Bobby Nash is all grown up.

He is his father's son and his own man, all at once.

He has a college degree. He is on the verge of completing one of the most enduring careers in the history of University of Hawai'i men's basketball. And — finally — he is ready to walk away from the UH-Manoa campus that served as his childhood field of dreams.

"I've been on this campus for 28 years," said Hawai'i head coach and Bobby's father, Bob Nash. "He's been with me almost all those years. He grew up on this campus. It'll be strange for a lot of people not to see Bobby walking around here next year."

Erika Nash, Bobby's older sister, recalls a time when they would spend afternoons roaming around the UH athletic complex.

"When it was time to go home, we'd be like, 'Where's Bobby?' " she said. "Some days we'd find him at the pool. The football field. The weight room. It was like his big playground."

Nash will play his final two home games this week at the Stan Sheriff Center. The Rainbow Warriors will host Idaho tonight, and then Boise State for "Senior Night" on Saturday.

Nash, a 6-foot-7 forward, is on pace to become the 14th player in UH history to score 1,000 points in a career. He is already sixth on UH's all-time list for 3-pointers with 135, and could become the program's only four-time Academic All-WAC selection.

Not bad for a player who came into the program five years ago as a rail-thin freshman with immeasurable expectations.

THE PLAYER

Nash is averaging 14.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists, and just 1.0 turnovers per game this season.

"Bobby is a smart player above anything else," Bob said. "It's why we ask so much of him — we know he's capable of doing a lot of different things."

Nash has played all five positions at various times this season due to injuries to other 'Bows.

Before the season started, he was projected to play shooting guard and small forward. Instead, he's spent most of his team-leading 35.7 minutes per game at power forward.

"Anything I can do to help the team win games," he said. "I like to shoot it from outside. But right now, it's more about me working on inside shots because that's what the team needs."

Nash was a two-time All-State post player at 'Iolani School prior to signing with UH. Back then, he'd practice perimeter shots late at night in the UH practice gyms to hone his all-around skills.

"I knew I had to work on my outside game if I wanted to play on this level," he said. "It's kind of funny how it's come full circle and I'm inside again."

THE 'ECLIPSE'

Nash made the choice five years ago to wear jersey 33 — the same number his father wore as a member of the "Fabulous Five" UH teams.

"I wanted to honor him," he said. "There was going to be comparisons no matter what."

Bob Nash is regarded as the greatest post player in Hawai'i basketball history. He still holds most of the school's rebounding records.

As Bobby put it: "His shadow wasn't just a shadow, it was an eclipse."

Slowly but surely, Nash has emerged on his own. Earlier this season, he passed his father on UH's career scoring list.

Coincidence or not, Nash's best season in a Hawai'i uniform has been this one — with his father as his head coach for the first time.

"It's some kind of divine miracle that we got to do this during my senior year," Nash said.

Bob Nash was an assistant/associate coach under Riley Wallace for 20 seasons before being named head coach last April.

If not for a medical redshirt due to a shoulder injury two years ago, Bobby would have been done last season.

"I try to take advantage of it every single day," he said. "Every moment has been special. The wins and the losses. Every game has helped us grow."

Domelynne Nash, Bob's wife and Bobby's mother, said: "I was really nervous because I wasn't sure how it would work. But I think they've grown even closer together this year. Bob and Bobby truly share the same disappointments when they lose and the same joy when they win."

THE STUDENT

Nash admits he was not an A-student at 'Iolani. But that academically competitive school worked wonders for him at UH.

He earned Academic All-WAC honors after his freshman, sophomore and junior seasons. He graduated last May with a degree in political science.

"Looking back, 'Iolani really prepared me for college," he said. "Graduating in four years was a huge thing for me."

Nash has already worked as an intern at a law firm, and is looking at law school as an option after basketball.

"I want to see where basketball can take me first," he said. "I'd love to give pro ball a shot, where ever it may be. But after that, I'd be very interested in law school."

HIS FATHER

Unlike the other players on the team, Nash does not reside in an on-campus apartment. He lives with his parents in their Hawai'i Kai home.

Some days, father and son drive to and from UH together.

"Obviously, most players don't get to do that," Bobby said. "But what ever I learn from my dad from our talks at home or in the car, I share with my teammates."

Even on the road, Bob Nash makes time to play the father role.

Some days, the players are given a few hours to grab a meal on their own. Bob and Bobby can often be found together during those times.

"I like it because he pays and it saves my per diem," Bobby said. "That's father-son time. We're not about basketball all the time."

Still, Bob said he has never treated Bobby different from the other players on the court. Hawai'i senior guard Jared Dillinger said: "Coach Nash does a great job of treating everybody the same."

Bob's influence on Bobby is apparent even off the court.

"When we go out, Bobby is always the one keeping everybody in line," Dillinger said. "He's the cautious one, making sure we do the right thing."

HIS WOMEN

Nash said his mother, older sister, and girlfriend Sarah Mason are also influences in his life.

Domelynne is his cook and his harshest critic.

"I can see when he rushes his shots. I can tell when he's frustrated and doesn't play his game. I can see when he's lazy on defense," she said. "When those things happen, I let him know."

Nash said: "My dad's not the one I'm worried about after we lose. It's my mom."

Erika, who is eight years older than Bobby, is the self-described "older twin." She is currently pursuing a doctorate's degree in counselor education at the University of Missouri at St. Louis, but talks to Bobby at least three times a week.

Because of the age difference, she helped raise Bobby. There were even times — when Bob was on the road, and Domelynne was at work — when Erika was like a coach.

To this day, she might know Bobby's game as well as anybody.

"I can tell when his shot is going in and when it's not just by the way his feet land," she said. "It's little things, and I try to encourage him in a good way. I think that's why he likes to shoot with me when I'm there."

Mason, a former UH volleyball player, has become a significant part of the support team as well.

"She's been there as an athlete," Bobby said. "We just connect on so many levels."

Now, Bobby is ready to take on life on another level. His family has prepared him well.

"Every parent wants their kids to be special — doctors or lawyers, something like that," Domelynne said. "As the kids grow and find their identity, you adjust. With Bobby, we haven't had to move that bar, really. He's kind of exceeded our expectations as a person and a player."

Bob said: "I wouldn't have traded this year for anything. To coach your own son for his senior season, to watch him grow and mature the way he has, I feel blessed."

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.