Hawaii men’s basketball: ‘Bows in the pros 2018-19 wrap

We’re in the thick of summer, which means it’s time to take stock of what some former Hawaii men’s basketball players did over the past several months.

Yep, it’s ‘Bows in the pros, post-2018-19 edition.

Noah Allen (G League), Garrett Nevels (Spain’s Liga Endesa), Isaac Fotu (Germany’s BBL), Bill Amis (Belgium’s EuroMillions League) and Matt Lojeski (Greece’s A1 league) are among the ex-Rainbow Warriors playing some prominent ball, a step or two down from the NBA.

Below you’ll find the full list of 30 former UH players, but first here’s some clips and notes on a few specific guys.

Matt Lojeski Highlights 16 Pts, 3 Ast vs Real Madrid: https://t.co/t4VyK53bYV via @YouTube #paobc #panathinaikos 🏀

— SPG Highlights (@SPGhighlights) April 24, 2019

At the end of every basketball season I like to take my knees on a nice vacation. I put them up in a nice hotel, take them on a shopping spree and take them to the best restaurants for making it through another euro season ☺️

— Isaac Fotu 🤙🏽 (@Ifotu42) May 30, 2019

Recent UH graduates Jack Purchase, Brocke Stepteau and Sheriff Drammeh could be on this list next year, although two ‘Bows who had pro prospects the year before, Mike Thomas and Gibson Johnson, did not latch on with a known team in 2018-19.

🇲🇽 AARON VALDES 🔥🔝🌟 Sigue brillando en los #PlayoffsLNBP @clubsoles 🆚 @CapitanesCDMX
✍🏽 24pts🔥, 8/12FG🔥, 5reb, 2as, rec, +26PER🔝#LaFamilia @LNBPoficial 🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/1vaVVySIRR

— Claudio Pereira (@ProsportsUy) March 24, 2019

Some notes:
>> Lojeski was coached by long-ago former UH coach Rick Pitino this past season at Panathinaikos Athens. Lojeski, a former player of rival Olympicos, helped Panathinaikos win the regular-season title in the primary Greek league.
>> After a couple of seasons without a pro team, former Big West first-teamer Roderick Bobbitt latched on in Spain’s LEB Silver league with Zornotza and put up some productive numbers, although he left the team at midseason.

ℹ️ RESCISIÓN DE CONTRATO:
EL ZORNOTZA Y ROD BOBBITT ACUERDAN LA RESCISIÓN DE SU CONTRATO
Por mutuo acuerdo y de forma amistosa se ha resuelto el contrato que unía a Roderick Bobbitt y al Zornotza Saskibaloi.https://t.co/Y2rNblWbZ4 pic.twitter.com/bnROIfTYW1

— ℤ𝕆ℝℕ𝕆𝕋ℤ𝔸 𝕊𝕋 (@zornotzast) February 25, 2019

>> Brandon Jawato has exploded in popularity in Indonesia and is coming off an ASEAN championship with the CLS Knights.

Brandon Jawato played a pivotal role in the @clsknights' 🇮🇩 championship run this past season.

📊 13.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 39% 3FG#RiseTo9reatness pic.twitter.com/zmJn1210hg

— ABL (@aseanbasketball) June 8, 2019

>> Ido Flaisher left UH ostensibly to join the Israeli army, but he’s apparently found time to play some ball. He was in Israel’s Winner League in 2018-19 with Ashdod and played some regular minutes. He was actually teamed up with someone else you might remember of brief UH tenure, Orel Lev, with Ashdod.
>> Some longtime pro players like Julian Sensley, Matt Gibson and Roderick Flemings have apparently hung it up, or at least taken a break since the last edition of this list; they did not show up on a known database for 2018-19.
>> Other guys you might not expect to be getting paid to play ball are still here. Vaidotas Peciukas, Paul Campbell, Ji Xiang, Michael Harper and Doug Kurtz, anyone?
>> Carl English is still the dean of former UH players getting paid for his craft. English, 38, had a smaller role this season with the St. John’s Edge in Canada (where he is also the general manager), but still put up numbers before tearing his quad last month.

UPDATE: A couple of additional notes.
>> Longtime Philippines pro Jared Dillinger is still playing in the PBA, but he just changed teams from the Meralco Bolts to Barangay Ginebra after six years with Meralco. Dillinger is injured, so he hasn’t yet made his debut with Ginebra.
>> Amis told Hawaii Warrior World on Twitter that he’s calling it a career after this past season with Okapi Aalstar in Belgium. The forward had a productive run spanning several teams and countries in Europe. Congrats to him on a great run that began in 2011.
>> Stefan Jankovic is still in action right now in the playoffs in his native Serbia, with BC Partizan, and is coming off a strong performance. He’s heading into the finals agqinst Zvezda. You can read some quotes from him here, although you’ll have to click the translate button on the page when prompted.
>> Brandon Spearman, who’s played in France the last couple of years after beginning his career in Germany, recently returned from an ankle injury to play in Entente Orleans’ playoff run in the ProB League.

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Here’s what former UH hoops players have been up to in the pro ranks, sorted by most recent year at Manoa. If you know if any I’m missing, please let me know. Statistics are compiled by Eurobasket.com.

Final UH year, Country and league, 2018-19 pro team, relevant stats
2017-18
Ido Flaisher, Israel Winner League, Maccabi Ashdod, 3.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 57.5 FG%
2016-17
Noah Allen, USA G League, Capital City Go-Go, 9.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.5 apg
2015-16
Roderick Bobbitt, Spain LEB Silver, Zornotza, 10.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.9 apg, 2.3 spg
Aaron Valdes, Mexico League, Soles, 11.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.7 apg
Stefan Jankovic, Serbia KLS, BC Partizan Nis Beograd, 6.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 48.7 3FG%
Quincy Smith, Lithuania NKL, Vytis Zanavykas Sakiai, 7.4 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.4 apg
2014-15
Garrett Nevels, Spain Liga Endesa, Gipuzkoa BC San Sebastian, 11.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.9 apg
Brandon Jawato, Indonesia ASEAN, CLS Knights Surabaya, 13.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 38.6 3FG%
Negus Webster-Chan, Canada CEBL, Saskatchewan Rattlers, not available
2013-14
Davis Rozitis, Spain LEB Gold, Rio Ourense Termal, 10.9 rpg, 8.1 rpg, 1.1 bpg
Brandon Spearman, France Pro B, Entente Orleans 45, 12.9 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 1.3 apg
Christian Standhardinger, Philippines PBA, San Miguel Beermen, 4.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg
Isaac Fotu, Germany BBL, Ratiopharm Ulm, 7.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg
Michael Harper, Australia State Leagues, Waverley Falcons, 7.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 0.9 apg
2012-13
Vander Joaquim, France Pro B, Quimper UJAP, 13.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 0.7 bpg
Garrett Jefferson, Germany Regionalliga, SBB Baskets Wolmirstedt, 19.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.7 apg
2011-12
Miah Ostrowski, USA ABA, Hawaii Swish, not available
Pii Minns, USA ABA, Hawaii Swish, not available
Orel Lev, Israel Winner League, Maccabi Ashdod, 1.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
2010-11
Bill Amis, Belgium Euromillions, Crelan Okapi Aalstar, 3.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.3 bpg
Doug Kurtz, Brazil NBB, Sky/Basquete Cearense, 11.2 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 0.8 bpg
Jordan Coleman, Australia State Leagues, Hume City Broncos, 18.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.2 apg
2009-10
Paul Campbell, Australia State Leagues NW Tasmania Thunder, 11.0 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.0 bpg
Ji Xiang, China CBA, Guangdong Southern Tigers, 0.6 ppg, 0.3 apg
2007-08
Jared Dillinger, Philippines PBA, Barangay Ginebra, not available
2006-07
Matt Lojeski, Greece A1, Panathinaikos Athens, 8.1 ppg, 1.8 apg, 44.9 3FG%
Dominic Waters, France ELITE Pro A, JSF Nanterre, 11.5 ppg, 4.4 apg, 44.4 3FG%
2004-05
Vaidotas Peciukas, Lithuania NKL, Gargzdu SC Gargzdai, 12.6 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.2 apg
2002-03
Carl English, Canada NBL, St. John’s Edge, 14.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 39.0 3FG%
1999-00
Geremy Robinson, USA ABA, Hawaii Swish, not available

¡Comienza la #FinalFourLEBOro!
Nuestro quinteto:
1️⃣ Pepo Vidal
2️⃣1️⃣ Alfredo Ott
4️⃣ Sergio Rodríguez
2️⃣6️⃣ Van Wijk
7️⃣ Davis Rozitis
📱 @laligasports
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💻 https://t.co/zf4wRDk57E, https://t.co/ngDLPQccku, https://t.co/9uhwNDoT3v#ForzaCOB pic.twitter.com/vbrLUUSh0v

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— Rio Ourense Termal (@COBSAD) June 1, 2019