Vander Joaquim wants a do-over on his farewell.

The Hawaii basketball team’s senior center was last seen by many UH fans walking out of the Stan Sheriff Center tunnels with most of the second half remaining in the Rainbow Warriors’ season-ending CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament loss to Air Force on March 20. He did not appear at the team’s postseason awards banquet on Wednesday night.

Joaquim is bound for the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament in Virginia for college seniors, April 10 to 13.

He sent this message to the Star-Advertiser on Thursday: “I would like to say thank you to all my teammates and the fans in Hawaii for all the support I had here in my last 3 years. I hope everyone understand that I appriciate (sic) this city with good heart. I am really thankful to play for the University of Hawaii. My next goal is to go Portsmouth on 10-13 in VA leaving tonight at 6 o’clock after the tournament head for some training and NBA camps and workouts etc I really appriciate (sic) the community for all the support.”

Joaquim commanded consistent double teams in Big West play but was given only BWC honorable mention honors after an All-Western Athletic Conference first-team campaign as a junior.

“My senior season did not plan out like how I had imagined and I’m sorry if it has disappointed our fans like it disappointed me,” he wrote. “I am moving on to the next chapter of my life and pursuing a professional career in basketball.

“I wish the best of luck to all my teammates next year. I believes (sic) they going to do well.”
Joaquim leaves the program as one of 15 1,000-point scorers and is third in total rebounds.