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HENDERSON, Nev. >> Like many visitors to the Las Vegas metropolitan area, several members of the University of Hawaii men’s basketball team left with what-if experiences.
The Rainbow Warriors’ season appeared to have ended on Friday night when open shots would not fall and a final comeback did not materialize against Cal State Fullerton in the semifinals of the Big West Championships. Although a decision has not been made, athletic director David Matlin said it was “unlikely” the ’Bows would participate in the pay-to-play College Basketball Invitational and the CollegeInsider.com Tournament.
With UH’s spring break this week, the ’Bows departed Las Vegas on Sunday morning to Hawaii and other destinations. Coach Eran Ganot indicated the players will recuperate from the season’s grind and then look to a strong academic finish to the spring semester.
Combo guard Junior Madut and center Mate Colina will earn degrees in May and not return for the 2022-23 season. Madut will pursue a professional basketball career. Colina, a Melbourne resident, has signed to play Australian rules football with Richmond of the Australian Football League.
Forward/center Jerome Desrosiers, who transferred to UH last summer after four years at Princeton, was honored during the ’Bows’ senior night on Feb. 26. The NCAA is mulling an exemption that would grant an extra season for an Ivy League player who did not compete during the 2020-21 season. The Ivy League, of which Princeton is a member, opted not to compete in basketball that season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Desrosiers has said he would be open to returning to UH if the NCAA approves the exemption.
Desrosiers averaged 10.9 points while leading the ’Bows in rebounding (6.6 per game), field goals (113) and minutes (31.6 per game). At 6 feet 8, he defended the four and the five. He was one of three co-captains.
Samuta Avea, a wing and co-captain, and point guard Juan Munoz underwent surgeries in November for season-ending injuries. Both are expected to be available for the 2022-23 season. Guard Noel Coleman, UH’s leading scorer, did not play after suffering an orbital fracture on Feb. 19. Coleman is expected to be medically cleared for basketball activities next month.
Although this is a cohesive team that has expressed interest in remaining together, the UH coaches also are braced for the realities of the transfer portal. UH lost seven players following the 2020-21 season, but gained seven more after that, including Desrosiers and 6-10 Texas transfer Kamaka Hepa.
Guard Justus Jackson joined the ’Bows in December.
In January, Harry Rouhliadeff, a 6-foot-9, 210-pound forward from Australia, made an oral commitment to the ’Bows. Rouhliadeff will make it official on April 13, the first day of the spring signing period for NCAA basketball prospects.
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