Stepteau deserves leftover University of Hawaii scholarship

The rapidly approaching close of the official Division I men’s basketball signing period Wednesday brings up an interesting, still publicly unresolved, question for the University of Hawaii.

Namely, what is the Rainbow Warriors basketball team going to do with that final remaining scholarship for next season?

The signing of junior college guard Eddie Stansberry has left UH with one scholarship burning a hole in its pocket for nearly a month now.

To be sure, the ’Bows still have needs — a wing player, another shooter … heck, even a game-ready big man if they could unearth one.

But, unless things change suddenly, none of them are on the way to the Stan Sheriff Center.

So, unless there is another Noah Allen out there about to providentially fall into UH’s lap this morning, indications — in word and deed —are coach Eran Ganot and the ‘Bows will correctly do as they have often done when it was crunch time on the court — give the ball to guard Brocke Stepteau.

So often did Stepteau come through for them — the 70-69 victory over Utah Valley especially comes to mind — you could make a case that he was a difference between UH finishing 17-13 and going 15-15 — or worse — this past season.

“Mr. Clutch,” teammates called the guy who, at 5 feet, 9 inches, is, invariably, the smallest player on the court. An inspiration, on and off the court, as Ganot has praised him. “He has proven to be one of the more efficient guards in our league with a knack for making big plays late.”

In that Stepteau has been the most valuable walk-on for UH since another point guard, Jeremiah Ostrowski (2010-11 and ’11-12). The difference being that Ostrowski was a hoops walk-on in name only since he was collecting a full scholarship for his football exploits.

Stepteau isn’t.

For 31⁄2 years he’s been in Manoa on his own dime since coming from Dallas. Well, nearly 1.5 million dimes, anyway, given UH’s prevailing out-of-state tuition, fees and housing that hit $44,000 this year.

On only one semester in a stay that began with the 2014-15 season has Stepteau been on scholarship. And, then, he was off, as UH addressed other pressing needs.

In that span he’s played in 76 games, starting more than 50 percent of them, no small contribution to the teams that have gone 59-35 over those seasons. He has been honored as the ‘Bows most improved player in consecutive seasons and, as Ganot has said, “I expect him to be for another year, too.”

His credits this past season include leading UH in 3-point shooting at 44.4 percent. As Star-Advertiser basketball writer Brian McInnis points out, that made Stepteau the third-most-efficient shooter at that range over a full season in school history.

Additionally, Stepteau was effectively first on the ’Bows this season in free-throw percentage (80.9 percent), second in assist average (2.7), second in minutes played per game (28.5) and fourth in points per game (9.5). He averaged the fewest turnovers per game among starting guards (1.6).

Pretty good for a guy who has had to try out for a place on the team each year but has nevertheless managed to carve a bigger role for himself each time.

If UH can find somebody more productive than Stepteau in the next few days to award its last scholarship to, then by all means. But for a couple of seasons now, the results — and the coaches’ confidence — suggests nobody deserves it more.

It is a good time to recognize that fact and the man behind it. Not because of a lack of candidates left to give it to, but because, as Ganot will tell you, you’d have to look hard and long to find one more deserving.

He is the right guy for the right reasons.