Huff looks comfortable with hoops transition

Just as there are comfort foods, there are comfort clothes.

For Megan Huff, it’s long shorts, the oxymoronic athletic wear favored by basketball players.

It’s what Huff wore for many a practice last fall with the Hawaii volleyball team. The freshman was not just transitioning from middle blocker to outside hitter, she was transitioning from an old love in basketball to a new-found one in volleyball.

At times, Huff — who only took up volleyball in high school — looked like a basketball player trying to play another sport. But her athleticism and competitive drive made up for her lack of experience in spot duty for the Rainbow Wahine.

The 6-foot-3 Washington state native has the intangibles. She has height. She has speed and quickness. She has passion. She has great instincts.

And, 13 days after joining the Wahine basketball team, she had a starting spot. Huff’s debut last Saturday against preseason conference favorite CSUN was nothing short of impressive, with team highs of 15 points, nine rebounds and five blocks as well as two steals in the 53-46 loss.

How good is she?

"If she keeps playing like this, she’ll be Freshman of the Year in the Big West," Hawaii coach Laura Beeman. "We knew she could help us, but look at those numbers against the top team at their place. Come on."

But Huff did hesitate about becoming a two-sport athlete, the demands of which now have her changing majors from biology to social work due to the number of labs required for science degrees.

There was something else. Huff already knew she was a very good basketball player. She was an all-state selection at Todd Beamer High in Federal Way, Wash., averaging 13.5 points her last two seasons for the Titans.

The question was: Could she match that success in volleyball? That was Huff’s focus last fall, but boredom and basketball won out after the Wahine volleyball season ended at the University of Washington last month some 30 miles from her home.

Huff could not be a walk-on for basketball because the NCAA considers that the "major" sport over volleyball and she would have to be on scholarship in order to play. It was the same situation as that of senior Kalei Adolpho, who played both sports her first three seasons on a basketball full-ride. (Adolpho was on volleyball scholarship last fall, taking this basketball season off. She is expected to return to play basketball next fall).

Serendipity then hit a 3-pointer … at which, few know, Huff is quite adept. Beeman had a scholarship open when one of her transfer commits didn’t work out.

"I was really scared over break, thought I’d be out of (basketball) shape," said Huff, whose first practice was Dec. 29. "That first week was intense as expected. All the running was hard and I don’t have my full legs back. But I think I got back into it pretty quickly.

"There are ups and downs, but I’m enjoying it. I still want to see where my passion is and how it would be to play basketball at this level. I still have a passion for volleyball and know that I have to work harder in volleyball so next season I can make an impact, like I’m able to do in basketball."

The impact has been immediate. It gives Beeman big lineup options when adding Huff to the post mix, helping with depth on a team that has often been foul-prone.

"Defensively, she is making a bigger impact right now because she’s doing it instinctively," Beeman said. "Once she understands how our offense works, she’ll be just as effective offensively, if not more so.

"She can shoot the 3 ball really well. Where she will get better is finishing around the basket, being more comfortable with her back to the basket. She has a high ceiling, and I’m looking forward to what she can do."

The tricky issue is the time-share with volleyball. Beeman said she’d keep a scholarship open for Huff for next season but is looking for a more equitable solution, getting Huff for more than the final three months of the season.

"It’s something we’ll sit down and discuss after the season is done," Beeman said.

For now, Huff has on the long shorts and looks very comfortable in them. As Rod Stewart sang, she wears them well.