UH basketball lands play-making guard
· Yahoo Sports
A dynamic playmaker from one of the top NCAA Division II programs is joining the University of Hawaii men’s basketball team.
Jaden “Shloop” Matingou, a point guard from Point Loma Nazarene University, agreed to a commitment contract and will join the Rainbow Warriors in June. Matingou has two years to play one UH season.
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Matingou told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser his decision was based on “my relationship with the coaching staff. Since they’ve been recruiting me, they showed they care about me as a person and a player. I also like the winning tradition and culture there. I loved everything they talked about, how it’s a real family and the ohana there. I’m excited and blessed to be a part of it.”
Matingou is 6 feet 3 and 175 pounds with a vertical jump of 41 1/2 inches.
He was named to the All-Pac West first team after leading the league with 4.3 assists per game. His assists-to-turnover average was plus-1.5. Matingou averaged 11.9 points on 49.2% shooting, including 36.4% on 3s. The past February, he scored 27 points against Hawaii Pacific University.
This year, Point Loma won the Pac West’s regular season and tournament titles. The Sea Lions reached the West Region finals for the fourth consecutive season.
UH assistant coach Rob Jones and pro basketball player James Nunnally, whom Matingou considers as a mentor, are friends.
“And that’s how we got in contact,” Matingou said. “The more I learned about the program, the more I fell in love with it. I realized it was going to be the right fit for me.”
He also received offers from Oregon State and Colorado State.
Matingou was a 5-9 sophomore St. Augustine High School when he first dunked. The next two years, he grew six inches.
“That (growth spurt) plus my vertical (jump), I can do some pretty cool dunks,” he said.
He also earned his nickname from his parents.
“I’ve had that since I was a young kid,” he said. “My parents came up with that because of how fast I am. They said I would just shloop around the court. It actually stuck with me. My teammates call me ‘Shloop’ or ‘J-Shloop.’”