Sai Tummala made his transfer to the University of Hawai’i basketball team official on Wednesday. Here is the release from UH Athletics:
HONOLULU – University of Hawai’i men’s basketball coach Eran Ganot continued to bolster his roster, adding 6-6 forward Sai Tummala to the mix for the 2015-16 season. Tummala joins the ‘Bows after two seasons at Arizona State and one season at Salt Lake Community College before that. Tummala will have one year of eligibility.
“We are thrilled to welcome Sai to the Rainbow Warrior basketball family!” said UH head coach Eran Ganot. “Sai is an achiever in every sense of the word, excelling on the court, off the court, and in the classroom. On the court, our fans will appreciate his effort, versatility, and skill set. He is a tremendous worker and dedicated to continuing to expand and improve his game. We are very excited to be part of his continued development. Off the court, he is very impressive, has tremendous character and will be great in the community!”
Tummala (6-6, 218 lbs) was an instant success at the junior college level, leading SLCC to a 29-5 record in 2012-13, including a 14-1 conference mark and a regular season title. That season, he averaged 14.8 ppg while shooting 41 percent from the three-point line for a team that reached as high as fifth in the nation. He received third-team NJCAA All-American honors and was a first-team All-Region pick.
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The Phoenix native played his high school ball at Brophy College Preparatory School where, as a senior, he started in all 29 games and averaged 17.7 ppg, 8.1 rpg, and 2.2 bpg while leading Brophy to a 21-8 record and a state runner-up finish. He scored a career-high 33 points and grabbed 10 rebounds against Mesa High School. He was named First Team All-Metro, First Team All-Fiesta Region, and was a first-team academic all-state pick.
After his stellar freshman campaign at SLCC, Tummala transferred to Arizona State where he lettered for two seasons. He made his impact off the bench, playing in 29 contests while averaging just less than five points per game. He redshirted at the University of Michigan in 2011-12 prior to playing at Salt Lake.
Tummala joins former players Troy Ostler (2000, ’01), Jeff Blackett (2004, ’05), Ahmet Gueye (2006, ’07) and P.J. Owsley (2007, ’08) as Rainbow Warrior transfers from Salt Lake.