If you’ve got heart, you’ve got a chance.

Hawaii point guard Miah Ostrowski made the best of both.

The unlikely tale of the undersized local boy who made good on the Division I hardwood is coming to its final chapters. Ostrowski and his Rainbow Warriors teammates take to the Stan Sheriff Center floor for the last two times this season in Western Athletic Conference games against Idaho and Utah State on Thursday and Saturday.

For Ostrowski, the 5-foot-9 senior point guard out of Punahou, it’s likely the last two chances to play in front of friends and family and reflect on a stunningly effective return to basketball following three years away from the game.

To say that the team’s success rides on his playmaking is an understatement. The two-sport athlete is basically the reason Hawaii leads WAC teams in assists, both overall (15.0) and in league play (16.8).

Now that he’s overcome his late start coming off UH football season and hit the 75 percent threshold of his team’s total games played, Ostrowski’s 6.7 assists per game qualifies as eighth in the nation. His average is the highest at UH since Anthony Carter (still in the NBA) dished 7.3 in 1997-98.

Though his senior year hasn’t been all ups — the 15-13 (6-6 WAC) ‘Bows are coming off a brutal 0-3 road trip — his two-year UH career has still been the stuff of fables.

"It’s a dream come true," Ostrowski said. "Growing up, first of all, I always wanted to play Division I basketball. But to come and actually play here, I never really honestly thought I’d play basketball here coming out of high school."

He was offered a scholarship to UH as a football slotback instead, which led to his hoops hiatus. That was until Gib Arnold decided to take a flier on him after the 2010 football season.

It paid almost immediate dividends, as Ostrowski showcased a quickness and innate playmaking ability that made him the team leader in assists and steals, despite almost no preparation time with his new teammates.

He earned a place in the hearts and minds of many fans in January of 2011 for playing against Utah State just days after the death of his father, Kui, his hoops idol. An emotional Ostrowski nearly willed the team to victory off the bench with 15 points and six assists.

Yet he reverted to an uncertain status this season with no preseason basketball training and an undefined role coming off another slotback stint. And once again he proved invaluable and thrived with a WAC-leading assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.5.

He’s been even more pass-first than last season. It was quite the departure from his days as an all-stater and scoring threat at Punahou, but being around talented players such as Zane Johnson (the team’s other senior), Vander Joaquim and Joston Thomas made Ostrowski want to set the table every night.

"It’s clearly my role on this team, to try to get those guys going," Ostrowski said. "I took a lot of pride in that, and I do (it) now where I pass too much where maybe I should shoot. But, it’s a whole new role that I’ve taken on and I have so much passion in.

"I just feel like every time I get someone a pass and they score it, I honestly feel like I score it, too."

That mentality has endeared him to his coaches and teammates. When Ostrowski rejoined the team after football in early December, it created a potentially problematic situation. Much-hyped freshman Shaquille Stokes had started the first six games of the season.

Ostrowski took the reins almost immediately. He managed to diffuse any tension with the young Stokes, even taking him under his wing on road trips.

"It’s great watching him. I learned a lot from him, all around," Stokes said. "Learning from Miah, just picking up little things that he does. That’s what counts. The little things make a great captain."

Arnold lauded Ostrowski for his ability to see plays develop before they happen, like a skilled quarterback.

"I’m really going to miss him," Arnold said. "I tell you what, I wish I had 15 of him. … It means a lot to me that he’s a local kid. Plays with heart, and I hope he’s an inspiration to a lot of the other young kids here in the state. They can look at him and say, ‘Hey, I can play at a high level, and I can play well, regardless of size.’ "

Assistant coach Brandyn Akana fully appreciates the rarity of a successful local-born D-I player. He also knows why Ostrowski overcame that stigma.

"He has a heart that’s bigger than a basketball," Akana said. "And he put himself in a position to play and he’s being successful at it, leading the team right now. That should show a lot of young people in the state that anything could happen."

Ostrowski still figures anything can happen with this team heading into tournament time, and intends to make these last two home dates and ensuing tourney games count. Then he’s got spring training for his last season of football eligibility, and beyond that, a to-be-determined career.

"To come here and be able to represent where I came from, my family, play in front of my home fans, and represent the state of Hawaii, is something real meaningful and special for me and something I’ll cherish for the rest of my life," he said. "I wouldn’t want to play for any other team, any other state, than my own home."