University of Hawaii basketball in for crazy summer

On a voggy day, Eran Ganot’s appreciation is clear.

“There are a lot of great things that have been happening,” said Ganot, who begins his fourth season as the University of Hawaii’s head basketball coach. “Unfortunately, you hear a lot of the negativity in the world. People need to stop and have perspective and look at the things that are going on with our program.”

When Ganot was hired, the Rainbow Warriors were awaiting a final verdict from an NCAA investigation, the academic progress rate score was at a dangerously low 900, and recruiting was hampered. Now, Ganot said, “the NCAA clouds are gone.”

Their practice gym — Gym II — is being renovated. The APR, which is based on a rolling four-year average, increased to 952 and 978 the past two reported measurements. And the roster has been restocked.

“If you were to tell us we’d be here three years later with what we inherited, I would have thought you were crazy,” Ganot said. “But yet, here we are, and yet, you wish you were further along. But that’s the competitive spirit.”

All the players are enrolled in UH’s second summer session, and are participating in the NCAA-allotted eight weekly hours of individual and team workouts. Later this month, the ’Bows will be allowed 10 practice days in advance of next month’s four-game tour in Australia.

“July is always crazy,” Ganot said. “This will be our craziest summer.”

Post players Mike Thomas and Gibson Johnson have graduated, but the ’Bows return eight of last season’s top 10 rotation players. They also added combo guard Eddie Stansberry and post players Dawson Carper and Owen Hulland. The four-out scheme — which relies heavily on spacing, ball movement and pick-and-rolls — will remain as the base half-court offense. But Ganot wants to use preseason training to explore options such as posting the wings more and increasing the pace.

“We have the foundation, and we wrinkle it to our strengths,” Ganot said.

In 2015-16, Ganot inherited a 5 player — 6-foot-11 Stefan Jankovic — who was not a back-to-the-basket center.

“So we wrinkled it a little bit more for him so he had a little bit more flexibility,” Ganot said of Jankovic, who converted nearly 40 percent of his 84 3-point attempts.

The next year, small forward Noah Allen, who transferred to UH after averaging 1.2 points per game at UCLA, was used mostly on ball screens from the wing. Allen led the ’Bows with a 15.7 average that year.

“Now with the size coming back and the improvement of our perimeter and the improvement of our depth, that gets us back to pushing it a little more and finding opportunities to post our 3 men (wing players) a little bit,” Ganot said.

Here’s a look at this summer’s ’Bows:

Guards

Point guards Drew Buggs and Brocke Stepteau have been entrusted with directing the read-and-react, pick-and-roll offense. “At the end of the day, our best leadership will come from our players, not from (the coaches),” Ganot said. “Drew and Brocke have earned more empowerment.”

A key is ball movement — the ’Bows assisted on 59.4 percent of their field goals last year — but also not over-passing. Too often last year, the ’Bows passed up open looks and went deep into the shot clock. “We want to push, but we want to push with poise, not reckless abandon where we’re taking bad shots,” Ganot said.

Buggs, who is 6-2 and 190 pounds, is considered a power point who can post up leaner defenders. The choice often rests at the point. “There are times during struggles I won’t even call time,” Ganot said of the trust the point guards have banked. “Figure it out.”

Sheriff Drammeh, who also is a long defender, and Stansberry (43 percent on 3-point attempts at City College of San Francisco) can float between both guard spots.

Leland Green and Brandon Thomas are off guards who have worked on improving their ball-screen reads.

Wings

Samuta Avea and Justin Hemsley are young — Hemsley turned 18 last Oct. 30 — but strong. “People are talking about how we’re going to be bigger because of the traditional post players, but I think we’ll be bigger at the wing spot, as well,” Ganot said.

Avea, who is 6-6, has gained 10 pounds and now weighs about 200. “He’s really improved his shot,” Ganot said. “His ability to post as a (wing), I see him making that jump (in improvement).”

Post

Jack Purchase was part of the three-player rotation at the two post spots. But with Thomas and Johnson gone, Purchase is expected to continue to expand his game. As a sophomore in 2016-17, Purchase was a pick-and-pop shooter and passer. As a junior, he became a competent defender and rebounder. This year’s goal is to manufacture more shots off the dribble. “Jack creates plays for us by spreading the floor,” Ganot said of Purchase’s perimeter marksmanship. “Now as teams are flying at him, can he make plays off the bounce? Can he post up the switch? Can he get you some easy baskets in transition?”

Ganot believes Purchase can escalate a game that is rooted in his passing. “He’s always had a knack for seeing the floor, delivering passes on time, on target,” Ganot said. “He really enjoys passing. He’s as good a passer (as) I’ve coached at that position. … We’ve always been a team that’s unselfish. The hardest thing to guard is ball movement. He made it contagious for the rest of the team. The ball moves. It starts with him.”

Mate Colina, a 6-11 post from Australia, redshirted last semester after joining the ’Bows in January. Carper is 7 feet. Hulland is 6-11. Colina and Carper are styled as back-to-the-basket posts. Hulland has stretch-4 capabilities.

“Similar to Jack, he can shoot that 3 well,” Ganot said of Hulland. “He can pass because of his size over the top. Owen has some of those qualities that Jack possesses, with 3 extra inches.”