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The University of Hawaii basketball team has secured a commitment from a four man with 3-point range.
Jerome Desrosiers, who played 82 games for Princeton, said he will sign a letter of intent on April 14 — the first day basketball prospects may put their pledges in writing — and join the Rainbow Warriors as a graduate transfer in July.
“First of all, I really related to the coaching staff,” Desrosiers said in a telephone interview. “I think Coach (Eran) Ganot said something that really related to me. He said: ‘we want to be happy.’ That’s something he focused on during the whole recruiting process. I feel that’s the way I go about my life. Just be happy. I really like the coaching staff, the whole program and, obviously, the location is great. I can’t complain about that.”
Desrosiers said he also likes the ’Bows’ four-out offense.
“I think the way they play with their four (power forward), they touch the ball a lot, they pass, there’s a lot of cutting and moving,” Desrosiers said. “There’s also a lot of 3s going up, which I can’t complain about, for sure.”
Desrosiers comes from the “Princeton offense,” a constant-motion scheme utilizing back-door cuts, screens on and off the ball, and supportive play. While there have been tweaks, the philosophy remains true to creator Pete Carril’s version. “The bigs handle the ball a lot, and we move a lot, cut a lot,” Desrosiers said. “It’s a smart offense. I think (UH) has the same thing going on. It’s something I like about it.”
Desrosiers said he knew little about the prestige of Ivy League schools while growing up in Montreal. “I didn’t really know about what the Ivy League meant until I went to a prep school (in Massachusetts) for four years,” he said. “I kind of understood that I was good at school, and I had to take advantage of it. I was a good student. I was a good basketball player. I decided to put the two together and to go to an Ivy League school. Princeton was the best fit for me. I’m glad I made that decision.
As a junior in 2019-20, Desrosiers played in 27 games, hitting 45.5% of his shots, including 37.5% from behind the arc. The past fall, it was announced the Ivy League was canceling winter sports because of the pandemic. Desrosiers tried to prepare for the worst, but when the cancellation was finalized, “it was very sad. It felt weird, especially to see (other teams) play on live TV, and we’re just sitting at home.”
The Ivy League caps each player’s career at four years, except for extraordinary situations. “I wanted to get my extra year, and get my degree at Princeton, and maybe go somewhere else,” Desrosiers said of his decision.
Desrosiers, who will earn a degree in May, majored in anthropology with an emphasis on law, politics and economics. “Human interaction in those three fields,” he said, “which is very interesting.”
Desrosiers will provide a boost to the ’Bows’ front court. Their two starting posts, James Jean-Marie and Casdon Jardine, are seniors, although NCAA rules grant both eligibility for next season.
Desrosiers welcomes a fresh start — and warmer conditions. A snowstorm was approaching the Northeast when Desrosiers called Ganot to accept the scholarship offer.
“When I called Coach Ganot, I was actually outside delivering test kits to Princeton faculty,” Desrosiers said. “It was so cold. I was wearing gloves, a hat, and a scarf at the same time. I loved the irony in it.”
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