Caleb Dressler had to leave his native Vancouver, Wash., to go home.
The 6-foot-10, 240-pound senior center at Evergreen High may hail from the Pacific Northwest, but he knew almost immediately where he belonged once he arrived in Hawaii this weekend.
After a day spent on and around the Manoa campus for an official recruiting visit, Dressler said he offered late Friday night an oral commitment to play for the UH men’s basketball team and coach Gib Arnold.
Dressler, the MVP of the Washington 4A Greater St. Helens League last season, didn’t get the same feeling from his previous two visits to Montana State and Portland State.
"The biggest thing to me … (the others) just didn’t feel like home to me. I came to Hawaii and it was just a whole different take on everything," Dressler said in a phone interview from his hotel. "There’s a family aspect. You’re out in the middle of the ocean and your whole school is pretty much behind you. It’s not really like when you’re leaving your home you’re leaving your family. You’re coming to another family."
He’ll have a full four years of eligibility starting in the 2012-13 season.
Dressler took in a team practice and then the Ohana Hoopfest on Friday night.
Arnold can’t comment on him until Dressler signs a national letter of intent in the early period starting Nov. 9. But Dressler’s high school coach, Kelly Blankenship, had plenty to say about him.
"It’s going to take a few guys to stop him this year," Blankenship said. "His senior year will be a true test of how much he’s going to contribute next year (for UH). Once he gets on (UH’s) weight program, I think the sky’s the limit for that kid. He works hard. … I’m sure he’s going to improve big time."
There shouldn’t be any academic concerns about Dressler, who carries a 3.5 GPA, Blankenship said.
Dressler represents one of two available scholarships for next season.
‘Bows get in scrimmages
The Rainbow Warriors had their first series of intrasquad scrimmages of the season on Saturday morning. Referees officiated the mini games in Gym 2.
There wasn’t much rest time following the Ohana Hoopfest in the Stan Sheriff Center the night before, but the ‘Bows showed no signs of fatigue in getting up and down the floor. The only player sitting out was junior center Vander Joaquim, who re-tweaked his left ankle in Friday’s practice. It didn’t seem to be serious.
Junior forward Joston Thomas was among those who performed well in the scrimmages.
"We got off to a shaky start, but through it all we got better today," Thomas said. "I think (having refs) came right in time. Yesterday the freshmen and the new guys got used to the crowd in the Stan Sheriff. … Today they got used to referees being out there with us."
