Manel Ayol is on the move again.
Ayol, a versatile 6-7 perimeter player, announced on Twitter his decision to leave the University of Hawaii basketball team and enter the NCAA’s transfer portal.
Ayol tweeted: “I would like to thank Hawaii and the coaching staff for the opportunity they have given me here, but after prayer and talking with my family, I will be entering the transfer portal.”
UH coach Eran Ganot said: “I appreciate his efforts and we will continue to support him and wish him the best moving forward.”
It was a brief stay for Ayol, who transferred from Western Wyoming College this past summer.
There had been high hopes for Ayol, who had impressed UH coaches with his five-position skills. In junior college, he showed the ability to score on drives, step-back jumpers and from beyond the arc (39.3% on 3s). The past season, Ayol was named the Region IX Player of the Year after averaging 16.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists as a sophomore. The Mustangs were 30-4 in winning the Region IX title.
But Ayol had difficulty breaking into the rotation. He tallied two points in four minutes in nonconference victories over Hawaii Pacific and Hawaii Hilo. He did not play in the past weekend’s two-game road series against UC Riverside.
Ayol was born in South Sudan, but that country’s unrest led to his family’s departure when he was 5. Ayol then grew up in Australia, where he befriended Junior Madut, now a UH guard.
Ayol competed on a Melbourne club team through 2015, when he moved to Denver for the final two years of high school. After that, he enrolled at Western Wyoming.
The ’Bows are down to 13 active players. Wing player Samuta Avea opted out of this season and is training in Utah. Avea has said he will return to UH as a senior next season. The NCAA is allowing basketball players to maintain this season’s class standing for another year.
