'Bows sign 7-footer

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

After weeks of trolling, the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team reeled in a big man yesterday.

Chris Botez, a 7-foot, 230-pound center, signed a national letter of intent yesterday to play for the Rainbow Warriors next season.

Botez was recruited by several schools, but spent the past week contemplating between Hawai'i and Boise State.

"I never thought I'd be playing basketball in Hawai'i," he said. "It's a big surprise. I know it's far away, but there were so many things I liked about the place, I felt like I couldn't turn it down."

Botez averaged 12.3 points and 8.4 rebounds per game as a sophomore last season at Chemeketa Community College (Ore.). He was one of the top five centers in junior college, according to Van Coleman's FutureStars, and was a first-team Southern Division selection in the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges.

"Ultimately what it came down to was feeling comfortable with his future teammates and the fit for him academically," said Chemeketa head coach David Abderhalden. "He felt like Hawai'i was the better choice in both those areas."

Botez will have two seasons of eligibility at Hawai'i, and is expected to fill the void left by four-year starting center Haim Shimonovich.

"He runs the floor better than most big men, so that puts pressure on the opposing big men to keep up with him," Abderhalden said. "And then he makes the biggest impact on defense because he's a good shot blocker."

Botez "will fit in fine" at Hawai'i because of his unselfish play, according to Abderhalden.

"I'll do what ever it takes to help the team win," Botez said. "I feel like I can do a lot of different things."

Hawai'i associate coach Jackson Wheeler, who recruited Botez, said: "He's real athletic. He's big, but he runs like a small forward. He should help us right away."

Botez was raised in Portland, Ore. His parents now live in Vancouver, Wash., and he said their proximity to the Boise State campus was the biggest factor against Hawai'i.

"My mom really wanted me to stay close to home, and that's what made it hard," Botez said. "There were positives and negatives about both places. I guess what it came down to was I really liked all the players and coaches I met at Hawai'i and I felt like it was a better fit for me overall."

His father, Val Botez, said: "If Hawai'i is where he is going to be happy, then we will support his decision. For a long time now, we've realized that he was going to be a special person because of his height, so we knew this day would come."

Chris is the tallest in the Botez family by 11 inches. Among his parents, his two brothers and one sister, the next tallest in the family is 6-1.

"By the time he got to fifth grade, I could tell he was unusually tall," Val said. "That's when we started encouraging him to play basketball."

Botez weighed only 205 pounds when he first arrived at Chemeketa two years ago.

"He's gotten a lot stronger in two years and he'll continue to get stronger," Abderhalden said. "He's wiry strong, but you don't want him to get too big. His value is that he can run up and down the floor."

Botez said he must still pass two summer courses to attain the associate's degree that would make him eligible at UH. "It shouldn't be a problem," he said.

Botez is the third, and final, recruit to sign with Hawai'i for next season.

Matt Gibson, a 6-4 guard, and Matt Gipson, a 6-9 forward, previously signed with Hawai'i.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8101.