Warrior Insider

The University of Hawai’i basketball team announced “big news” on Thursday, when the signings of three new recruits became official.

Seven-footer Dawson Carper, 6-11 Mate Colina, and 6-11 Owen Hulland each signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the Rainbow Warriors in 2018. Colina and Hulland are teammates at the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence; Carper is a senior at Rampart High School in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Colina is expected to join the Warriors in mid-season and enroll in classes at UH starting in January 2018, but it remains to be determined if he will actually play in games at the end of this current season. Carper and Hulland will likely join the team in the summer of 2018, and be freshmen for the 2018-19 season.

Here is the official announcement from www.hawaiiathletics.com …

HONOLULU –University of Hawai`i head men’s basketball coach Eran Ganot announced that three players have signed national letters of intent to play for the Rainbow Warriors. The group consists of two centers and a stretch forward, all of whom stand 6-11 or taller.

Joining the Rainbow Warriors are Mate Colina (6-11) and Owen Hulland (6-11)—teammates at Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence—and Colorado native Dawson Carper (7-0).

Colina will enroll at UH in January 2018, while Hulland and Carper will arrive in Manoa next summer. All will enter UH as freshman and have four years of eligibility. The addition of the three recruits gives UH a formidable frontcourt for the future. The 2018-19 roster projects to have five players at 6-9 or taller.

“Today is a special day,” Ganot said. “We’ve added three high-level young men that will help us continue to elevate our program and set us up for sustained success over the long term. Certainly appreciate our staff’s efforts to bolster our size and versatility in the frontcourt. We love where we’re at and where we are headed with our program and we can’t wait to work with these guys.”

Mate Colina (6-11 • 235 lb • Center • Fr. • Melbourne, Australia • Centre of Excellence/Lake Ginninderra Secondary)

Since 2015, has played for the Basketball Australia’s Centre for Excellence program (CoE), a training center in Canberra for the country’s elite basketball talent….has competed for his home state Victoria the last three years, most recently in the 2017 U20 Australian National Championship… averaged 12.2 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in that tournament…member of Australia’s U17 national team that competed at the FIBA World Championships…also represented the national team at the 2015 U16 FIBA Oceania Championships.

Ganot on Colina: “Mate is a throwback big man who has really come into his own. He has terrific hands, a great feel for the game, and can really run the floor. He brings physicality to the position as a guy who can score on the block and be effective in ball-screen situations. He’s also really worked on his perimeter game and extending his range to be a three-point threat. With his tremendous work ethic and desire, we expect great things ahead for Mate.”

Owen Hulland (6-11 • 230 lb • Forward • Fr. • Adelaide, Australia • Centre of Excellence/Lake Ginninderra Secondary)

Part of South Australian team that won the 2017 U20 national championships, a first for a South Australia squad in nearly 25 years…also played in the U18 national championships… selected for the 2016 NBA Asia Pacific Basketball Without Borders Camp… earned a spot at Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) and averaged 6.7 ppg and 5.0 rpg while playing 18.7 minutes per game….shot 45.3 percent from the floor, including 60.2 percent from inside the arc.

Ganot on Hulland: “Owen will be a tough matchup. He has exceptional skill for a player his size, giving him the ability to play inside and out. He’s very effective on the perimeter with his range, his ability to put the ball on the floor, and his ability to see over the defense as a passer. Owen has been a bit of a late bloomer and it’s been fun to watch him grow as a person and player over the years. He’s hungry, more confident, and has an extremely bright future.”

Dawson Carper (7-0 • 245 lb • Center • Fr. • Colorado Springs. Colo. • Rampart HS)

Enters his senior season at Rampart High School in Colorado Springs, Colo…as a junior, averaged 17.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per games en route to all-conference honors…finished top five in the conference in scoring, rebounding, blocks, field goals, and double-doubles… helped lead team to a Sweet 16 appearance in the 5A state tournament…selected to the Colorado State Metro League All-Star Game…earned all-state academic honors…mother, Kim, played basketball at TCU…father, Chris, played football at Air Force.

Ganot on Carper: “Dawson is certainly an inside presence with his sheer size and physicality, but he also has terrific hands and has great poise on the block. He is highly intelligent, sets terrific screens, and finishes well with both hands. He also has put in a lot of time into his conditioning. Dawson has made great strides and will continue to make strides with his strong desire to be great.”