6-foot-6 wing commits to UH

The University of Hawaii’s latest men’s basketball recruit, Justin Hemsley, is described as a late-blooming prospect “with a lot of room for growth.”

Hemsley, a 6-foot, 6-inch, 175-pound wing, tweeted “EXTREMELY excited to announce that I’ve committed to the University of Hawaii” before winding up his official visit Tuesday.

UH has declined comment until his paperwork is completed.

Hemsley averaged 17 points and 12 rebounds a game for Damien High in La Verne, Calif., where he was an All-California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Open Division selection after helping lead the Spartans to a 31-5 record.

He was a part-time starter on the 2015 state Division III championship team and regular starter at forward as a junior and senior.

Hemsley said UH had been recruiting him since January. “They stuck with me and I really appreciated that.” He said Portland State contacted him after UH had offered a recruiting trip but he was sold on the Rainbow Warriors.

His coach, Mike Le Duc, said, “He’s still young (17) and, I think, he is going to develop significantly more than some others.”

Le Duc said Hemsley didn’t play AAU ball last summer, preferring to work out with his brother, Jeremy, a starter at San Diego State, and that and his age, “I think those two factors are why he is developing a little later.”

Le Duc said Hemsley grew by leaps and bounds his senior season “as a shooter (55 percent) and as a leader” and a school-record 370 rebounds indicates he “has a nose for the ball.”

Hemsley is the fourth player to commit to UH for the 2017-18 season. A fifth signee, Kahuku’s Jessiya Villa, the Star-Advertiser state player of the year in 2016-17, plans to compete in 2019-20 after taking a two-year church mission.