Garrett Jefferson figures defense is what will get him into games with the Hawaii men’s basketball team.
With a few more samples of shutdown of the sort he showed off Saturday morning, the sophomore shooting guard may leave coach Gib Arnold little choice.
Jefferson left the scoring to others but was nevertheless one of the highlights of the Rainbow Warriors’ latest intrasquad scrimmage overseen by referees at the Stan Sheriff Center.
The guard had one of his best sessions since joining the ‘Bows by disrupting the Black (secondary) squad with tipped passes, blocked shots and general hustle.
Jefferson, at a lanky 6 feet 3, was a late pick-up in the summer from Citrus College (Calif.), where he averaged a modest 7.8 points per game. He’s used to making a dent at the other end.
"Defense is my thing," Jefferson said. "I just like to get on the court and play to my abilities. I’m good at defense, so that’s what I like. If you can play defense, most of the time you can get in the game. So that’s just my goal, to get in the game. If that’s the way I can get in, that’s what I’m going to do."
Good timing, too. Arnold rated the scrimmage positively, but now wants his players’ emphasis to shift to their backs to the basket in the days remaining before hosting Hawaii Pacific in a season-opening exhibition on Friday.
"We need to really, really guard as a team and have trust in our teammates that on the defensive side they’re going to be there for you in the rotation," Arnold said. "We’re still not there yet. That’s a big, big part of what we’ve got to do."
There’s a reason his standards are high in that department. In his first season in Manoa, UH finished eighth nationally in field-goal percentage — a stat Arnold believes best recognizes defensive prowess — at .389.
Arnold called Jefferson his "unofficial captain of defensive teams."
"He’s probably one of the top three on-ball defenders I’ve ever coached," Arnold said. "And he’s figured that out. … I will play guys who do that part of the game, which is not easy."
Offense still counted for something on Saturday. Senior guard Zane Johnson was sharp in scoring 25 points for the Arnold-coached White (primary) squad, which featured most of the players expected to see playing time this season.
The exception was junior forward Joston Thomas, who was the main offensive option for the Black team, coached by associate head coach Benjy Taylor. Thomas finished with 25.
The first of two 20-minute simulated "halves" was a 40-17 blowout over the shorthanded secondary team. Freshman point guard Shaquille Stokes, Johnson, junior swingman Hauns Brereton, sophomore forward Trevor Wiseman and sophomore center Davis Rozitis were Arnold’s first group on the floor on this day. Subs included Jefferson, a limited Vander Joaquim (bum ankle) and sophomore guard Bobby Miles.
Behind leadership from point guard Jace Tavita, a redshirt this season, the Black team stayed competitive. Tavita scored 17 of his 20 points in the second period with an improved 3-point shot, forcing the White team to eke out a 38-33 win.
Johnson rated the team’s offense "a C-plus" but hoped it would upgrade to a B before the HPU exhibition.
Stokes several times fed Johnson for open 3-pointers at sweet spots on fast breaks. Joaquim got off to a slow start but was complemented nicely by Rozitis under the basket.
Even Jefferson got in on the act with a nifty behind-the-head pass to the 7-foot Rozitis on a fast break that the big man converted into a layup.
"It was good, different this time," Johnson said. "I think that we’ve gotten better this past week, the last couple practices have been really good. And I think that we’re clicking a little better and everyone’s figuring out their roles a little more."
