On this afternoon Sports Animals Show, Gary Dickman said that he heard a rumor that Vander might not be returning to UH this year. He said that Vander is currently playing for the Angola National Team and might be considering not returning. He did say that he don't know if it's true or not.
Well, I asked Dayton Morinaga if he know anything about this and here's his responded.
Dayton's response.
Here is my understanding of Vander Joaquim's situation:
He is currently training/competing with Angola's national team. There is still one more series of roster cuts that needs to made. If Vander is not selected to the national team, he will return to Hawaii.
If he does make the team, they will play in an Olympic qualifying tournament in August. If Angola wins that tournament, they will qualify for the 2012 Olympics and Vander may be asked to stay with them to train.
If Angola does not win the qualifying tournament, Vander should have time to return to UH for fall semester.
Don't know how good Angola is in comparison with other African teams, but they basically have to be the best country there to make the Olympics.
Stay tuned. Who would have thought Hawaii fans would become so interested in the results of Angola?
so it just comes down to if there are more qualified and/or experienced low post players on the angola team that will make them choose to cut vander......
you can't blame vander joachim for wanting to be a part of his nation's olympic team. it is every boy's dream.
should he ask, if he and his national team makes it through the qualifying round, to be able to return to hawaii for the season and schooling?
wouldn't it makes sense for him to do so?
for starters, gain more experience at the d1 level for a relatively newcomer to the game.
secondly, get his education.
thirdly, his potential as a future nba'er rests in his improvement as a player and in his greater exposure to the pro scouts by playing in the usa/hawaii.
and for selfish reasons, he is the key to our success as a team. as he improved last year so did we.
Good news!
Brandyn Akana said on the Sports Animals Show today that Vander will be back in school before school starts.
Hopefully more good news!
He also said that Blakes and Biggs should be here also. I guess he feels that they will get qualified after taking summer school classes.
xer 21 wrote:so im guessing he didnt make the angolan team?
I think he'll be here even if he makes the team or not!
If Vander makes the team, he will still have ample time to catch up with the rest of the Angolan National Team. The UH season should end around mid to the end of March. So he will have around 4 months to catch up before the Olympic Games begins.
The 2012 Olympic Games in London starts on July 27, 2012 and finishes on August 12, 2012.
Sportsbow wrote: Hopefully more good news!
He also said that Blakes and Biggs should be here also. I guess he feels that they will get qualified after taking summer school classes.
I heard it a little differently. He did say they would be here for the fall semester. He said they graduated in late June and needed to be enrolled in summer school here when it started on 7/5. They aren't here now because they couldn't get their transcripts and paperwork done in time to be accepted to the summer school session. And they can't go on the Asia trip because they aren't enrolled in summer school. The good news is that they will be here for the fall semester.
Sportsbow wrote: Hopefully more good news!
He also said that Blakes and Biggs should be here also. I guess he feels that they will get qualified after taking summer school classes.
I heard it a little differently. He did say they would be here for the fall semester. He said they graduated in late June and needed to be enrolled in summer school here when it started on 7/5. They aren't here now because they couldn't get their transcripts and paperwork done in time to be accepted to the summer school session. And they can't go on the Asia trip because they aren't enrolled in summer school. The good news is that they will be here for the fall semester.
Thanks uhwarriors. Your explaination is better than mine! I was at a distance from the radio so I couldn't give an exact explaination.
I heard that both Blakes and Biggs are taking summer school classes in California though.
xer 21 wrote:so im guessing he didnt make the angolan team?
I think he'll be here even if he makes the team or not!
If Vander makes the team, he will still have ample time to catch up with the rest of the Angolan National Team. The UH season should end around mid to the end of March. So he will have around 4 months to catch up before the Olympic Games begins.
The 2012 Olympic Games in London starts on July 27, 2012 and finishes on August 12, 2012.
Does anyone know if he made the team or not?
Although he would have time between the end of the NCAA basketball season and the Olympics to catch up with the team, the national team would probably want him there through the qualifying tournaments also. Not sure when those qualifying tournaments take place. Before or after the NCAA season.
Hopefully, what Akana said is true and he will return. Vander is awesome.
Hawai'i has the best fighters in the world. F___ that's all we do. --BJ Penn
According to Gib, Vander made the Angola National Team and is playing with them in China. He will then play with them in the Africa Cup this month to qualify for the Summer Olympics. Regaurdless of how the Angola National Team does Vander will play for UH this year. At the end of this season he will play in the Olympics if they win the Africa Cup.
How awesome would that be? A UH Warrior playing in the Olympics!
According to The Herald Sun in Australia, Angola and Vander just won the Stankovic Cup in China! They have a nice picture of Vander too!
Angola's Vladelicio Joaquim battles Australia's Mark Worthington during the FIBA Stankovic Continental Cup in China. Angola beat Australia 85-66. AFP PHOTO/ STR Source: AFP
According to The Herald Sun in Australia, Angola and Vander just won the Stankovic Cup in China! They have a nice picture of Vander too!
Angola's Vladelicio Joaquim battles Australia's Mark Worthington during the FIBA Stankovic Continental Cup in China. Angola beat Australia 85-66. AFP PHOTO/ STR Source: AFP