Stephen Tsai: Basketball ’Bows gone but not forgotten

They all knew the pact.

They were supposed to age gracefully, then meet up for a reunion to brag about their kids — maybe grandkids, surely their golf scores — and swap exaggerated tales about their days as University of Hawaii basketball players.

Oh, sure, there would be age-earned ailments — sore knees, tight backs, perhaps a little GERD or arthritis. The rites to the 40s, 50s, and 60s are not without issues.

But it was not supposed to be real-life problems, like guard Craig Murray’s surgery for a brain tumor last month. Or point guard Troy Bowe’s cancer battle. Or forward Will Bolds, a Philadelphia police detective, leading a raid resulting in several arrests — and, unfortunately, exposure to COVID-19. Bolds fell ill, then very ill, and digressed into a coma lasting three weeks. His recovery was so exhausting it took him nearly a year to answer messages on his cell phone.

And then there were the early departures whose full-circle lives were cut at 180 degrees. Here are some of the former Rainbow basketball players who are gone but not forgotten:

>> Terry Houston (died January 2022): Known as “Business,” power forward Houston was instrumental in leading the ’Bows to back-to-back NIT appearances in 1989 and 1990. In the ”Bows’ high-low offense, Houston was equally effective in traffic or looping to the key for jumpers. “He was one of my favorite people of all time,” said Bob Nash, a UH Circle of Honor inductee who recruited Houston to UH. “I call him a young man with an old soul. He had a lot of old school in him. He was a down-to-earth, good-hearted individual.”

>> Corey Swinson (September 2013): Soon after the New York-reared Swinson arrived in Hawaii in 1987, he found mentors in guards Kawika Hallums and Troy Bowe. “He could take a left turn,” Hallums was told by the coaches. “But Troy and I were taking left turns all the time.” Swinson worked hard to improve his low-post game while embracing the island. “He was always the life of the party,” Hallums said. “He was funny but respectful of the older guys. We loved him.” Swinson eventually transferred to Hampton, where he switched to football, becoming a star defensive end. He had a brief career in the NFL, then worked in private security for NBA stars Al Harrington, Jermaine O’Neal, Allen Iverson and Stephon Marbury. After that, he became the director of security for a school district. Swinson died in 2013, and a year later, the Long Island hamlet of Bay Shore named a bridge after him. His son Messiah Swinson is a tight end for Arizona State.

>> John Molle (April 2005): The plan was for the 6-4 Molle to be a fill-in on UH’s 1993-94 team. “He came in, he fought, and he earned it,” guard Jarinn Akana, now an NBA agent, said of Molle’s starting job at the four. “He was tough. He would battle the fours.” A guy from San Diego State was supposed to be a tough guy. John stood toe-to-toe with him. He tried to punk John, and John wouldn’t have any of it.” Molle also was a crowd favorite, with his outside shooting and walks to the free-throw line drawing chants of “Mo-lay, mo-lay, mo-lay, mo-lay.” Akana said Molle was key in UH’s run to winning the 1994 WAC title. A year later, he responded to opposing fans’ taunts with a one-fingered salute. Prior to the start of the 1995 title game in Albuquerque, he issued a center-court apology … partly in Spanish. Molle and his wife hosted teammates every Sunday for a barbecue. “Everybody loved him,” former UH assistant coach Jackson Wheeler said. Molle died after he was shot while chasing a car thief.

>> Boyd Batts (December 2021): At 6 feet 7, Batts was ahead of his time as a multi-position player. “Boyd was one of the most talented guys to come here,” former teammate Artie Wilson said. “He could play one, two, three. He was athletic. He was a jump-shooter. He made it look easy. That’s why we ran so many fast breaks as well as we ran them. He could fill the lane and fly down the floor.” Batts played for UH in 1973-74, then transferred to UNLV. In turn, forward Jimmie Baker went from UNLV to UH. Coincidence? Then-UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian told reporters: “We got (Batts) in a trade. It was the darndest thing I’ve ever seen.” Wilson said that was not the case, and Batts transferred on his own. After three years at UNLV, Batts was the New York Knicks’ seventh-round pick in 1976. In 1979, he was inducted into the Basketball Museum of Illinois.

>> Marquette Alexander (December 2021): The 6-foot-9 post was an enigma as a tough enforcer in the paint with a soft left-handed hook. His on-court persona belied his good-natured personality. “If you were in his circle, he was loyal to you,” said Johnny White, a former roommate and teammate. “He didn’t play any games. He was mean on the court, but that really wasn’t him.” Alexander was protective of White and guards Mike McIntyre and Geremy Robinson. “He made sure we had everything we needed basketball wise, outside-of-basketball wise,” White said. Alexander reportedly died of a shotgun wound.

>> Chris Gaines (December 2010): UH’s career scoring leader was noted for his smooth jumper. “He was so good, he made it look easy,” Nash said. “But he had some fire in him.” Gaines, who was Mr. Iowa in basketball and the starting quarterback for his high school team, “had a killer instinct,” Hallums said. As UH student-athletes, Navy football coach Kenny Niumatalolo teamed with quarterback Warren Jones to compete against Gaines and guard Craig Murray in everything from table tennis to 2-on-2 basketball. “Obviously, that kind of basketball is different because don’t have to run up and down the court,” Niumatalolo said. “We posted him up inside. If we had to run, they’d kill us. He was phenomenal. He was fun-loving, easy-going, a jokester, just a great personality. He was just a good person.”

>> Mike McIntyre: (October 2018): He was neither a polished point guard nor a dead-eyed shooter when he joined the ’Bows as a freshman in 1998. “He knew he had to work at his game,” White recalled. “He was the first one in the gym and the last to leave. He was even the first one in the weight room.” McIntyre developed into one of the program’s most prolific outside shooters. He was significant offensively and defensively for UH’s NCAA Tournament teams in 2000-01 and 2001-02. More than a decade later, he provided inspiration during group chats with former teammates, according to White. McIntyre appeared to struggle after his mother’s death in 2017. The next year, McIntyre died after being struck by a vehicle while riding a bicycle in Long Beach, Calif.

>> Gerry Holmes (2003): At 7 feet, Holmes was the big man on the Manoa campus for two seasons (1991-92, 1992-93). While he had limited playing time, Holmes was impactful in workouts and off-the-court leadership. “He was a good teammate and a good guy,” said post Chris Walz, whose fondest memories came during the ’Bows’ participation in a tournament in Taipei in the summer of 2003. UH, representing the United States, won the Jones Trophy. With traffic congestion, the ’Bows — especially Holmes and center Marty Winter — were sidewalk attractions as they walked between the hotel and the arena. “A lot of the fans would take pictures,” Walz recalled.