Yes, Julian Sensley really is going to play for the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team this season.

Yes, he still has the talent that made him one of the nation's top prep recruits two years ago. And yes, he does have an associate's degree and is qualified academically.

"I'm looking at this as a brand new start," Sensley said. "It took me two years to get into a (NCAA) Division I uniform, and now it's finally here."

Sensley will make his highly anticipated debut with the Rainbow Warriors tonight during the annual Midnight 'Ohana at the Stan Sheriff Center.

At midnight tonight, NCAA basketball teams can start practicing for the upcoming season. The 'Bows will play an intrasquad scrimmage around 12:30 a.m., following a 3-point shootout and slam-dunk contest. Other festivities begin at 8.

After a perplexing journey through basketball purgatory, Sensley is returning to play in his home state for the first time since leaving Kalaheo High after an all-state junior season in 1999.

"My mom hasn't watched me play basketball since I was at Kalaheo, so this is a big thing for her," said Sensley, 21.

It's also a big thing for him ... and UH.

The 6-foot-9, 240-pound forward is considered one of the best players ever raised in Hawai'i. The Sporting News magazine lists him as the No. 1 power forward recruited out of junior college last season.

Sensley, who is a sophomore and will have three years of eligibility at UH, said he wants to make an immediate impact to prove people both right and wrong.

For every preseason magazine that lists Sensley as one of the top recruits in the country, there's another that questions whether he will even complete the season at UH.

Sensley's background has been documented nationally — often with skepticism. He was affiliated with at least six colleges in the last two years; yet, his only season of basketball during that time came last season at Los Angeles City College.

"I was young; I was listening to the wrong people is what it was," said Sensley, who was raised in Kailua. "It was frustrating; I knew I wasn't going anywhere. It took me a while to figure out I needed to get back home to get things straight."

Ironically, he left Hawai'i to increase his chances of playing NCAA Division I basketball.

The low point came during the 2001-02 season. He was denied entry at Cal because he did not achieve the necessary SAT scores. Instead, he attended three different colleges, but never played basketball at any. He even applied for early entry into the 2002 NBA Draft, but eventually withdrew.

Last season, he finally returned to basketball at L.A. City, where he averaged 13.4 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.

"Going there got me back on the right track," Sensley said. "It felt good just to play basketball again."

But even his transition from L.A. City to UH was not smooth. Sensley first signed with University of San Francisco, and had to get a release after he changed his mind.

"I know there are people at USF upset about it, but it wasn't about them," he said. "I just felt like I had to get away from the whole Mainland scene."

Most important, he left L.A. City with an associate's degree. He had to earn it by the end of this past summer to be eligible at UH this season.

"Unfortunately, a lot of people judge me as not being able to cut it academically," he said. "That's why I'm really proud of getting that degree."

Now, he wants to make the state proud.

"I consider this my homecoming," he said. "I've been through some tough times, but it's all in the past now. I'm just glad to be home."

• Slam Dunk: Tickets are still available for the Slam Dunk 2003 benefit for the UH basketball team.

The event will feature dinner from several of Hawai'i's top restaurants and a live auction for various prizes. It will be held Oct. 23 at 6 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Tickets are $100, and includes two tickets to UH's game against New Orleans Dec. 20.

For information, call the UH basketball office at 956-6501.