The Hawai’i basketball program will be hosting its annual youth summer camps next month, and registration is open.

This year will feature two sessions – June 4-7, and June 12-15. It is open to boys and girls ages 6 to 17, and players can enter either session, or both. Entry fee is $250 per session.

The players will be separated into groups based on age and skill level, and will receive instruction from Hawai’i men’s basketball head coach Gib Arnold and his staff, as well as current and former players.

Former standout forward Bill Amis is scheduled to be a guest instructor at the camp, along with recent graduate Miah Ostrowski.

The sessions will run each day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the UH-Manoa athletic complex. The various age groups will rotate between the gyms so that each participant will get a chance to play in the Stan Sheriff Center (as well as Gym I, Gym II and Klum Gym).

To register for the camp or learn more about it, visit www.hawaiibasketballcamp.com.

Thanks to the Hawai’i Men’s Basketball Booster Club and officials at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, head coach Gib Arnold now has another recruiting tool he can use.

Arnold and members of the booster club visited Pearl Harbor earlier this month, and the coach said it is a destination he can now take potential recruits who make official visits to Hawai’i.

“Especially if you have anybody who comes from a military family,” Arnold said. “Just to see what went on here and how the battle all started, it’s great history.”

Booster club president Tom Ishii said he has already started making arrangements to have the teams participating in the 2012 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic to visit Pearl Harbor in December.

“During the Diamond Head Classic, we invite all of the visiting teams to come out here during a time that they can,” Ishii said. “It’s a very educational experience not only for the visiting teams, but for all of the players on our team.”

Indeed, Arnold said he would like to include the entire Warriors team on the list of visitors to Pearl Harbor next season.

“We’re definitely going to do that,” Arnold said. “It’s just a part of the experience of playing for the University of Hawaii and living in Hawai’i.”

Editor’s note: This story/video got lost in the shuffle during the recruiting news last month, but it is certainly worth posting. As you will read below, such an honor is rare for men’s basketball players.

Davis Rozitis of the Hawai’i basketball team received All-Academic honors from the Western Athletic Conference last month. The 7-foot sophomore was the only Warrior selected, and one of only seven men’s basketball players from the entire conference to receive the honor.

“My secret is just go to class, pay attention in the class, and just be there every time,” he said.

To be eligible for the honor, a student-athlete must have completed at least one academic year, have at least a 3.00 cumulative grade point average and have participated in at least 50 percent of the team’s contests.

Rozitis just completed his sophomore season with the basketball team, but it was his second year at UH. He redshirted the 2010-11 year per NCAA transfer rules after transferring from USC.

Rozitis said his grade point average is between 3.2 and 3.3, and he is majoring in international relations and political science. He played a key reserve role on the basketball court, contributing 3.1 points and 2.6 rebounds, while appearing in all 32 games.

Rozitis said he will return to his home country of Latvia this month and will train and play with the Latvian national team this summer. He is expected to return to UH in August to begin training for his junior season.

Kamehameha senior Dyrbe Enos said he has decided to accept an offer to walk on to the University of Hawai’i men’s basketball team.

Enos, a 5 foot 9 guard, said UH coaches extended the offer last week and he decided to accept after earlier considering a similar offer from Hawai’i Pacific University.

“Some of it was money — HPU costs more,” said Enos, who added he was eligible for partial academic-based financial aid at Hawai’i Pacific. “I looked over my options and talked to my brother (Rykin), and he said if both offers were the same, I might as well try Division I and see what I can do over there.”

Rykin Enos was a walk-on member of UH’s basketball team in 2009-2010.

Dyrbe Enos was a three-year starter for Kamehameha, helping the Warriors win the state championship in 2011 and reach the state title game in 2010. He averaged 18 points per game during this past Interscholastic League of Honolulu season and was regarded as one of the state’s premier 3-point shooters.

(Dyrbe Enos photo courtesy www.scoringlive.com)

Enos said he was contacted by the UH coaching staff two weeks ago and invited to a campus visit, during which he was given a tour of the facilities.

“They said I would have a spot on the team, but they couldn’t promise any playing time,” Enos said.

Enos said former Punahou standout Miah Ostrowski, a 5-9 point guard who started for Hawai’i the past two seasons, served as a positive role model for local players.

“Miah inspired me to try to compete at this level,” Enos said.

Enos said he also gained confidence from playing in the College Basketball (formerly “NCAA”) Summer League last year, during which he competed against several current and former Division I players.

“At first I was a little nervous and intimidated by the size and quickness, but as the season went on, I got better,” Enos said. “By the end, I felt I could hang with them.”

Here is a highlight video featuring Enos:

The signing period for basketball recruits is ongoing, which means the Hawai’i basketball team is still looking for prospects.

Whether or not head coach Gib Arnold and his staff signs any more recruits is another matter.

“I’m going to be really, really, really picky with this last one, and may even hold it,” Arnold said. “It might be a situation where we hold a scholarship for a year if the right fit doesn’t come along. The one thing I really like about this group, it got great chemistry, got a great group of guys … I don’t want to bring in a guy just to bring in a guy.”

The Warriors have already signed two players during this current signing period – guards Brandon Spearman and Manroop Clair. Both happen to be versatile combo guards.

“We needed to get a little quicker and a little more athletic,” Arnold said. “I did feel that was a key to what we were looking for and those two guys definitely fit the need.”

Arnold noted that the 2012-13 roster will have a unique mix of experienced and new players. The returnees include seniors-to-be Vander Joaquim, Hauns Brereton and Jace Tavita, and juniors-to-be Davis Rozitis and Garrett Jefferson.

“It’s got a mixture of both, there’s really not anybody in between,” Arnold said. “We’ve got some older guys … those guys will give us a lot of seniority. And then you do have the young guys and it’s their job to get better and fight for the positions.”

He also noted that it will be an international roster, with players from Angola (Joaquim), Latvia (Rozitis), Canada (Clair), Israel (Orel Lev), Germany (Christian Standhardinger) and New Zealand (Isaac Fotu), as well as the United States.

“I believe Honolulu is a global city and I tell our recruits all the time I want them to think globally,” Arnold said. “If you look at the NBA, it’s going global. Every team has players from all over the world … so I love the mix we’ve got going.”

The most over-qualified Director of Basketball Operations in America is moving on.

After one year in that position with the Hawai’i basketball team, Kerry Rupp has accepted a job as a lead assistant coach with the University of Montana basketball team.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to get back on the floor and get out and recruit and help that program,” he said.

Hawai’i head coach Gib Arnold said he expected Rupp to be “recruited” by other programs because “he was just too good.” Prior to his one-year stint with the Warriors, Rupp served as a head coach at Louisiana Tech, and was either an associate or assistant coach at Indiana, Utah and UAB.

(Rupp is at far right in the photo, courtesy Brandon Flores)

“He was so good — he was just too good to be sitting as the director of basketball operations,” Arnold said. “The director of basketball operations isn’t able to coach, isn’t able to recruit, and that’s what he does best.”

As the director of operations at Hawai’i, Rupp’s duties included organizing practice schedules and making travel arrangements for road trips, as well as assisting with academics and film breakdown. Rupp described his one season at Hawai’i as “invaluable.”

“I got to look at things from a different perspective than you would as an assistant and head coach,” he added.

He said the experience he gained in arranging road trips was particularly memorable – for better or worse. “I look at this as an opportunity where there isn’t anything now, I think, that I haven’t had the opportunity to do through all my experience in high school and college. Anything a head coach asks me to do, I would have the expertise and knowledge.”

Indeed, Rupp noted that he had to work closely with every person on the staff, including secretary Bobbie Omoto, administrative assistant Nicholas Milan and strength and conditioning coordinator Chris McMillian, as well as Arnold and the other coaches.

Rupp’s departure creates an opening for the UH Director of Basketball Operations, and Arnold said he is already looking for candidates.

One day after making a commitment to join the Hawai’i basketball team, Canadian guard Manroop Clair honored it by signing an official letter of intent.

Here is the official announcement from the UH media relations department:

University of Hawai`i men’s basketball coach Gib Arnold announced the fifth addition to his 2012-13 recruiting class with the signing of guard Manroop Clair. Clair will join UH this fall and will have four years of eligibility.

Clair, a 6-foot-2,175-pound native of Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, suited up for nationally ranked Huntington Prep in West Virginia this past season. He joined the team midway through the season in December and helped the talent-laden squad to a 28-2 overall record.

(Clair is at left in this photo after signing his letter of intent. Photo courtesy DRIVE Basketball)

But it was with his AAU team, DRIVE, that he originally turned heads with his lethal shooting range and deft ball-handling. Clair led DRIVE in scoring in almost every game last summer and averaged 29.6 points and 4.6 assists. He also helped lead DRIVE to a second-place finish at the Northwest Championships in Seattle, as the team upset AAU powerhouse Northwest along the way. During his past two seasons with DRIVE he has displayed his shooting prowess by converting better than 40 percent of this three-point attempts.

“We are thrilled to have Manroop join our team,” Arnold said. “He has deep range to play a shooting guard and the ball-handling skills and vision to play the point. He plays an exciting style of basketball and UH fans will love watching him play. He is a true gym rat, a hard worker and a self-made player. He is a great get for Hawai’i and I am looking forward to coaching him.”

Clair joins four others in this year’s recruiting—junior college transfer Brandon Spearman (Chicago, Ill.) and freshmen Caleb Dressler (Vancouver, Wash.), Isaac Fotu (Auckland New Zealand) and shooting guard Orel Lev (Tel Aviv, Israel).

2012-13 Recruiting Class
Manroop Clair, 6-2, 170, G, Fr., Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, Huntington Prep
Caleb Dressler, 6-10, 240, C, Fr., Vancouver, Wash., Evergreen HS
Isaac Fotu, 6-9, 235, F, Fr., Torbay, Auckland, New Zealand, Rangitoto College
Orel Lev, 6-4, 190, G, Fr., Tel Aviv, Israel, Ironi Tet High School
Brandon Spearman, 6-3, 190, G, Jr., Chicago, Ill., Indian Hills Community College

With many of the top American recruits already signed, the Hawai’i basketball team went north of the border to find a gem.

Manroop Clair, a high-scoring combo guard originally from British Columbia, Canada, said he is committed to joining the Warriors for the 2012-13 season. Clair, who said he is “6-3 with shoes on” and 170 pounds, is currently a high school senior at Huntington Prep School in West Virginia.

“Hawai’i came after me hard and everything fell into place,” he said. “It seems like a good fit for my future in basketball and school wise, just everything.”

Clair’s original plan was to enroll at prep school for another year, and graduate in 2013. He changed those plans recently, and will be eligible to play for the Warriors as a freshman in the 2012-13 season.

“He’s actually listed on all the recruiting sites as a 2013 (graduate), so a lot of schools were looking at him for 2013,” said his AAU coach, Pasha Bains. “Only a few schools knew that he could actually come out in 2012 if he wanted to, and so Hawai’i recruited him for 2012 and I think it’s a good fit for both sides.”

Bains has coached Clair with the DRIVE basketball team on the AAU circuit for the past several years, including this year.

“He’s averaged 30 points a game for us against good competition, with guys trying to stop him,” Bains said. “He’s definitely exciting to watch. He’s the kind of player who puts you on the edge of your seat because he can do so many things and he’s a gamer.”

Bains noted that Clair has “outstanding” shooting range, but can also handle the ball.

“Because he can shoot it on an elite level already, he can contribute in that sense right away,” Bains said. “But he still needs to fill in to his body a little bit. He’s got the great basketball sense and knows how to play the game. I think he can really blossom into a solid all-around player on the D-1 level.”

Several other programs were recruiting Clair, including New Mexico State, Santa Clara, Weber State and Wyoming.

Clair said he is on track to complete his classes at Huntington Prep this semester. He has not made any official visits, but would still like to make take one to Hawai’i after finishing his classes.

He said he will sign an official letter of intent by the end of this week. Per NCAA rules, the Hawai’i coaches cannot comment on a recruit until the official letter of intent is signed and approved.

Here are a few video clips of Clair with the DRIVE AAU team:

The 2012 Awards Banquet not only served as a chance for the players on the Hawaii basketball team to be honored, it also provided another opportunity for a new episode of DaBeast Films.

Sophomore forward Davis Rozitis played his usual host role for this episode, chatting with several teammates and banquet guests.

Rozitis even created his own unofficial award – the DaBeast Award for Style, which went to Orel Lev.

He also interviewed Most Inspirational Player award winner Miah Ostrowski, and Most Outstanding Player award winner Vander Joaquim. During the interview with Joaquim, Rozitis revealed that the 6-foot-10 center from Angola likes to cook his own meals. “That’s how he probably got so good – he’s cooking his own meals,” Rozitis said.

There are also interviews with ESPN 1420 radio host Gary Dickman, and “the biggest fan” – Hunter Schmidt.

It should also be noted that Rozitis was an award winner himself, taking home the Academic Award as the teams’s top scholar-athlete.

WarriorInsider.com would also like to thank the Schmidt family, Pacific Risk Solutions and Ameriprise Financial – Valerie Schmidt, for sponsorship of the banquet tickets.

Vander Joaquim’s outstanding season for the Hawai’i basketball team was rewarded with the Art Woolaway Most Outstanding Player award.

Joaquim received the team’s top honor at the 2012 Awards Banquet, which was held on Wednesday, April 25, at the Tapa Ballroom of the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

The 6-foot-10 junior center led the Warriors in scoring, rebounding, blocked shots and field goal percentage for the 2011-12 season. He finished the season with 14.3 points per game, 9.5 rebounds per game, 58 blocked shots, and a .560 field goal percentage.

In addition to the Most Outstanding Player award, Joaquim received the Best Defensive Player award.

The awards came as no surprise, as Joaquim also received several individual awards during the 2011-12 season. He was named a first-team All-Western Athletic Conference selection, as well as a WAC All-Defensive Team selection.

Last month Joaquim was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District 6 first team, making him the first player to earn first-team all-district recognition since Michael Kuebler in 2003-04.

“I said it after the WAC Tournament, and I’m going to say it again – he’s the best center on the West Coast, any conference, hands down,” Hawai’i head coach Gib Arnold said. “It’s been great to watch him evolve, and his maturity as a player.”

Joaquim, who is from Luanda, Angola, is expected to play for Angola’s national team this summer before returning to Hawaii for his senior season.

Joaquim took home two of the four major awards at the banquet. The others went to senior point guard Miah Ostrowski and sophomore forward Davis Rozitis.

Ostrowski received the Ah Chew Goo Most Inspirational Player award for the second consecutive season. He led the team in assists with 7.0 per game, which ranked sixth in the nation. For the last two seasons, Ostrowski has played as a receiver for the UH football team, then joined the basketball team in December. The Punahou School graduate will play another season with the Hawai’i football team in 2012.

“He won us a bunch of games and affected winning,” Arnold said. “I’m going to miss him because these guys don’t come around often and I’m proud to say I coached him.”

Rozitis received the Academic Award as the team’s top scholar-athlete. He is a political science major who also received WAC All-Academic recognition for 2011-12. Rozitis, who is from Cesis, Latvia, is expected to play for Latvia’s national team this summer before returning to Hawai’i for his junior season.

“He’s our brightest student … I was in Serbia recruiting and I get a text (from Rozitis) ‘Coach, how do I see the Dalai Lama?’ I never thought I’d have a player ask to see the Dalai Lama,” Arnold said. “We have a couple years to work with Davis, and I’m thrilled he’s with us.”

Arnold and his staff presented the awards, and also introduced each of the team members. Arnold also talked about the signed recruits who will join the Warriors for the 2012-13 season – Caleb Dressler, Isaac Fotu, Orel Lev and Brandon Spearman. Lev enrolled at UH this semester and was in attendance at the banquet.

Senior guard Zane Johnson did not attend the banquet, as he has already left Hawaii to start training for a shot at professional basketball.

Three players who departed the team after the 2011-12 season (Bobby Miles, Joston Thomas and Trevor Wiseman) also did not attend the banquet.

Freshman point guard Shaquille Stokes attended the banquet, and announced the next day that he would not return to UH next season for family reasons.

The event helped raise funds to pay for summer school costs for the players. Around 300 fans attended the banquet, including Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle and Speaker of the House Calvin Say.