Acclimatizing

The waiting game continues for those looking to see a new Hawaii basketball player see significant action in the College Summer League. In the meantime, some of those Rainbow Warriors have started acclimatizing to their new digs.

Guard Brocke Stepteau has absorbed close to a week of island life and summer school, and his summer team, Grantco Pacific, was in action on Thursday night in the old Manoa District Park gym. But Stepteau said he’d not yet had the mandatory physical to play in the league, so he couldn’t suit up.

Brocke Stepteau
Brocke Stepteau

The incoming walk-on from Dallas Baptist High said he took a visit here three weeks ago to affirm his decision to commit to UH. Unlike Tyler Harville and his quick stop here last week, Stepteau decided he was in.

“I feel great, I love it out here,” Stepteau said just outside the Manoa Valley District Park’s older gym as Wealth Strategy Partners and Chosen Few battled behind him. “It’s going real well. Started working out individually on Tuesday. Tomorrow we’re going to run a mile. So basketball and school’s going really well right now.”

With most of the 2014-15 team still scattered around the world, it’s left a group of six on the island — Stepteau, Isaac Fleming, Roderick Bobbitt, Mike Thomas, Zach Buscher and Dyrbe Enos — to get to know one another through training.

Five of the six will participate in the remainder of the summer league. The exception being Bobbitt, who is still recovering from a broken arm from the end of his junior college season at Indian Hills.

“I can’t wait to play (next game),” Stepteau said. “I was surprised how many people come out to watch these games. It’s going to be fun. Hopefully I can come out here and play the way I’m capable of playing. Just play good, get some wins and have some fun out here.”

He expressed some surprise at the relative hustle and bustle of Honolulu after seeing only Maui on a trip when he was younger.

“I was thinking it was going to be quiet (like that). I didn’t realize how big of a city Honolulu was. That definitely surprised me, but it made me love it even more out here.”

Fleming accompanied Stepteau to Thursday’s summer league games.

Isaac Fleming
Isaac Fleming

“It feels great (to have arrived),” said Fleming, of Delaware and the Massanutten Military Academy in Virginia. “I like the environment. We had a couple good workouts this week. I just feel like we’re going to have a good season. I love the islands. … Same vibe from my visit. I just feel like it’s stronger now that I’m here. I’m just ready to come and make an impact.”

He’ll be in action on Saturday with Clark Hatch Fitness.

“It’s pretty good competition (in the league),” he said after watching Wealth Strategy’s 106-102 double-overtime victory over Chosen. “I feel like I can come in on Saturday and just give everybody a show.”


In the meantime, Enos put on quite a show for Solar Universe in Thursday’s second game. He drilled six first-half 3-pointers in seven attempts and finished with seven long balls for 21 of his 26 points. But Solar fell, 109-89, as Christian Standhardinger poured in 43 points to keep his summer average at 40-plus.

“Shoot, I don’t know, I was just feeding off my teammates because they were setting screens and D-Low (Derrick Low) was passing the ball off the screens,” Enos said. “I don’t know, I was just kind of feeling it.”

Dyrbe Enos
Dyrbe Enos

The Kamehameha product got some meaningful playing time as a redshirt freshman last season, as UH’s third-string point guard. His shooting ability is what could continue to get him minutes in the future.

“I’m just trying to get better, how I can help the team for the upcoming year of UH basketball,” Enos said. “Just become a better point guard and continue to shoot the ball.”

Unfortunately, Buscher didn’t see any action for Chosen Few on Thursday, though he was among the first to stand and cheer for his teammates.

“I’m on a good team, so we got a lot of guys who can play,” Buscher said. “I’ll be here, hopefully I get a couple minutes a game and try to contribute.”

Zach Buscher
Zach Buscher

Buscher is coming off a state championship at ‘Iolani. When he traded the black and red for the green and white, to borrow a line from the classic movie Anchorman — things escalated quickly. They jumped up a notch.

He seemed to realize it.

“Playing high school ball in Hawaii is a hell of a lot different from D-I,” Buscher said. “It’s going to take some time to get used to it. Being a student-athlete, getting it done in the classroom first, that’s what the coaches want us to do over the summer right now. And on top of that, it’s putting in the work and getting stronger, getting faster. Getting shots up.”

Buscher helped at least one of his new teammates acclimatize themselves so far. He said he took Fleming out to the Kaneohe sandbar on his family’s boat and let the East Coast guard tow-surf behind.


“He loved it. Got it on the first try,” Buscher said.

 

COMMENTS

  1. fan4mbb July 11, 2014 6:09 am

    Hey Small Isaac,

    Welcome to Pardise; You known what you want, you want what to do. you’re in the right place!

    “I feel like I can… I just want to give everybody a show”; This is exactly why Coach Arnold wants you here and smiling now!

    You’re not only mentally tough, looks like you worked hard to prepare yourselves physically tough as well! Hawaii love you.


  2. PONO July 11, 2014 7:10 am

    Do the summer league coaches care so much about winning and losing that they won’t give an incoming UH player any playing time? It’s summer league for crying out loud. Yes everyone wants to compete but you’ve got to give the college guys some minutes.


  3. Turfwar July 11, 2014 7:42 am

    Agree Pono. There is always a point in the game where a coach can get guys in without costing the team a loss even if winning is that important.


  4. poorboy July 11, 2014 8:15 am

    league not like the past NCAA summer league, where lot of the current College athletes, and a lot of UH guys played most. Oh well, unless they start another league. Know for Gib summer league here is optional. School and their workouts most important.

    Welcome to Zach, Brocke, Mike, Isaac, and Roderick Bobbitt. As well as good job Dyrbe and get well Brandon Jawato.


  5. poorboy July 11, 2014 8:17 am

    Brian:

    Did UH lose that Florida Gulf Coast game at SSC Jan 3 2015? If so, Gib has to find another school to replace, correct? Seattle U. with Manroop?

    Thanks..


  6. jjay July 11, 2014 3:39 pm

    30lbs of muscle Zach, workout, eat , workout, eat…


  7. poorboy July 11, 2014 4:41 pm

    jjay:

    know that Sammis and Fotu, they look very, muscled out. Man they are grinding. If can get Sammis in with Fotu, physically, they might be strongest guys in BWC.
    Zach, if you want it, in couple of years, be that Dyrbe Enos of future, have to grind. You can do it, any young guy willing to walkon to UH MBB , with the schooling and practices, working as hard as anyone on team, UH MBB faithful fans, you have are full support.
    Go grind it out Zach, as jjay says, and I don’t know who is the strength coach for UH MBB. Know that even, Negus, he is working super hard in Toronto, very lithe strong, 6’7″ 215 about. If whole team, just grind, eat well, work weights, and fast twitch muscles, .Just out work in training, the BWC teams, can produce champions. Zach go for it! Pain is worth the gain.!


  8. Brian McInnis July 11, 2014 11:00 pm

    Yes, I confirmed tonight that Florida Gulf Coast is off the schedule. They will likely try to find a replacement.


  9. poorboy July 11, 2014 11:34 pm

    Brian:

    As always, you respond and we die hard UH MBB fans appreciate it!
    Will be interesting, whom Gib lines up for that game. He has to work it.
    Wonder that Ben Jay with his contacts, doesn’t have some even high mid majors in mind, or a long shot, because of conference play, Ohio St. Buckeyes would be a huge draw Jan 3 2015 at SSC. Maybe Ben has to work it too, he boasts a lot about all the people and teams, conferences, coaches and AD’s, he should help out too, and who knows, maybe now he will.

    Still say, one of the boldest moves, he ever made as an AD here, to extend Gib, under current circumstances, however, to save recruiting, it was and is HUGE for BB program.

    Mahalo as always Brian for your replies!


  10. K-Bay July 12, 2014 10:42 am

    More BJ Help?
    Really Classy (Seriously) Cajones to BACK ALL Your Coaches FIRST
    and Give Them The Best Winning Opportunities Possible

    Yeah? Bring in Ohio for a Monday or Mid-Week Game
    The Week BEFORE a ‘Patsie’ so they can still Go Home and Win.
    Because i Bet You Won’t or Can’t Get ‘THE OHIO State’ to come in and Lose a Game
    even in a Three-Game Rainbow Classic…
    Hey! There’s a Possibility… Find a Sponsor (OSU Club?) to Fly-In a Big Name
    and make the RC a Five-Team Tourney
    They Can ‘Tie’ UH for the Tourney Championship @ 3-0 playing the 4 o’clock Ohio-Televised Game
    Like a Hawai’i ‘Boot Training Camp’?
    Three Tourney Warm-Up Games Count as One with Hawai’i Exemption?
    Tack on Three Wins, Build Team Depth and PT?
    OR Just Fly Back One-Day Later and Play a Fourth Championship Game
    and Those ‘Empty-Seaters’ Who Only Watch ‘REAL’ Big-Name Team “Fans”
    can ‘Believe’ they’re watching Big-Time Ball…
    They Might Discover the Green Team is Just as Good or Better


  11. K-Bay July 12, 2014 11:04 am

    Welcome, Roderick, Isaac, Brocke… Welcome ‘Back’ Mike, Dyrbe (Lights Out!) and Zach

    Zach! Bulk Up AND Especially Build Those Quick-Twitch Muscles As Well, as your Local Fans say… you can Blaze some Trails here, Future Kalia McGee, Hiram Thompson or Miah Ostrowski ‘Regular’? 3-500+ Shots per day;
    BUT For This Week, Already Great Job getting your teammates Second-Home Acclimated! Mahalo to The Whole Buscher Family…

    Thank for Timely Updates, Brian


  12. poorboy July 12, 2014 1:19 pm

    Eagle forgot…maybe one of maui classic teams aside from pitt like to play before after maui classic would be grest..ben gib get it on!!


  13. poorboy July 12, 2014 1:52 pm

    maybe one of maui classic teams aside from pitt like to play before after maui classic would be GREAT..ben gib get it on!! Who can UH MBB to play that 30th game, to make up for loss or FGCU game, anywhere between November early and before start of BWC.. can be done.. see what happens!

    WHO will that team BE?


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