The Hawaii basketball team was not on the clock.
Although the spring-signing period elapsed and the Rainbow Warriors had not received a commitment since April 7, the coaching staff remained calm and meticulous.
“I don’t think rushing into something is ever a good thing,” UH coach Eran Ganot said. “There’s a business mind-set to (recruiting). There’s an old quote: ‘When in doubt, don’t hire.’ I don’t think it’s different than ‘when in doubt, don’t sign.’ We were going to stay true to that, try to get better and better, and trust the process.”
Their patience and perseverance were rewarded with this past week’s commitments from two 3-star prospects — 6-foot-3 combo guard Justin Webster of Hargrave Military Academy (Chatham, Va.) and 6-9 Bernardo da Silva of Wasatch Academy (Mount Pleasant, Utah). Both signed scholarship agreements. Webster will enroll for the July 1 start of Summer Session II. Da Silva will be in attendance for the first day of the fall semester on Aug. 26.
The ’Bows have one remaining available scholarship for the 2019 recruiting class. “Our mind-set is to fill it,” Ganot said. “If it’s not the right fit, we can hold on to it (for mid-year). All things are in play, with the mind-set to don’t add just to add. Make sure you get better.”
With the creation of the transfer portal, the spring-recruiting landscape has changed in the past five years. Ganot said teams are willing to hold open scholarships longer to explore the full pool of available prospects. “I know it’s best when you hear things quicker and sooner and all that, and we get that,” Ganot said. “But it’ll never affect the decisions we make.”
Ganot said he was seeking players who could complement one of the Big West’s tallest rosters. “We’re also not stubborn,” Ganot said. “We have a way we like to play, and we’re going to wrinkle that every year toward our strengths.”
Ganot said his staff’s recruiting approach involves a specific vetting process. “The objective being to develop the program for the short term and the long term,” Ganot said. “We want to make sound decisions, make sure there’s a fit on the court, off the court, and in the classroom with what you have coming back.”
Ganot said Webster, who grew up in Dallas but spent his senior year at Hargrave, can play both guard spots and the wing. “He’s got great upside,” Ganot said. “He’s a gym rat. He’s a hooper. He loves the game. There were a lot of things that came together and made sense as we went through the process.”
Ganot said UH tracks all the schools in the West. Da Silva was on the ’Bows’ radar before he committed to BYU. His obligation was voided after BYU changed head coaches. “Once we heard and we were allowed to contact him, we went from there,” Ganot said. “He comes from a great program at Wasatch Academy, one of the best prep schools in the country.”
Ganot said the four scholarship commits have experienced being on their own. Webster attended a boarding school. Da Silva moved from Brazil to Utah three years ago. Junior Madut was born in South Sudan, grew up in Australia and attended East Florida College the past two years. Jessiya Villa is a Kahuku High graduate who recently returned from a two-year church mission. “The guys we brought in have been away from home,” Ganot said. “They’re going to be used to that. Then it’s how quick their learning curve will be.”
Ganot said there still is time to fill the final spot. He said the start of Summer Session II is one goal, the first day of fall semester is another. Ganot said his staff resists outside pressure.
“I hope that’s a big part of leadership,” Ganot said. “I don’t think panic is something people subscribe to. If you want to make good decisions … then you take a deep breath, and make sure you do what’s right for your program.”