The Hawaii basketball team is closing in on a big roster move that amounts to a buzzer-beater.
Ido Flaisher, a center from Israel, is expected to arrive in the islands today as the Rainbow Warriors’ last roster addition for the 2016-17 season, sources said. Fall semester classes began Monday.
Flaisher is listed at 6 feet 8 in his most recent tournaments, although team sources said he is a legitimate 6-10 and about 230 pounds.
UH coach Eran Ganot referred to the arrival of a final player at Monday’s Honolulu Quarterback Club meeting, without specifying a name or going into detail, save that he’s expected to be official shortly.
“It’s a frontcourt player who’s got great potential,” Ganot said on the side after the luncheon. “He has similar values to everything our program’s done.”
Flaisher seems to fit that bill. He’s a member of the junior squad of respected club Maccabi Tel Aviv and has participated in multiple FIBA youth events, carrying averages of 8.4 points and 7.5 rebounds across them.
Most recently, he played spot minutes for Israel’s FIBA under-20 squad, averaging 1.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game.
UH needed help — and significant size — after losing 6-foot-11 big men Stefan Jankovic and Stefan Jovanovic, plus 6-5 small forward Aaron Valdes from its 28-6 NCAA Tournament team. Starting power forward Mike Thomas is redshirting this season after undergoing recent wrist surgery.
The Rainbow Warriors’ current frontcourt options are Jack Purchase (6-9), who redshirted last season as an Auburn transfer; junior college transfer Gibson Johnson (6-8); small forward Noah Allen (6-7), a graduate transfer from UCLA; Latvian freshman Zigmars Raimo (6-7); and walk-on Darryl Matthews (6-5).
Flaisher represents the team’s last of 11 scholarships for this season and the 15th player on the roster. The other scholarship additions were Matt Owies, Drew Buggs, Leland Green, Raimo, Allen, Larry Lewis and Johnson, plus new walk-ons Matthews and Brian Garrett.
UH’s roster returnees are Thomas, Purchase, Sheriff Drammeh, Zach Buscher and Brocke Stepteau.
Ganot said all members of the team arrived successfully for classes.