It was quite a celebration of a wondrous season for the University of Hawaii men’s basketball team — while it lasted.

And it officially ended Wednesday.

With the announced departure of Stefan Jankovic to test NBA Draft possibilities, the overhauling of the most accomplished team in the basketball program’s history is now underway. All that is missing is the erecting of scaffolding at the Stan Sheriff Center and the passing out of hard hats.

Now we wait to assess the degree of difficulty — merely daunting or more severe than that — entering 2016-17.

The next size 13 shoe to drop could be if Aaron Valdes follows Jankovic out the door, as is said to be a strong possibility. That would likely mean at least four of the five starters from the team that delivered the most productive (28-6) season and the only NCAA Tournament victory in school history will have moved on.

Roderick Bobbitt and Quincy Smith are seniors and Jankovic is leaving with a year’s eligibility to explore a pro future.

Throw in the departure of grad student Sai Tummala and Isaac Fleming’s abrupt exit and more than 85 percent of the scoring could be out the door as well.

At the moment the best bet to stay among the starters is Mike Thomas, but with the NCAA-ordered 2016-17 postseason ban in place for at least another month, Thomas and other seniors-to-be would be free to transfer without penalty, should they choose.

Jankovic, the Big West Player of the Year, is the biggest loss both in terms of height and ability. Nobody in the Big West had an answer for Jankovic and replacing him will be an even more considerable undertaking.

His stay in Manoa was all too short, little more than a season and a half on the court after transferring from Missouri and sitting out part of last season per regulations.

In that time he made remarkable progress eventually emerging as the ’Bows’ leading scorer (15.6 points) and rebounder (6.6) this season as well as a dominating presence in the league.

It was a glimpse of that potential, perhaps, that sparked the hasty rush by a coach to get him in school and precipitated the now-infamous alteration of a document. It was the episode that opened the door to the NCAA investigation. Something the player, an innocent bystander, played no part in.

Now, Jankovic’s departure should come with degree in hand and while many selfishly wish he would have stayed on to help drive in the rebuilding, who can begrudge him the opportunity to take his talents to market, where there is considerable moolah to be made?

If not immediately in the NBA, which might be a reach, then definitely somewhere overseas where his abilities should fetch plenty of offers.

Curiously this past season began with the omission of Jankovic’s individual page (statistics, biography etc.) from the official guide, something somehow overlooked.

Unfortunately, next year there will be no mistaking Jankovic’s absence on the court.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.