Whether or not Brandon Spearman has the rock is irrelevant. He is the rock for Hawaii.

Calling the Rainbow Warriors senior captain a jack of all trades (and to complete the thought, a master of none) would not be accurate.

Spearman’s importance — beyond his considerable all-around contributions for UH — is seen in his wide grin, his strut, his claps right back to the crowd during a big run.

Mastery of magnanimity as the team’s emotional leader is no small accomplishment.

"It’s all about being comfortable," Spearman said. "I feel comfortable on the floor, and I just leave everything out there. I’m an emotional player, I play off my emotions. You know, I bring that to the floor and just give it my all. Especially to these fans, these fans mean a lot to me. I don’t know, they just give me that energy that I need," he laughed, "and I just feed off that energy."

Study a typical box score for 15-6 UH (4-3 Big West) and it’s rare that Spearman leads the ‘Bows in any particular category. The 6-foot-3 guard is UH’s fourth-leading scorer (11.8), third-leading rebounder (4.8), third-leading 3-point shooter (.310), and fourth-leading player in minutes (30.0).

As a guard playing at the 3 spot, he’ll get an occasional steal and is good for an assist or two per game. He’s reprised his role as the team’s most reliable perimeter defender.

But most of all, his teammates have come to rely upon him as a unifying force for players of disparate backgrounds.

"Oh man, Spearman, I love that guy," said sophomore Isaac Fotu, of New Zealand. "He’s such a good leader for us. He brings it every night, every practice as well. He just makes sure the team’s running well. I can’t say enough about how much he brings to this team. I’m thankful to play with a guy like that, who’s always positive and always trying to win."

After missing the first three games of the season due to an ankle injury, Spearman is set to start for the 19th straight game on Thursday against Big West co-leader UC Santa Barbara (14-6, 5-2). He’s scored in double figures the past six games.

Spearman broke open UH’s 77-63 win over Cal State Northridge last Saturday with a two-handed flush and a 3-pointer. His exuberance was infectious for the crowd, and Matadors coach Reggie Theus was forced to burn a timeout.

Spearman worked as hard as any point in his career last offseason, on his ballhandling and shooting, and thought about how he might approach leadership in situations that might emerge.

"The biggest thing about Spearman is that he really enjoys the game and he comes to play every day," associate head coach Benjy Taylor said. "And that’s hard to find nowadays. No matter what’s going on with him off the floor, once he hits the floor it’s like an escape for him, and he goes 110 percent. He’s a team-first guy and he’s been a great leader because he’s led by example."

Just as Spearman’s exuberance is tattooed on his face during a blowout win, losses seem to hit him the hardest. When times are tough, like after last week’s home loss to Long Beach State, disappointment and frustration can’t be concealed from his features or purged from his voice.

Word emerged of some intra-team clashing after that defeat. Spearman took it upon himself to settle the arguments ("I definitely squashed that," he said without going into further detail).

"Well, it’s kind of hard dealing with people. Any family, you argue, you fight, stuff like that," Spearman said. "But there’s always gotta be that one leader to get everybody together. And I feel like I’m that person. Just get everybody together and get our mind back on what needs to be set for the goal for this year."

Spearman found a kindred spirit just before the 2013-14 season in UH soccer senior Male Fresquez, of Los Angeles.

"Me and him talk all the time about how we’re very similar in how we play our games," Fresquez said. "Like I understand him and I can see him play because I’m the same way. I wear my heart on my sleeve. We both play with a lot of heart and passion. … So it’s really fun to watch him play, just because I think we think very similarly."

Spearman hails from hardscrabble Chicago, where he led Simeon High to a state championship in 2010. His family has followed him faithfully from the Windy City; his grandmother made a Facebook page just to see pictures of him from his games.

Adjusting to the island lifestyle was difficult at first as a transfer from Dayton by way of Indian Hills (Iowa) Community College, but the warm weather and local food won him over before long. He’s a regular on the North Shore and in Kailua these days, teammates usually in tow.

"Just learning to evolve as a man," he said. "I’d say my freshman and sophomore year I wasn’t childish, but I had some growing up to do. I think as soon as I hit this rock I grew up fast. And just being around people down here, it’s just a whole different type of feeling. I can’t even describe it, it’s so different from Chicago, it’s scary." He laughed. "But I ended up making that adjustment, and I’m just happy I came here to Hawaii."

He’s set to walk during the UH spring graduation and will receive his degree in sociology this summer, he said. From there, he will attempt to extend his basketball career as a professional.

"He happens to be on a basketball team now, but if he’s on a sales team or engineering team, whatever, he’s going to be a very valuable part of that team," Taylor said.

Everything with Spearman is a feel thing, whether it’s a potential life-changer like deciding to play at Hawaii or something cosmetic, like how he started wearing long sleeves for his games this season. He’d never done it before and it wasn’t because he was cold. It just felt right.