season. Head coach Gib Arnold was on the road for the past several days, and supposedly took his passport with him to cross international borders.

The recruiting never stops for the Hawai’i basketball team. Gib Arnold and his staff spent last weekend evaluating potential recruits at various AAU tournaments in California and Nevada.

Most of those prospects are for the 2014 and 2015 classes, but that does not necessarily mean that the recruiting for 2013 is done. Arnold, in fact, extended his trip into this week to continue recruiting.

The Warriors are believed to have one more scholarship that could be filled during this current signing period.

“We’re still out, looking around,” said assistant coach Brandyn Akana, who also serves as the team’s recruiting coordinator. “We’re still looking, still making decisions, and we’ll take it from there.”

The Warriors have already secured official signings from shooting guard Garrett Nevels and combo guard Negus Webster-Chan. A third player, point guard Quincy Smith, signed a letter of intent to join the Warriors last weekend, but it is still awaiting final approval from UH administrators.

There are no other recruits scheduled to visit Hawaii as of now, but the current signing period runs to May 15.