Newest Rainbow Warrior — PF Tyler Brown
Tyler Brown, a 6-foot-7, 245-pound power forward from Honaker, Va., will walk on with the Hawaii men’s basketball team next season. The freshman out of the IMG Academy in Florida could provide the team with a little extra muscle and hustle down low in the wake of the news that freshman-to-be Ronnie Stevens will not be joining the team due to academics.
Brown’s started open gym workouts with his new Rainbow Warriors teammates in preparation for their upcoming trip to Asia next month.
“I like to play in the post, I’m probably a 4 or a really short 5,” Brown said. “I’m more of a post player, I feel like I’ve got a pretty good hook shot. … I can hit the 15-foot jumper when I need to, I prefer to battle down low. I’m usually a rough player, physical.”
“(With the UH guys) it’s went well, I’m usually more of the hustle guy. You know, the one that grabs the rebounds and tries real hard, sets the screens. I really like setting screens and the pick-and-pop and pick-and-roll. I set pretty good screens.”
After averaging about eight points and six rebounds in 15 minutes per game as a senior at Honaker High, Brown decided to go to the IMG Academy for a year before going out for college.
“I was going to go to a local Division II school, but I figured I’d give it a try at Division I and see what I got, so here I am. I called the coaches and they told me to come on down. Once I got down here, they said I might as well stay and go China with them.”
“Hawaii is a place I always wanted to go,” Brown added, noting he’d never been here before. “When I was a senior in high school I always used to joke about, it’d be nice to go to school in Hawaii. … (At IMG) the more I thought about it, the more I thought I’d like to try it. I really like the weather here. Florida was really nice, and I probably couldn’t make it anywhere else.”
Though UH has lost two 2011-12 signees to academic ineligibility, UH is putting together quite the walk-on crew. Last year’s walk-ons, guards Pi‘i Minns and Jace Tavita, are joined by ‘Iolani graduate Kainoa Chu (who is rehabbing a recent leg injury) and Brown. Shooting guard Brandon Jawato may or may not be promoted from walk-on to a scholarship player, and forward Tyler McDaniels, the son of UH assistant Benjy Taylor, is questing to be a walk-on by clearing some summer school classes.
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Some unexpected good news: I was recently informed the paper has committed to sending me to China and Japan for the team’s Asia tour on Aug. 5 to 21. Looking forward to providing the readership with coverage from afar.
It’s becoming a pretty intimate tour group — it seems an earlier figure of “about 30” fans going on the Panda Travel package was generous. That figure is down to about 13, though there is an unknown number of fans going on their own travel plans.
I thought about going with the team to China, but the original estimated price to the real price was just too much. Also, the football team travels to Vegas about a month later. I’ll go with that. BMcI, please do keep us informed of the China trip. In spite of losing those 2 recruits, I am looking forward to the upcoming season.
Brian —
i was just about to congratulate and THANK You for the recent stepped up coverage … then (what i consider an appropriate response ‘from The Universe’) i saw your added comment about the SA stepping up to (match and) send you to China-Japan [Thank You SA Mgt!]
i’m sure some are discouraged by some of the recent ‘Bad’ News AND
Too Bad some of The Magic (Or Illusion) is fading with the loss of some ‘much needed’ talent, skill and experience from The Team…
BUT the Truth is we would NOT likely have been in the running (really much more than talk or visits, These were Signings) for either DeShawn OR Ronnie in the past, we DID get them to WANT to be HERE AND they apparently almost pulled it off (and still might ‘some-a-day’);
The REALITY is THAT A WHOLE ‘Generation’ in the High School / JC / College / International Basketball World Now Understand that IT IS a Huge Privilege to get/be here at this time: These include the following evidence:
1) TALENTED & Pedigreed Recruits (like Shaq and Hauns) that DID Make it here and look ‘Great!’;
2) The guys who tried as best they know how but didn’t make it (YET, maybe: DeShawn, Ronnie);
3) All these talented walk-ons (some of whom would have been ‘recruits’ or maybe ‘trumped-up’ recruits in the past);
4) A Whole Bunch of Prospective Recruits now entering the fold for next year and beyond;
5) Another Bunch who will be excited by What “THIS TEAM” accomplishes This Year (that we get to ENJOY)…
… AND the Whole ‘Nother Level Is (Really) Forming behind this and will make themselves known … [These Early Signs are Good Evidence]
As the results follow from the huge efforts of This Staff and Team we Will See more Good News (and a few setbacks of course)
not to worry. yah, it looks bad that we had two top recruits not make it through the academic wringer. every program goes through this.
this will soon be a thing of the past. still got to remember that our recruiting base is still being developed and i don’t see this sort of thing happening in the years to come.
it is a positive that we even are getting more talent.
this year’s class still has shaq, hauns, and davis (who redshirted) all of whom will contribute if not start a game or two. it is still a great class even if the other two cali kids don’t make it.
we actually needed more scholies for next year anyway and who knows perhaps a late transfer is out there just like davis rozitis.
tavita, jawato, brown, mcdaniels, and minns, the walkons are far better than any bunch we have had in decades and might have been scholie guys in the past.
keep the faith baby.
Norvelle Arnold?
Congratulations! I am looking forward to your reports from China.
China is fertile ground for Coach Gib Arnold to recruit future UH basketball players. Who knows, he may find a future Yao Min.
Call it the UH-China connection.
It is good for international cultural exchange and good for the Hawaii/China tourism trade. Hawaii Tourism Authority should get into the act and provide funds for UH to make these trips to promote Hawaii tourism in China and to foster goodwill between Hawaii and China through basketball. There is nothing better than sports to promote Hawaii tourism.
And also, this would be a good recruiting tool for Coach Arnold. Imagine how many mainland recruits would want to join the UH basketball team to make the China trips.
UH basketball is going in the right direction. Hiring Gib Arnold was the first huge step. It can only get better in the coming years if the program adopts new creative ideas like the upcoming China trip.
The timing for this trip and future trips could not have been more perfect with China Eastern making direct flights to Hawaii from China starting this year.
James — Good Points — Maybe other Teams (Baseball, Soccer? Volleyball?) can emulate the practice …
Since no one added to your comments, just be aware that the NCAA only allows international trips once every four years;
i believe since Puerto Rico is a “U.S. Territory” they should be able to play that pre-season tourney in one of the other four years; ? Does Anybody know if the same thing applies to American Samoa ?, Add Alaska, Maui, Big Island or some of the other Pre-Season tourneys and you have Good Competition on the road to build team cohesiveness AND Both ROAD and Tourney Toughness …
Eagle — one trip in four years sounds good enough.
Brought up the topic yesterday with Jimmy Yagi former UH Vulcan basketball coach who has been conducting basketball clinics in Japan for the past ten years.
He said Japan is “hot” in August. He contemplated on taking the trip, but changed his mind.
James –
i HOPE i’m way off base —
VOLLEYBALL – i’m thinking we have plenty of back-row talent;
BASKETBALL – height might be at a premium in Japan
(apparently Plenty of “Talented” Seven-Footers in the Billion People Population of CHINA — 70 or so in Training to earn their way to the National Team in Basketball; by one report, many reportedly “Way Better” than Ji Xiang, our former 6-10 ‘Depth’ who might have played more under Gib);
BASEBALL – Trap Noted that we have to be able to offer a better (College) deal than the Industrial leagues who offer Both College tuition AND Jobs (which the NCAA now defines as illegal / not allowed) — they even lured Tatsuno away from the majors;
i agree – as long as NCAA is allowing it — Team Foreign Travel is a great way (when you raise the funds) to earn extra Team Practices, build team cohesiveness and bonding, ADD REAL LEARNING & Experiences for the TEAM and Great for The Students (and Fans) – and isn’t this part of what College is supposed to be for ?
BTW: Asking for Help and Fundraising are among the Highest People Skills with other evidence (as good as a scorecard) including Asking for and Earning the Scholarship Signee(s) …
PLUS apparently (i think even moreso than Bruce O’Neill), this group Can Coach, i.e., use and build the talent into high-level Results …
If some players had to run miles at 5:00 am due to absence from class, i think that is too much. If you run miles, then the player will be tired for both practice and attending class. McMackin also overdoes discipline if and when the player has to roll on the ground for yards or something.