UH hoops preview: Coleman and McClanahan lead UH basketball team's corps of guards

Nov. 11—In Hawaii's defensive system, guard is a position and job description.

And one of the requirements is to pass a screen test.

In Hawaii's defensive system, guard is a position and job description.

And one of the requirements is to pass a screen test.

Head coach Eran Ganot recently brought in referees to provide tutorials on a permissible way for guards to navigate past opposing offenses' hip-jutting screens.

"I think the hardest thing is fighting through screens, because these bigs are way bigger than in high school and junior college, " guard JoVon McClanahan said. "That's why we have a great weight-room guy, Tanner (Hull ), to get us strong so we can build endurance and strength to take those hits."

While 6-9 center Bernardo da Silva is a rim protector and 6-10 forward Kamaka Hepa is a long-armed obstacle, the'Bows' defense begins with starting guards McClanahan and Noel Coleman.

"Noel is an elite scorer, but he's also our best defender, a lock-down defender, " associate head coach John Montgomery said.

Coleman can defend the point and the perimeter and, with a 44-inch vertical jump, hunt for rebounds. McClanahan is aggressive on the ball-handler.

On the flip side, McClanahan and Coleman are charged with initiating the motion offense. McClanahan and Juan Munoz were set to either split reps at the point or collaborate as part of a double-point lineup. But Munoz suffered an Achilles injury in last week's exhibition. For the second time since transferring from Longwood, Munoz's season has ended before it began.

Now McClanahan, a third-year'Bow, will be the primary point guard.

"He's going to be the guy that's kind of the head of the snake for us, " Montgomery said. "He's got to run our team, and be a great defender, and get guys shots. And he has to make shots. I think the experience he got last year will carry over. We're expecting a big jump from him."

McClanahan and twin brother Jaden were the guard combo that led Salesean College Prep to a 114-12 record. Both were recruited as a package. "We wanted to go our separate ways for one year so we could see what it would be like as individual point guards, " McClanahan said.

McClanahan chose Sheridan College in Wyoming, where he averaged 23.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 6.3 assists in his lone junior college season. Because of the pandemic, he accepted UH's offer without a visit.

But McClanahan's shooting touch—47.8 % from the floor, 44.5 % from behind the arc—did not immediately transfer. He hit 25.8 % of his 3s in 2020-21.

Last season, he missed 16 of his first 18 shots from behind the line. Then he went 2-for-3 on 3s against Long Beach State and 4-for-5 against UC Irvine, hitting 46.5 % the rest of the way. "I went through a little lull, and then I bounced back, " McClanahan said of his revived 3-point shot.

He also built a 1.9-to-1 ratio of assists to turnovers.

Justus Jackson and Kody Williams are the immediate backups to McClanahan. Jackson joined UH last December after spending the fall semester at DME Academy in Daytona, Fla. "He's really quick, and has great speed and athleticism, and he's strong, " Montgomery said.

His father, Chris Jackson, is a former NFL receiver who is on the Chicago Bears' coaching staff.

Williams, who grew up in Minnesota and attended a prep school in Connecticut, recorded a team-best vertical jump of 441 /2 inches. In team testing, he ran three-quarters of the court in 3.05 seconds. He attributes his speed to his father, Keith Williams, who competed in the 1996 Olympic Trials in Atlanta.

Coleman, who has played the point, has prospered off the ball. He is naturally left-handed but plays ambidextrously because his father required him to use his right hand in drills. And while he is a fearless driver—an asset in UH's penetrate-and-pitch plays—Coleman has developed into one of the league's most consistent outside shooters. Last season, Coleman was slightly better on 3s (44.1 %) than 2s (43.9 %).

"Not too long ago, I found out it was just confidence, " Coleman said. "You shoot the ball better when you're more confident with your show."

Montgomery said Coleman has "put himself into position to be one of the top five players in our league. ... He's a natural scoring two guard, but I think he'll have to play some point. Guys are going to key on him, but he can create shots for others."

Amoro Lado, who transferred from College of Southern Idaho last year, scored 11 points in UH's victory over UC Riverside in the opening round of the Big West Tournament. "He can score in bunches, " Montgomery said. "He can reel off three or four 3s in a row. He can create his own shot. He has really good shot-making ability."