It’s back to the proverbial drawing board for University of Hawaii at Hilo men’s basketball after the Vulcans learned last week of the loss of senior Tre Johnson, their 6-foot-8, 225-pound inside threat at both ends of the floor.
Coach GE Coleman announced that Johnson, a second team all-Pac West Conference selection last year as a junior, signed a professional contract to play basketball in Austria.
“He started getting calls and different levels of interest toward the end of the season last year,” Coleman said, “so it doesn’t come as shock, but it’s part of college basketball. I spent a lot of time with Tre on this and he did a good job with the process, he talked to his parents, people around him, he talked to guys in other European leagues and he decided this was the time to make the move.
“We wish him well,” Coleman said, “and I personally think he’s a kid who will be able to play at that level for a long while.”
Johnson, a likely preseason pick for all conference first team honors in 2015-16, led the Vulcans in scoring (17.5 points per game), and rebounding (7.3 per game), and was expected to play an even more prominent role in 2015-16.
“Last year we were sort of forced to play him inside all the time,” Coleman said, “we didn’t have too many options, but I was hoping to be able to take more advantage of his shot this year, he has a nice touch out on the floor.”
In all, Johnson, a transfer from Montana State University out of high school in Reno, Nev., led the Vulcans in scoring, offensive, defensive and total rebounding and he shot .747 from the foul line.
Coleman said he won’t be able to replace Johnson with a single player, but anticipated “three or four different guys,” will be able to make up the difference in a faster-paced offense.
“Obviously, we’d rather have him,” Coleman said, “but this is college basketball and if you have talent, these things can happen. When someone leaves early, you just go back to work.”
Coleman will have eight hours a week to work with players – including weight training and conditioning – before practice opens Oct. 15. The first game for UH-Hilo is Nov. 20 in Seattle against Central Washington University, Coleman’s alma mater and the school that employed him as an assistant when he was hired two years ago.
The Vulcans will stay in Seattle after that game and play their second game of the season the following night against Seattle Pacific University, then play at St. Martin’s on Nov. 24.
The first home game will be Dec. 5 against BYU-Hawaii.