Hawaii men’s basketball team gets 6-foot-7 wing from Davidson

The University of Hawaii men’s basketball team today secured a signed commitment from a 6-foot-7, defensive-minded wing from Davidson College.

Manie Joses said he signed a contract with UH and will join the Rainbow Warriors in June. He will have at least two years of UH eligibility. (He will have three years if the NCAA approves a measure to allow players five seasons.)

“It’s a great fit for me as a player and as a person,” Joses said of his decision. “It’s a great place that values tradition and family. That aligns with my values as well.”

With quickness, tenacity and a 7-foot-1 wing span, Joses provides one-through-five defense, rebounding, steals and blocks.

“He’s super athletic, high-level athletic,” said Marty Clarke, a technical director for the NBA’s international-development program. “He has a big, long wing span. He runs the floor, good offensive rebounder, good cutter. He’s really quick off the floor. He blocks a lot of jump shots. People think they’re open, and suddenly he swallows up space.”

Joses was born and reared in London. At 7, his mother took him to weekly basketball clinics.

“I slowly fell in love with the game,” Joses said. “I loved playing with my best friends. I kept playing. We got good and started winning.”

After winning a national tournament as a 16-year-old sophomore, Joses received a scholarship offer from the NBA Global Academy in Australia.

“We have scouts around the world who looked at players for the NBA Pathway,” said Clarke, who was the Global Academy’s technical director at the time. “He was identified through that process and came to Australia.”

It was after an exhibition game in the United States when the Davidson coaches made a scholarship offer to Joses.

As a 3-and-D specialist, Joses played in 54 games for Davidson the past two games. He often was summoned to guard the opposing team’s best player. During the summers, NBA All-Star Steph Curry, Davidson’s assistant general manager and the program’s most notable alumnus, conducted training sessions. The Wildcats were put through Curry’s ball-handling workouts.

“The tennis-ball drill, the two-ball (dribbling), all that stuff,” Joses said. “He was really cool. He has a lot of wisdom. He was bestowing us with wisdom.”

Joses said he entered the NCAA transfer portal in search of a opportunities on the court and in the classroom.

“It’s an exciting (commitment) for (UH coach) Eran Ganot and his staff,” Clarke said. “I think he’ll fit their style of game. I think they’ll use him productively. … The Hawaii fan base should be excited by him. He’s an exciting player.”