"I just enjoy playing the game," said Jesinskis, a senior forward for the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team. "I get excited to play every day, even if it is just practice."

Jesinskis, who is 6 feet 8 and 230 pounds, is the Rainbow Warriors' rough-and-tumble player ... even if it is just practice.

"Paul is the workhorse on our team," said senior co-captain Phil Martin. "He takes bumps and bruises and he gives bumps and bruises. It's like that's his job."

It's a job Jesinskis has embraced.

"Of course I'd like to play more," he said. "But I know I'm a role player. I'm not going to score 20 points, but if I can get in there and give the team some energy and fill in for the other guys, I'm OK with that."

UH head coach Riley Wallace added: "Some of the guys complain because Paul beats them up in practice, fouls them hard and stuff like that. But he smiles every time they gripe because he knows that's what he's supposed to do."

• Where: Stan Sheriff Center • Schedule: Saturday Game 1: IUPUI vs. East Tennessee State, 5:05 p.m. Game 2: Hawai'i vs. Lamar, 7:35 p.m. Sunday Game 3: Bowling Green vs. Fairfield, 5:05 p.m. Game 4: American vs. Pepperdine, 7:35 p.m. Monday Game 5: Loser Game 1 vs. loser Game 2, 11:05 a.m. Game 6: Loser Game 3 vs. loser Game 4, 1:35 p.m. Game 7: Winner Game 3 vs. winner Game 4, 5:05 p.m. Game 8: Winner Game 1 vs. winner Game 2, 7:35 p.m. Tuesday Seventh Place, 11:05 a.m. Fifth Place, 1:35 p.m. Third Place, 5:05 p.m. Championship, 7:05 p.m. • Television: Live on KFVE. • Radio: Live on 1420 AM. Webcast link on uhathletics.hawaii.edu • Ticket Prices: Packages: $68 (lower level — single seats only); $52 (upper level). Individual night sessions (on game day only): $16 (lower level — single seats only); $12 (upper level). Individual day sessions: $5 (general admission). • Parking: $3.

Jesinskis will continue to play a reserve role this weekend when the 'Bows host the Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic. Hawai'i is seeking an unprecedented third consecutive Rainbow Classic championship.

The 'Bows will open the tournament against Lamar at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

Jesinskis is playing a host role himself. His father, Eriks Jesinskis, is in Hawai'i this week, visiting from Latvia.

"I knew Hawai'i had basketball, but I never imagined it would be such a high level," Eriks Jesinskis said. "(Paul) has always been independent, so when he said he was going to play in Hawai'i, I knew he was making a good choice."

In truth, anything outside of their home country would have been a good choice.

Jesinskis was raised in Durban, South Africa, where basketball is barely considered a sport.

"The big sports there are rugby and cricket," he said. "Basketball is maybe like what lacrosse is here."

As proof, Jesinskis said he never played on a wooden basketball court while growing up.

"We played on concrete tennis courts," he said. "But that's why I don't take anything for granted."

True to his nature, Jesinskis joined American basketball by bulling his way in.

After graduating from high school in 1998, he took a trip to California to visit a cousin.

"I stuck my nose in every gym and played pick-up games," he said. "Eventually, a junior college coach saw me and convinced me to play for him."

Jesinskis attended Skyline College (Calif.) for two years before signing with Hawai'i in 2000. He was a seldom-used reserve as a junior at UH, then redshirted last season because of a wrist injury.

"That was the best thing for him," Wallace said. "Now, he's with us for a full year and he's going to finish his degree."

Jesinskis is on schedule to graduate as an economics major in May.

According to Wallace, the only thing preventing Jesinskis from more playing time is a lack of quickness.

"He has everything else; he has the drive to be better and he has a big heart for the game," Wallace said. "Plus, he knows our offense and he can play two or three positions. If he didn't work as hard as he does, he'd never get in. But because he's always working to get better, he's earned his place."