Hiram Thompson just went two years without watching television, listening to a radio, or typing on a computer.

Think about how difficult that is in today's age of technology.

Oh yeah, and he also had his life threatened several times during that two-year span.

Given all of that, a pulled hamstring hardly seems like a big deal for Thompson, a sophomore point guard on the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team.

"It was probably the two best years of my life," Thompson said of his mission in Des Moines, Iowa, for the Church of Latter-day Saints. "It was an amazing experience, something I can look back on every time I face a challenge and realize that nothing in life will be as hard as what I went through already."

Thompson played a reserve role with the Rainbow Warriors as a true freshman during the 2005-06 season. He missed the last two seasons while serving his mission.

Upon his return to the 'Bows this season, Thompson was welcomed by a new head coach (Bob Nash was an associate coach under Riley Wallace in 2005-06), and an entirely new roster of teammates.

"It really was like being a freshman again, starting all over," Thompson said.

He even discovered that his original jersey number (24) was taken (by Adhar Mayen), so he switched to 2, which was his number at Oak Ridge High in California.

"That wasn't a bad deal, actually," Thompson said. "My freshman year, (Matt Gibson) had 2, or I would have took it then."

Thompson was expected to challenge for the starting point guard spot during this preseason, but a hamstring injury and illness have limited his practice time. He may not even play tonight when the 'Bows host Chaminade in an exhibition game at the Stan Sheriff Center.

He said a lack of basketball-related activity during his mission has hampered his progress. His mission ended on Aug. 15, and he was back on the Manoa campus less than two weeks later.

What's more, Thompson also dropped about 10 pounds from his 6-foot-3 frame, and is now around 170.

"I'm pretty sure that's why I'm getting all these injuries," Thompson said. "I didn't have a chance to work back slowly into shape. I had to get right back in it, so I pushed really hard."

Nash said: "The main thing with Hiram is he needs to build his strength back. His mind is still sharp and he knows our offense well enough. Once he gets that physical part back, he's going to help us."

When Thompson has been able to practice, he has displayed the same craftiness that made him a key reserve during the stretch run of the 2005-06 season.

"I like to create for my teammates — put them in a good position to score," he said. "I just need to get over these injuries so I can work with them a little more."

If anything, Thompson knows how to deal with adversity. The purpose of his mission, he said, was to "invite people to come into Christ and have them choose if they want to learn more."

He went door-to-door with other missionaries to try and share the religion. He said they mostly worked in the Hispanic communities of Des Moines.

"There were definitely some scary moments — doors slammed in your face, people threatening you to get off their property," Thompson said. "But there was also some success, and that's a great feeling."

Thompson said he learned Spanish on his own during the mission, and can now speak it fluently.

"We're not allowed to watch TV or use computers, so we do a lot of reading and writing," he said. "It really helps you stay focused on the important things in life."

While Thompson was on his mission, several other basketball programs — including Brigham Young — inquired about his services.

"Some teams were calling my dad, but my plan was always to come back to Hawai'i," he said.

Thompson grew up in Northern California, but he has grandparents in La'ie.

Hawai'i associate coach Jackson Wheeler, who originally recruited Thompson in 2005, said he has noticed a change.

"We joke all the time about how he wouldn't say a word to anybody when he was a freshman," Wheeler said. "You can see how much more mature he is now. It's like he left as a boy and came back a man."

Thompson still attends church every Sunday, and is a practitioner of his religion's strict code of conduct. His teammates don't treat him any different because of that.

"We joke around with him the same way we do with anybody else," said teammate and roommate, Bill Amis. "He puts on his suit and goes to church for a couple hours on Sundays, but the rest of the time, he's hanging out with us."

Thompson is also a conference all-academic selection, and the coaches expect his cerebral play to be a key stabilizer for the young 'Bows.

"They just don't come any better than a kid like Hiram," Nash said. "He's everything you want in a student-athlete."