Australian Jack Purchase will transfer to Hawai’i
Jack Purchase, a 6-foot-9 forward originally from Australia, will transfer to the University of Hawai’i basketball team after playing last season at Auburn.
Prior to attending Auburn, Purchase was a standout player in Australia, and played on numerous junior national teams for Australia.
Here is the official announcement from UH Athletics:
HONOLULU – University of Hawai‘i men’s basketball coach Eran Ganot continued to add to his front line presence with the addition of stretch forward and Australian native Jack Purchase. Purchase (6’9, 215 lbs.) played at Auburn University last year and will sit out the 2015-16 season due to NCAA transfer rules. He has three years of eligibility remaining.
“We are fired up to welcome Jack to the Rainbow Warrior basketball family,” said Ganot. “Jack is well regarded for his high skill set and tremendous basketball IQ, particularly at his size. He and his terrific family are a great fit for our program, this university, and the islands. It’s no secret that Australia is a place we would like to target and for Jack to start us off there is a real shot in the arm. He comes from the very highly respected Melbourne Tigers program, where his father, Nigel, played professionally.”
Prior to his one season at Auburn, Purchase enjoyed a highly successful career in his home country, tasting success in the Victorian Junior Basketball League (VJBL), Australian Junior National Championships and National Junior Classics. Representing his state of Victoria, he won the U20 Australian Junior National Championship in 2013, but it was one year earlier that he made his mark internationally. He helped the U-17 Australian national team to a silver medal at the FIBA World Championship in Lithuania, averaging 4.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game playing alongside NBA-bound Dante Exum and Ben Simmons.
Purchase continued to impress, leading the Melbourne Tigers that same year to the Big V (U23) title. He averaged 21.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and five assists per game and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. Adding to his impressive stat line, he showed signs of the versatility he’ll bring to Hawai‘i, shooting just under 50% at the tournament from beyond the arc.
He made his jump to collegiate level last year, playing at Auburn where he made his impact off the bench in seven contests.
“While we are thrilled with his current abilities,” added Ganot, “the opportunity is there to make significant strides as his potential and ceiling are very high. Jack has a very bright future and we are ecstatic it will be at the University of Hawai‘i.”
Welcome aboard Mr. Purchase!
Go Get Em Ganot, Hook Em Up and Reel Em In!
This Aussie looks like a nice project for the future, but I still would of like to see us sign a true center for this year. I think Ganot said on a radio interview before this guy signed that he was going to sign just one more guy because of the NCAA taking away scholarships, so I think this Aussie is the last one.
ChuckCheese:
Same thought by a lot of fans, even NBA finals, sure the small ball by GSWarriors, however, they would bring in David Lee 6’10” stretch, who could block shots, former NBA all star, and another 6’11” big off the bench.. And CAVS. Russian 7 footer, and 6’9″ Thomas, Two big bodies, to get physical protect the rim.
See? ain’t easy, Eran is going through the same challenges recruiting, no matter the Matlin/ Ganot spin.. it will not be easy.. with the fall out from the litigation by GA and the NCAA sanctions, .. it is affecting UH no question.
Eran, is very, very fortunate to have about 7 guys who played some PT, and were core of very good Benjy Ball team..
Still, will take a long time for me to get used to Eran, slow talking, nice guy, style, and SAYING , HE Can’t wait to get His guys back returning from their homes, His guys, ? I don’t think so.. Benjy’s guys..
Purchase, Canda and Sai one and done.. Purchase, by year 3, will be face of what UH MBB will become, St Mary’s of the Pacific, which is not too bad, without Bennett probation and sanctions..
Nice pickup… Looking forward to seeing him play in 2016. Timing is pretty good, because if Jankovic stays through his eligibility, they will only overlap one year. Or if Jankovic decides to leave after his Jr year, Purchase can fill his spot right away.
Still hoping for one more late signing for a big for this coming season.
UHF stop being such a negative Nancy. For getting the job this late in the game most people would be satisfied with Ganot’s recruiting. If your boy Gib didn’t screw over the program Ganot would have another scholarship to give out. Finding quality bigs is probably the hardest thing to find in recruiting so it’s not like they are just out there waiting to be signed by anyone late in the game. You’re so far from reality it’s entertaining.
Don’t forget webster chan and Jankovic also transfered citing concerns about playing time. Chan averaged 2.5 points and Jankovic, was averaging 8.7 minutes.The SEC isn’t as physical as the big west what I’m trying to say is Jack Purchase will adjust just fine in the big west.
And I’d Purchase doesn’t turn out the reason I love this is I hope he helps with recruiting of other Australians in the future.
Yeah, give Ganot time to prove himself. But the negativeness evens out the Kool-aide, lol
Only time will tell. With all Purchase’s accolades, we still won’t know how he’ll do at UH. How is Purchase’s defense?
Defense seems to have been the key to last season’s success. I really hope Fleming comes back, not that I heard otherwise but because he has confidence and some game
UHf1; although Gib brought in many in his first year at UH , i think he had three key holdovers from the Nash/Wheeler/Ganot regime: Zane Johnson, HIram Thompson and one of your favorites, Bill Amis. Did we say that the starting five is 60 % Nash’s guys ?
Zane and Bill were the two leading scorers, Hiram, 2nd in assists and Bill, 2nd leading rebounder.
UHf1; these “guys” as you refer to are Eran’s guys now and not Benjy’s guys anymore. Eran is the headcoach now. Get over it. Much Aloha!
808Rock; right, look at Golden State, most were on Mark Jackson’s team, but do we call them Mark’s or Steve Kerr’s guys now ?
I guarantee you that when practice starts there will be no Benjys guys or Gibs guys or Ganots guys. They will be one team under one head coach. And anyone who perpetuates any kind of division between the two, is not a fan of UH Basketball.
Artie knows Amanda from the UH Letterwinners Club and said she does things the right way.
warriorhaw:
NO division here, you must be RECENT fan of UH MBB.. going back to hacking job of getting rid of beloved Red Rocha, Bob Wagner, Bob Nash, Coach Mack, the deal with June Jones, and Jim Donovan, getting axed.. It is not coaches present or past. IT IS UH ADMIN…and you can take that to the bank.
You think that this Old Man, can change UH, and the unfair politics, ? you think I , this old fuddy duddy,can get Eran out.. I wish I could..Benjy got hammered and you witnessed it too. I wish Benjy would go after UH, litigate, for discrimination, however, he is moving. on.\
NO DIVISION here, and I have followed UH MBB for 55 years. and grad of crazy UH..
sad day. for Eran to Spin , the SAME THING THAT GIB and Benjy were saying Exactly.. Why did not UH let that winning program go and grow, work and correct whatever was wrong?
JEALOUSY. by that Power that be, NOT ME.. that Agenda Faction that KEEPS CHOW, loser of games, and Fires Gib and especially Benjy not retained.
Eran and Matlin , UH will reap what they have sown.. guaranteed.
I wish Benjy’s guys, Gib’s guys, NOT and Never will be Eran’s recruits.. not until 3 years down the road, make it to the NCAA tournament.. It sickens me to listen to current coach’s spin.. really does.. He inherited some good athletes, and HAS NOT WON a single game, No Contract, and Who Knows, if he will finish out the year.? We wait until litigation and NCAA hearings play out..
That is a True Fan, before moving on, We cannot Ganot.. until NCAA / lawsuits are resolved.
now awaiting some defense…as fun as shooting and scoring is to watch….golden state lights out….watching bobbitt play defense and creating turnovers and steals is way more fun to watch…not to mention shot blocking by nevels
What story is Ganot spinning? Releasing statements about his new recruits and scheduled games? I think you are confusing yourself. Ganot has been relatively low key with minimal PR stunts like Gib. You are not a true UH basketball fan if you cannot get behind the current team just because the guy you want to coach is no longer in charge. GET OVER IT.
FAnz only. You are no UH fan. Nothing but a fly on do do. Always trying to bring down the program with your negativity. Baseless rants on your man love gone bad with BT. Get over your love affair. It’s ova and done. You nor no one else has the personnel records from UH. So you’ll never know the real info the HR people have re BT. Law suits have nothing to do with our new staff. They are in place and working hard. It is very disengenuous of you to constantly and belligerently insinuate what you are constantly regurgitate entry after entry. You are truly a wacko ! Multi names same krappola every day. Get a freaking. The gloves are coming off you’re going to get knocked out in the first round. Dayton please make your site a no comment site. The worm called CP , UH FAnz , etc etc has ruined this site. He should set up his own hate UH site of his own.
Consider this…if we can get two players the 2 and 3 positions that can shoot the 3’s lights out at about 40% consistently, we’ll win a lot of games. Janks at the 4 spot sharing time w/ MT both can stretch the floor. That leaves having a big body or someone quick and strong to play the 5 spot. With Smith and Bobbitt at PG we are solid.
Ganot likes shooters, so if he can develop enough shooters at the 2 and 3 positions…hmmmm???
Play tough D, run and gun maybe the ticket, this will also provide more PT for players, burn out other teams. Here’s hoping…
Uhfanzonly1 you can be with the other blogs..maybe too much good vibes here, so you want to cause the cloud of doom to come here. this site, a lot, many young ones, view the site too..Some of the youth, they don’t care what Uhfanzonly1 says, they enjoy the players and Eran.
Let those negative persons, wallow in their own negative world…sometimes I think it is a wahine who eloped with Gib and Benjy? who want to stir up some things in a slow summer time for news ..
we keep on being positive the other hundreds who have positive things to say, will post, don’t be afraid. I will support WI, Dayton, and thank Valerie Schmidt and the Schmidt Ohana for a Good UH MBB forum, those other ones, are really downers..downright vulgar.
Keep up the faith in UH MBB program, Eran and staff will learn and have good season upcoming, I bet all my pineapple trees on that. Take it to the bank.
Oh, boy. Here we go again …
Key here like others saying is defense. This team can be like Golden State. We have some pieces of the puzzle already. Small team but can shoot and play defense can beat a big team with poor defense. That’s the future of basketball.
uhfanzonly1:
Should not matter if new fan or old fan. If you a fan you a fan. You have your opine and I have mine. I will support the current staff and new and returning players as well. You do what you want. I won’t waste my time being confrontational with you. Not my style.
By the way, I may not be able to spit out all the older past players as you do, but I have been a season ticker holder since the last year at the Blaisdell. And have been a booster since two years after that and have never missed a home game. Well, maybe one.
And I went to school on the mainland and didn’t even attend UH. Pretty good fan huh?
I agree with PSC, they younger fans only care about todays team. And while I appreciate the past, my enthusiasm right now is with Ganots Gang.