University of Hawaii basketball guard Tom Beattie and forward Gytis Nemeiksa are entering the NCAA transfer portal.
Beattie, a co-captain this past season, intends to transfer to another school. Nemeiksa’s entry into the portal is part of the process to secure an extra season of college basketball.
Beattie informed the UH coaches of his decision on Wednesday. He did not participate in the Rainbow Warriors’ authorized practice.
Beattie, who was born and reared in New Zealand, played in 31 games last season, starting 24. He averaged 7.4 points and 2.4 rebounds per game as a point guard, off guard and wing. At 6 feet 5 and 195 pounds, Beattie emerged as the ’Bows’ top point-of-attack defender after guard Kody Williams suffered a season-ending injury.
As a freshman in 2023-24, Beattie played in 33 games with three starts.
Nemeiksa, who transferred to UH in August after one season at Xavier, was seeking an exemption that would allow him to play another NCAA season.
Nemeiksa, who was the ’Bows’ scoring leader at 12.3 points per game, has tried to make use of an exemption that grants an extra season to a senior student-athlete who played in a non-NCAA league prior to joining an NCAA team. Most of the exemptions are granted to players who competed for a junior college. Nemeiksa, a 6-8 forward from Lithuania, argued that his pre-Xavier experience was at Vytautus Magnus University in Kaunas, Lithuania, and as an amateur with Zalgiris Kaunas II club.
The NCAA rejected Nemeiksa’s initial argument. But he was told a prerequisite to appealing would be to enter the transfer portal, according to people familiar with the situation. It has not been determined if the NCAA will hear his appeal. If approved, Nemeiksa could return to UH or transfer.
Center Jerome Palm and guard Marcus Greene — both of whom joined the ’Bows last August — received waivers for an extra season based on their junior college experience. By mutual agreement, Palm and Greene opted to enter the portal. Forward/wing Akira Jacobs transferred to Fordham, now led by former UC Riverside coach Mike Magpayo.
But the ’Bows have received commitments from 7-foot Isaac “Big Fish” Johnson of Utah State; 6-7 guard/wing Tanner Cuff of Evansville; 6-3 guard Hunter Erickson of Utah, and 6-5 guard Hunter Carter of Rosemary Anderson Prep in Oregon.
