Ganot eager to get to work with his Rainbow Warriors on Friday

After four months of the NCAA’s version of intermittent fasting, coach Eran Ganot is hungrily awaiting the Hawaii basketball team’s opening of preseason training on Friday.

“I haven’t been able to sleep as much because I’m kind of excited about it,” Ganot said. “I’m excited about finally getting to work with (the players) more.”

For most of the offseason, the NCAA limits the basketball time between coaches and players.

“I love the game, I love coaching, and you get only four hours (each week) of basketball with the guys since, basically, last March,” Ganot said. “And now on Friday, we get 20 hours. We’re very excited.”

The Rainbow Warriors will convene with a rebooted roster and, perhaps, a restructured game plan. Following the 2018-19 season, three players graduated (forward Jack Purchase and guards Brocke Stepteau and Sheriff Drammeh), two transferred (Brandon Thomas and Leland Green), and the offensive coordinator (Adam Jacobsen) accepted a coaching job at Cal Baptist.

Chris Gerlufsen, who coached the previous four seasons at San Diego, replaced Jacobsen. The ’Bows signed three guards — 6-5 Junior Madut, 5-11 Ahmed Ali and 6-3 Justin Webster — and 6-9 forward Bernardo da Silva. Two former state players of the year — Jessiya Villa and Kameron Ng — also joined. Villa, a Kahuku High graduate who signed in 2017, recently completed a two-year church mission. Ng, a 2019 Saint Francis School graduate, is a walk-on.

The ’Bows will be without Madut until January. The NCAA recently approved a hardship waiver that will allow Madut to enroll for the spring semester. It has not been determined if Madut, who has three years to play two seasons, will redshirt in the spring. Madut was born in South Sudan, grew up in Australia, attended a prep school in Florida, and played the past two seasons at Eastern Florida State College. The waiver was necessitated because Madut spent time tending to a family situation after high school.

“You have to go through the process of that,” Ganot said of the appeal. “We did. And he got the hardship waiver.”

Ali and Webster should help replenish the ’Bows’ outside shooting. Last season, Purchase, Stepteau and Drammeh combined to hit 54.1% of the ’Bows’ made 3s. Ali, who started 24 games for Washington State the past season, hit 42.6% of his 3s in junior college and once scored 103 points in a high school game. Webster averaged 16.2 points per game for Hargrave Military Academy, a boarding school in Chatham, Va.

Ali can provide offense as part of the backcourt rotation with point guard Drew Buggs (5.9 assists per game) and Eddie Stansberry (35.8% on 3s). At 6-6 and 6-5, respectively, Samuta Avea and Justin Hemsley offer the option of a tall wing in the physical mold of 6-7 Noah Allen three years ago.

“We can still play a three-guard lineup, but you might see more of a traditional 3 man at the wing,” Ganot said. “Hemsley and Muta are strong wings.”

Last season, the ’Bows tweaked the offense to utilize Purchase’s accurate passing. Purchase, at 6-9, often would circle to the top of the key as a point forward. This season’s plan is to flex 6-8 Zigmars Raimo, who battled inside as a center, to power forward. The move would give UH another screen setter, strengthen the low post, and allow the three 7-footers — Mate Colina, Dawson Carper and Owen Hulland — to rotate at center.

“Our inside-out, our extra passing, the unselfishness, that won’t change,” Ganot said of the new wrinkles to the offense. “You could see us being better on the offensive boards, better inside, bigger presence on the rim.”

Ganot said da Silva, a 6-9 forward from Brazil who helped Wasatch Academy (Utah) to a national top-10 ranking this past season, adds an extra dimension to the team.

“He’s going to be good,” Ganot said. “It’s a matter of when, not if. His approach, his motor, he gives us a different presence. He’s altering shots. He’s athletic. We’re talking about a 7-2 wingspan. He works so hard. He wants to be good.”