July is a hectic month for a college basketball coach, and some days appear longer than others.
For Hawaii’s Eran Ganot, that day was Sunday.
After completing a recruiting trip in Australia, Ganot departed Down Under on Sunday evening and, after crossing the International Date Line, arrived in Honolulu … on Sunday morning.
“It’s been a busy summer,” said Ganot, whose team opens the first of 10 full practices today ahead of next month’s trip to Australia.
The NCAA permits coaches three five-day periods to recruit in July, as well as limited supervised individual and team workouts each week. But with the coming Australian trip, the Rainbow Warriors were permitted the 10 practice days. That meant a schedule in which Ganot recruited in New York, returned to Honolulu for a day, went to Australia, returned for practices today and Tuesday, and will depart Tuesday night to recruit in Las Vegas.
Ganot is enthusiastic about the extended practices.
“The guys have done a nice job in the three weeks or so we got together with limited access,” Ganot said, “and now we’re getting fired up to have some more access. … We’ve been bouncing around so much on the road this period, there’s nothing better than getting back on the floor more often with your guys. We’re looking forward to it.”
Ganot indicated today’s practice will be mixture of education and competition. The ’Bows will keep the foundation — the four-out offense emphasizing ball screens — while adding wrinkles that will the expand the roles of forward Jack Purchase and wings Samuta Avea and Justin Hemsley. Purchase, the lone holdover from last year’s two-front-line rotation, will be expected to create more offense off the dribble. Avea, who gained 10 pounds of muscle, is viewed as a wing who can set up on the perimeter or in the post.
The ’Bows also will emphasize quickening the pace. The past season, the ’Bows averaged 3.2 fast-break points per game. The official stats listed eight games in which they did not score on breaks.
“I think we do a good job pushing it off turnovers (14.8 points per game), but we want to push it off every opportunity,” Ganot said. “You have to develop those habits early.”
Ganot said Purchase, off guard Sheriff Drammeh and point guard Brocke Stepteau benefited from working out in Hawaii most of the offseason. “Those are three seniors,” Ganot said. “They’re focused on having a good senior year.”
Ganot said he anticipates all 16 players to attend today’s afternoon practice. That includes a player whose travel arrangements had been delayed.
Ganot will be participating in an international tour for the third time in his career. “There are a lot of positives,” he said of summer trips. “You get extra time to work with them. You get game experience. And then traveling together, eating together, the various team events we have organized for them, it’s a great opportunity if you take advantage of it.”
But while UH usually would have about 30 practices in advance of a season opener, “now you get 10,” Ganot said of this trip. “We’re not going to have a lot of time (to install the entire offense), but we want to make sure the foundation of things are in so we can play games. There will be a combination of teaching early and also a lot of competition so we can get ready and continue to incorporate the skill-development piece.”
