By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
For the first time in four months, Haim Shimonovich has a tingly feeling in his hands.
"It feels ticklish," said Shimonovich, a 6-foot-10, 255-pound freshman center for the University of Hawai‘i men’s basketball team.
Whether that translates into points and rebounds remains to be seen.
Haim Shimonovich, a 6-foot-10 freshman, will make his collegiate debut tomorrow when the Rainbows play host to Southern Methodist in a Western Athletic Conference game at 7 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center. He is finally eligible after sitting out a 22-game NCAA suspension because he participated in a professional league in his native Israel before enrolling at UH.
"There are great expectations on him," Hawai‘i coach Riley Wallace said. "But his help is going to be in the next three years. I have no idea about (tomorrow)."
Wallace said he will work Shimonovich slowly into the rotation of post players. Although he was expected to be Hawai‘i’s starting center — he started in the Rainbows’ two exhibition games — Shimonovich will come off the bench to relieve starters Troy Ostler and Phil Martin.
"His minutes could be limited until he gets in better shape," Wallace said. "You can’t just run every day and get in game shape."
Still, Shimonovich has been practicing with the team throughout the suspension, and works out on his own when the team plays on the road.
"I don’t think I can score 15, 20 points every game, but I can help inside," Shimonovich said.
Associate head coach Bob Nash, who works the most with UH’s post players, said Shimonovich’s impact can not be measured by statistics.
"He’s a bigger presence in the middle defensively," Nash said. "So when we play some of the bigger guys in the league, he can put a big body on them. Offensively, they have to honor him in the post. He has a nice jump-hook shot."
The Rainbows can field one of the biggest lineups in the conference when Shimonovich is paired with the 6-10 Ostler. When both are on the floor, Ostler will play power forward, a position that better suits his game.
"If you put both of them in there, Haim can post-up down low, then Troy has the ability to roam the floor and find spots for open jump shots," Nash said.
If that doesn’t work, Martin, Mindaugas Burneika, Todd Fields and Lane O’Connor are available. "With Haim (eligible), we have the option of going with power or quickness," Nash said.
Although excited about his debut, Shimonovich feels the suspension was too severe. While playing in Israel’s top league, he did not receive any payment, unlike many of the other premier players.
"Where I come from, that’s the only league to play in on a good level," he said.
UH officials self-reported Shimonovich’s situation well before the season started, but endured months of back-and-forth paper work between Hawai‘i, Israel and the NCAA. The suspension of 22 games matched the number of games Shimonovich played in the league.
Apparently, several other players from the same league currently playing in the NCAA have not been reported or suspended.
"I don’t want to talk about that," Shimonovich said. "I don’t want to get them in trouble."
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