Here are a few of Hawaii guard JoVon McClanahan’s favorite things:
>> Coffee shops, particularly Market City Shopping Center’s Cafe Kaila, where he orders breakfast made from scratch, sips plantation iced tea or an espresso, and talks story. “Just have good camaraderie,” he said.
>> Oahu’s beaches. “I like to look at the water and be in the water,” McClanahan said.
McClanahan, who grew up in Vallejo, Calif., said NorCal beaches require wet suits as insulation from chilly water. Hawaii’s beaches, he said, are a “wholesome experience. Being on the sand, looking at the water, it’s a nice experience. It’s hard to explain. It’s peaceful. You just have to be there and settle in.”
>> Basketball, basketball, basketball.
“I just love it,” McClanahan said. “I played it very early, maybe 5 years old. I played football, as well. But there’s something about basketball. My heart was there. It’s a feeling I can’t really describe, but I just love it.”
McClanahan has emerged as a tenacious two-way point guard who scores off drives or deep shots, orchestrates the ’Bows’ quick-passing offense, and defends against ball-handlers of varying skills. The aggressive attitude stems from growing up with five brothers.
“It was a competitive household playing sports,” he recalled.
McClanahan and twin Jaden were the youngest but the most fearless. They would team up for two-on-two games against older brothers on the family’s backyard court. There was one hoop and one rule: no blood, no foul.
That competitiveness extended to recess.
“Playing tetherball or four squares, everything was competitive,” he said. “Most of my growing up was a very competitive environment. I think you need to be competitive in everything you do or you’re going to get left behind. Everybody has to have a level of competitiveness in the work field, whether that’s sports or not. I think it drives you to be better.”
Optimistically listed at 5 feet 10, the McClanahan brothers led Salesian College Prep to a No. 5 national ranking as seniors in 2019. McClanahan chose to attend Sheridan (Wyo.) College; Jaden went to Independence (Kan.) Community College.
Sheridan’s system of two point guards often freed McClanahan to find open spots on the wing. In his lone season at Sheridan, he averaged 23.5 points on 47.8% shooting, including 44.5% on 3s. “My coach in junior college told me he wanted me to shoot seven 3s a game,” McClanahan said. “So I’m hunting 3s.”
He also led the Bruins with 6.5 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game. Sheridan fans gave him the nickname “King Von,” which was yelled during home games.
Because of COVID-19 restrictions, McClanahan signed with UH in April 2020 without taking a recruiting visit.
McClanahan has played in all 82 games in three seasons with the ’Bows. In adjusting to the four-out offense, it took time for McClanahan to find his shooting rhythm.
He connected on 25.8% of his 3s in 2020-21, his first UH season. The next season, he missed 17 of his first 18 shots from behind the arc. “Everything is an adjustment when you go somewhere new,” McClanahan said.
After that erratic start, McClanahan swished 21 of his next 48 3-point shots — 43.8% — to close the season. Though his 3-point percentage dropped to 30.4 last season, in all he has hit 35.4% of his 3s since that 1-for-18 streak, including the buzzer-beating prayer to win the 2022 Diamond Head Classic.
McClanahan has expanded his game, adding a step-back jumper, crossover drives, and navigations off ball screens. McClanahan, who was selected as a team captain, said he welcomes challenges from new point guards.
“You have to bring in talent to make you better,” he said. “I want to play with good players. You have to raise your level of play, and get better, and also try to complement each other when you do bring in good players.”
