No-nonsense Nevels lays it on the line

Garrett Nevels closed out the postgame press conference of Hawaii’s win last week over Long Beach State in signature Nevels style. The senior shooting guard was asked a question about UH’s team leadership, and he was short and to the point.

"It is my team. It’s been my team."

It was no boast, but a simple statement of fact. And though no other players occupied the room, it was doubtful any of them would have voiced a difference of opinion even had they been present.

On a team of battle-tested Rainbows (19-11, 7-7 Big West), Nevels is the ultimate Warrior.

The co-captain epitomizes UH’s never-say-quit attitude in the face of season-long challenges to the fabric of the team: Gib Arnold’s firing; to-be-determined sanctions from the NCAA’s investigation of the program; and for him personally, midseason surgery to repair the thumb on his right shooting hand.

He’s emerged stronger for it and will be honored with traditional senior night ceremonies after Wednesday’s "White-out" home finale at the Stan Sheriff Center against UC Santa Barbara (16-12, 9-5). He would have been the only player honored, but junior guard Brandon Jawato is calling it a career because of a back injury and will be similarly recognized.

Few questions give Nevels pause, but one that did involved what he’s learned about himself in his two-year UH career since transferring from Mount San Antonio College.

"I’m just always able to fight through adversity," Nevels said after a moment of thought. "When I had the surgery on my hand in the middle of the season, I never expected that. For me, it was tough, but I just tried to keep my head up, for myself and my teammates. And now I feel like my game’s going in the right direction at the right point of the season. Even earlier in the season, with everything that happened, I just tried to stay strong for my teammates also."

Nevels totaled 33 points in UH’s past two games on 13-for-23 shooting, showing signs of recapturing the offensive capabilities that were much tougher to grasp immediately following his right hand surgery at the start of Big West play.

But even though the gifted shooter’s offensive productivity has dropped overall (41.3 percent to 32.5 percent on 3s) since his junior season — be it because of the brace on his right hand (since removed) or the lack of a night-to-night low-post threat such as Isaac Fotu to play off of — Nevels has found other ways to make himself seen.

And heard. No small feat for a guy who was never known as a long-winded communicator.

"No, Garrett doesn’t have a problem making himself heard," UH coach Benjy Taylor said with a chuckle. "Me and him have some shouting matches. He don’t have a problem biting his tongue now. … You know, he’s a winner on and off the floor and that’s what matters. He’s going to be sorely missed. As this program moves forward, he’ll be one of the guys that’s looked at that helped stabilize this thing, because it needed some stabilization.

"We will always be grateful to him for doing that."

In the days after Arnold’s firing on Oct. 28, speculation abounded about players departing a program in shambles. Taylor said the team’s lone senior would not allow that to happen, going so far as to dub Nevels his "recruiting coordinator" for helping keep nearly all of the Rainbows together during a trying time.

Nevels built on that pivotal moment and has since conducted himself like an extra coach on staff.

"He’s done a lot this year to work on knowing how to talk to us, and the coaches as well, and going from that," sophomore Mike Thomas said. "Taking advice as well as giving it on and off the court."

When Nevels missed the first three games of league play because of his surgery, he tried to offer his teammates feedback from the sidelines. It wasn’t the same, which might help explain why Nevels returned stunningly fast (three weeks missed) from an injury that typically requires six weeks or more.

"I think when he came back from injury there was a certain fire that was brought back to the team, and we’re playing off of it right now," Thomas said.

Nevels studied professionals’ leadership styles, including the tell-it-like-it-is demeanor of Kobe Bryant.

In an uncharacteristic moment, he was ejected for receiving consecutive technicals complaining about a no-call against Cal State Fullerton on Feb. 14. He chided himself for it afterward and resolved it wouldn’t happen again.

"My leadership is to go out there every day and try to set a good example," he said. "Be vocal when I need to. Just lay it all out on the line during game time."

Nevels’ other area of significant improvement has been in the once-perplexing realm of defense. He’s been assigned to opponents’ best perimeter players for most of the season. Most notably, he was key in limiting Big West Player of the Year favorite Corey Hawkins of UC Davis to subpar outings in the season’s two meetings against UH.

There have been some highlight-quality swats, as well.

"It’s more than blocking a shot or something. It’s more just, I really used to struggle seeing ball and man at the same time," Nevels said. "Just trying to keep my man out of the paint. I just think I’m an overall better defender."

He watched film of himself over the summer and took notes of his breakdowns.

Coaches then and now call it a "night and day" difference.

"We used to ride Garrett for the last three, four years about his defense or lack thereof," said Allen Caveness, his coach in the respected Drew League of Los Angeles since 2011. Caveness said in the past, Nevels would get routinely exposed.

Not the summer of 2014, when Nevels’ Houdini’s All-Stars team won the league.

"He just took it upon himself to say, you know what, I’m tired of it. I’m sick of it," Caveness said. "Last year was the best job I’ve seen him do defensively in terms of keeping the ball in front of him and contesting shots. He’s gotten so much better at it. … I could see his effort and that it became important to him. And he was just becoming a more well-rounded player and more well-rounded person."

Nevels is on track to graduate with a degree in sociology this spring. He intends to play hoops professionally, perhaps overseas.

When that time comes, it’s a safe bet he’ll be prepared. Like clockwork, Nevels is the last player in the gym at any practice as he gets up hundreds of extra shots.

"That’s just always been me," he said. "I know where I want to go. I know what my goals are. I know I’m not going to accomplish them by sitting back and relaxing. You gotta put in the work."