The Glove fits
A special guest is slated to appear and speak at the Hawaii men’s basketball postseason banquet on April 29.
That’d be Basketball Hall of Famer Gary Payton, Seattle SuperSonics legend. That was per UH coach Benjy Taylor on Friday.
“The Glove,” so named for his defensive abilities at the point guard position, apparently became a fan of UH hoops and its frenetic defensive style over the course of the 2014-15 season.
“He’s going to talk at some point. We’re going to have a meeting on Monday about the logistics and how we’re going to do it,” Taylor said.
“Since our thing was defense this year, why not bring in one of the best?” the coach said. “(Defense was) our bread and butter and why not try to get one of the best in the game at that? It’s going to be a great night. It’s a special season. It’s going to be a special banquet. Having him come do this for us is a tribute to some of the national recognition we’ve received. He’s a fan.”
Taylor said he secured Payton as a guest “just through friends and connections.”
“He jumped at the opportunity and we’re blessed and fortunate enough to have him come in,” Taylor said. “He’s a fan of UH basketball now and he follows college basketball. It just worked out, and we’re excited to have him.”
Payton’s son, Gary Payton II, plays at Oregon State.
If you’re looking to sign up for the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel team banquet, you can do so here. Individual tickets are $150.
For Benjy Taylor, Andy Katz, Kanoa Leahy of ESPN, now ex NBA great Gary Payton, the Glove, steals leader, a Fan of Benjy Ball, hope AD Matlin and chancellor taking notice, of the National scope of recognition for what Benjy has done to Put UH MBB out on the National Collegiate Scene. Yes, this is not a BWC, thing, when an ex NBA great buys into being a Fan of Benjy and the Defensive minded Bows.. HUGE recommendation.. Hire Benjy Taylor , plain and simple
Let’s Go Bows! Let’s Go Bows! Let’s Go Bows!
Go Get Em Q! Hook Em Up and Reel Em In!
Another connection: In the NCAA national stats for steals, Gary Payton II and UH’s Roderick Bobbitt ended up at #2 and #3, respectively, on the end-of-season list.
Sounds like it will be an exciting banquet. Great guest-get by Benjy Taylor!
According to this page, Bobbitt still #1 in total steals this season, and these stats were recently updated. Corey Walden is #2 and Gary Payton II is #3.
http://www.ncaa.com/stats/basketball-men/d1/current/individual/615
Picking a coach based on “famous acquaintances” gotta be the most lame reasoning I’ve ever read. Dang…Chow knows some great coaches and All-American players and how is that working out for UH?
RE: stats.
It’s good to hear that Roderick Bobbitt ended up #1 for the year.
I was looking at ESPN.com earlier today, and for the completed 2014~2015 season, they had C. Walden at #1, then Payton II, then Bobbitt, so apparently there’s a disparity with the NCAA site. Or maybe it had to do with # of games played, or something.
Lot of envy, jealousy, discrimination, because Benjy and team got 22 wins, bobbitt and team steals records, made lot of fans of national media and coaching fraternity..
if Benjy not chosen as head coach despite overcoming overwhelming odds..
something not pono, lose trust , faith in fairness in picking head coach.
very dangerous and will alienate a lot of men basketball fans
majority of fans at stan sheriff center support Benjy
I hope he has good agent and attorney.
he deserves even 2 year deal..if not..horrible decision by Power at UH..
Truly some posters above poor boy run bows all the same people implying bias And talking about hire him or else attitude. His rants about this are at nauseum. We’re sick and tired of hearing your Bengy rants. Nuff already.
nothing to do but wait and see for us fans. Things may be changing on campus, naming the AD and posting UHbb coach on the same day although I feel UH should have posted that job listing earlier to name it’s new coach sooner. They moved up the deadline date for applications so they are moving on it.
My hope is that we have an AD that will stand up to the higher ups, the last 2 AD’s were like GOFERs, powerless AD’s.
Pocho:
Does UH admin, chancellor, power that be , politics in play, do they even know the feelings, the support, what We want, under last 2 AD’s, several presidents, chancellors, and you name it, maybe it wasn’t the coaches faults. It was the UH Manoa Upper campus, and the Power that Be.. That is why UH Academics and Athletics will never be number one in Pacific Rim, They can be.. as you always say Pocho.. Clean house.. start at the top.. some of the coaches like Benjy who did a helluva job, despite the turmoil, they don’t get fair shot, or actually if chancellor and admin agenda, seeing Benjy at 18 wins already, should have signed him to 2 year deal guaranteed in Feb. early, then end suspense of MBB coaching hire. You don’t need new AD to hire, Pres and Chancellor can and has been doing it, what with firing of Gib and Akana, and suspension of Fotu, and firing of Jay.
Too, much Polynesian paralysis.. want to be an up and coming MBB program, or Major accredited University with top notch sports, the UHadmin Power, cannot be a linguistics and mid Englander instructor, have to be another Paul Durham or Stan The Man Sheriff, a real Athletic Director.. mentor to Riley Wallace..
Let the AD do his job and do you job as a fan, support the program no matter who is the coach or who the players are.