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A day before the 2014-15 season opener, freshman forward Sammis Reyes has rejoined the Hawaii men’s basketball team.
Reyes, a 6-foot-6 true freshman from Chile, practiced with the Rainbow Warriors in the Stan Sheriff Center Thursday. He’d previously decided to leave the team and pursue transfer opportunities in the wake of Gib Arnold’s firing on Oct. 28.
Reyes had a change of heart and could provide an immediate boost to a frontcourt rotation lacking depth. Acting coach Benjy Taylor was especially hurting for big bodies since Reyes and all-conference forward Isaac Fotu left the team. Fotu latched on with a professional team in Spain this week.
“I think the coaching staff really helped me a lot (to) make this decision,” Reyes said after practice. “Coach Q (assistant coach Senque Carey) and Coach Taylor helped me, showing me what they were planning on doing, and all the good stuff that’s going on. So I decided to stay.”
UH opens the season against Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 7:30 p.m. on Friday in the Outrigger Resorts Rainbow Classic.
