The right choice

The anecdote has been told at team banquets, at luncheons with local sports enthusiasts and in front of TV cameras. "I’ve heard that story a lot of times," Hawaii point guard Keith Shamburger said with a smile.

"Many times. Many times," coach Gib Arnold said. "Any time I introduce him."

You know the one. It’s a story of twists and turns, of promise realized, of … strategic trash-talk.

Arnold missed out on Shamburger’s services the first time around, as he decided to sign with San Jose State instead of the Rainbow Warriors. In five meetings over two seasons against the Spartans — then a Western Athletic Conference opponent — UH and Arnold claimed victory four times.

As the story goes, when Arnold shook Shamburger’s hand after each game, he told the player, "You made the wrong decision." (Though not, obviously, after San Jose State’s one-point win in the 2011 WAC tournament, which is oft omitted from the story’s telling.) Finally, after their final meeting on opposite sidelines ended in another Spartans loss during a woeful nine-win season in 2011-12, Shamburger told Arnold, "Coach, I made the wrong decision."

Shamburger has turned the page on that chapter and made it his mission to make up for lost time. He reached out to Arnold that summer, committed to UH and has settled into the starting point guard role for the ‘Bows, offering a combination of scoring ability and playmaking that UH has lacked at the position in recent years.

The fourth-year junior was stellar in the final two days of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic, posting 16 assists against one turnover combined in wins over Saint Mary’s and Oregon State. With his mother and sister in the crowd, Shamburger had the game-winning assist to Christian Standhardinger on the forward’s 15-footer over the Gaels with 1.4 seconds left, then posted his first double-digit-assist game at UH with 10 against the Beavers.

Heading into Monday’s 7 p.m. home game against Norfolk State (8-5), Shamburger is averaging 10.5 points and 4.9 assists per game for the Rainbow Warriors (9-3).

Proximity of family played a large role in the Los Angeles native’s initial college decision coming out of Junipero Serra High. But his mother, Conchita, always believed it would be better for him to leave the nest. Shamburger has come around to that thinking.

"It’s been a good thing for me," he said of his career turn. "I’ve been able to find myself as a person, as a man. I just had to do things myself instead of my mom doing things for me. I’m very close with my family and very family-oriented. I just had to grow up being out here."

Before he could help, though, he had to sit out games at UH during the 2012-13 season as a Division I transfer, a period that tested the willpower of a player who was able to contribute right away as a starter at San Jose State. It was particularly hard to watch a handful of close UH games in which the ‘Bows were hurting for help at the point.

"Last year was a tough year," Shamburger said. "It was good for me to get away from people at that time and for me to just find out (about) myself. I found out how strong I was as a man, to get through a lot of the stuff I got through last year, and being able to play this year. I was waiting for this year the whole (redshirt) year. And it’s finally here now and it just feels good to be back out there again."

At 5 feet 11, he’s not the biggest or the most athletic player out there. But he’s accurate at the free-throw (83 percent) and 3-point (39.1 percent) lines, and is averaging better than a 2-to-1 ratio on assists to turnovers.

He can score when needed — he’s approaching 1,000 career points, including his San Jose State totals — but has operated with the mind-set of a facilitator at UH, with weapons aplenty in fellow starters Garrett Nevels, Brandon Spearman, Christian Standhardinger and Isaac Fotu.

"You ever slack off on him, he can knock down open shots and create for himself," Arnold said. "I actually want him to shoot a little bit more. I think he can even score a little bit more, but he’s trying to get everyone involved, which is really nice as a point guard."

Points, but not wins, came naturally at San Jose. But it wasn’t all bad for him there. Shamburger was able to pick up pointers from talented players in Adrian Oliver and Justin Graham, now both pro players. They taught him to keep a steely demeanor on the court — there’s plenty of time to joke around before and after.

In the time spent with the UH scout team during his redshirt year, he improved his defensive approach. "The Shamburglar" is now tied for the team lead in steals with 16.

"I mean, if I’m the smallest guy out there, I still gotta play defense," he said. "Smallest guy out there gotta have the biggest heart."

Shamburger won’t smile much on the court, and he won’t back down from anyone. One thing he’s retained from his playing days in Los Angeles is an affinity for trash talk. Referees have assigned him several technicals this season for jawing at opponents.

"We’re just having fun," Shamburger said. "A lot of people think Hawaii’s just a place to go relax and have a great time out here. So, I mean, we gotta show teams this isn’t just a place you’re going to come out here and just punk us on our own court. You want to play bully ball, and we just got to be strong. We’re going to play tough."

Explained backup point guard Quincy Smith, who rivals Shamburger for the team trash-talking title: "That’s like that inner-city ball. That’s how we grew up and how we played. It’s just common."

Arnold likes that gamesmanship in his point guard and said he sees a coaching future there once Shamburger’s playing days are done — overseas or otherwise.

Shamburger was eager to shed the stigma of a losing player at San Jose State. In getting a second chance with UH, he’s gotten used to a whole new sensation.

"I know how it feels to win. I just want to keep this feeling," he said. "That losing feeling isn’t fun at all. We just gotta keep pushing it. Once we keep pushing, it’s going to be hard to stop us."

At last, it seems, Shamburger made the right decision.