Warrior Insider

The holiday break has brought two new – but expected – gifts to the University of Hawai’i basketball team. When those gifts become game ready is the big question.

Junior college transfer Junior Madut made it to Honolulu just before Christmas, and returning sophomore Owen Hulland was cleared to practice around the same time following his rehabilitation from a foot injury.

Madut could not enroll at UH during the Fall semester due to a NCAA eligibility issue, but he is set to attend classes on the UH-Manoa campus this coming Spring semester. He has already started practicing with the Rainbow Warriors, but it has yet to be decided if he will play in the upcoming Big West Conference games or sit out the remainder of this season as a redshirt.

“Initially I came in thinking I need to redshirt,” said Madut, a 6-foot-5 guard. “But I sat out the Diamond Head (Classic) and kind of got a taste of the environment. I get the feeling I want to play, but as of right now, it seems like that’s not going to happen so we just have to keep grinding.”

Madut is originally from Melbourne, Australia, but played the previous two seasons at Eastern Florida State College. If he plays the remainder of this season, he will have one more full season of NCAA eligibility. If he redshirts the remainder of this season, he will have two more full seasons of NCAA eligibility.

Hulland, a 7-foot forward/center who is also from Australia, underwent foot surgery just before this season started. It is the same injury that limited him to eight games as a freshman last season.

Like Madut, Hulland has options. He also has a redshirt season available, and can use it for the remainder of this season, if necessary. But like Madut, Hulland is anxious to earn game minutes right now.

“After sitting out a year (last season) I really don’t want to sit out again, unless I really have to,” he said. “I feel like I’m in a better position now to play than I was last year as well. I want to play, but we’ll see what happens.”

The Warriors, who have a 9-5 record, will begin Big West Conference action on the road with games at Cal State Fullerton on January 9, then at UC Irvine on January 11.