The play is etched in the mind of Hawaii point guard Roderick Bobbitt.

It was the first round of the 2014 NJCAA national tournament back in March. Top-ranked Indian Hills Community College of Iowa, Bobbitt’s team, trailed New Mexico Junior College by two in the final seconds of regulation at Hutchinson, Kan.

Bobbitt’s backcourt mate, Lester Medford, went in for a layup. Bobbitt had been instructed by his coach to go for a tying tip-in should Medford miss.

So the 6-foot-3 Bobbitt leapt, but someone made contact with him in midair. His legs went out from under him and his left arm became trapped behind him, taking the full force of the impact when he fell. He blacked out momentarily.

He came to as play continued around him. Medford had been fouled, and was headed to the line. But Bobbitt was in for quite a shock when he took stock of himself. The bone in his left arm was cleanly broken, bicep-high.

"I remember it. I will remember it for the rest of my life," the Oakland, Calif., native said. "I remember my arm just dangling. I looked to my right arm to see what was going on, and I looked back at my left and it was just all separated. So I knew it was broken. Being the first game of the national tournament for the JUCOs, it really brought me down. But I stayed tough for my teammates."

That he did. Bobbitt stayed to watch as Medford made both free throws and sent the game into overtime. Then he remained, watching and cheering, for the entire extra period. Once it went to double overtime, the pain finally became too much and he went to a hospital. Indian Hills went on to win and made it to the junior college championship game.

Bobbitt would have a metal plate and screws put into his left (non-shooting) arm to begin a mending process that isn’t projected to be completed until the coming March.

It was a difficult way to end his career with the Indian Hills Warriors, but it also marked the beginning of what’s so far been a highly successful transition as the floor leader of the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. He committed to UH in April, during the early stages of his recovery, following the path of former IHCC and UH guard Brandon Spearman.

The unflappable Bobbitt was back by the 2014-15 preseason and has been the steady hand at the wheel, helping steer the ‘Bows through turmoil and to a 6-2 start that many did not expect.

The junior already notched the second triple-double in program history, against Hawaii Hilo, simultaneously breaking Tony Webster’s UH record for steals in a game by swiping 10. When Webster and Reggie Carter (UH’s previous triple-double) were doing their thing, Bobbitt wasn’t yet born.

But his contemporaries can appreciate what he’s doing, too. Bobbitt leads the Big West Conference in assists per game with 5.4, the same mark his predecessor, Keith Shamburger, put up last season before bolting the program.

Through Thanksgiving, he’s stuffed the stat sheet with regularity.

"He’s a great point guard," forward Aaron Valdes said. "Knows how to look for us. He can score whenever he wants to. Plays very unselfish, and we love that. It’s a lot of fun."

Besides setting the table in UH’s motion offense, Bobbitt has made a real impact defensively. With his predatory instincts and a knack for playing the passing lanes, he entered Sunday tied for the national lead in total steals (22) and is 23rd in steals per game (2.75).

"I tell you what. We knew what we had, and he’s still got a lot of good basketball ahead of him," UH coach Benjy Taylor said. "He’s just scratching the surface of how good he can be. I’m excited to see him progress as the season progresses. He’s a really, really good player, and we knew that coming in."

Bobbitt’s debut at UH didn’t exactly have all the trappings of success. He missed the entire offseason, so he wasn’t able to get a firsthand feel for his new teammates as some worked out and trained together.

He was back on the court by the start of full preseason practices. It was just enough time to learn Gib Arnold’s system, which would have been great, except Arnold was fired on Oct. 28 and UH had to retool under Taylor without star forward Isaac Fotu (since departed to the pros).

Bobbitt’s response over the weeks since has been a figurative shrug. He’s handled worse.

"I think I’ve taken it well. I just had to learn the system, and then I had to learn another system," Bobbitt said. "So, it’s been tough, but I’m feeling more comfortable (over time). That’s my position. The point guard is supposed to be the leader."