With each passing day, the question mark that is Bryan Alberts looms larger than his 6-foot, 5-inch height for the University of Hawaii men’s basketball team.
Alberts is a graduate transfer guard who has been considering Manoa as one of several possible destinations for the 2017-18 season.
And if the Rainbow Warriors’ coaching staff isn’t on pins and needles awaiting his overdue decision, well, it probably should be.
Among the prospects who have taken UH recruiting visits to date — and mostly chosen to take their talents elsewhere — he is the one with the most promising résumé. After a slow and unsatisfactory start to recruiting, securing Alberts would allow the ‘Bows to salvage at least a modicum of hope for improving on the 14-16 finish of last season.
Alberts is a rarity among graduate transfers in that he is expected to have two seasons of eligibility remaining. Most, such as Noah Allen, who joined UH last season after graduating and transferring from UCLA, are of the one-and-done variety.
But Alberts, because he redshirted at Gonzaga in 2014-15, would arrive — if he deigns to sign on with the ‘Bows, that is — as a redshirt junior able to step in immediately and stick around for another season besides.
That would be huge for UH, which has a crying need for experience in its backcourt right now, no small matter in the guard-oriented Big West Conference.
While the ‘Bows have signed two guards in the just-ended signing period, junior college transfer Jaaron Stallworth and Kahuku senior Jessiya Villa, they do not figure to address the immediacy of UH’s needs. Villa plans to take a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, putting his availability well down the road. And Stallworth, who is coming off a broken ankle (December) and broken leg (February), made his recruiting visit this month on crutches.
Then there is the case of Drew Buggs, who redshirted last year coming off surgery to repair an anterior cruciate ligament suffered his senior season of high school.
The incumbent point guard is Brocke Stepteau, a 5-foot, 9-inch walk-on who started 22 of 30 games last season averaging 6.4 points per game.
UH still has three scholarships to award, but quality recipients, at this late stage in the recruiting calendar, are dwindling and UH has multiple needs to fill.
This is where Alberts could step right in. He started 10 games at Gonzaga as a redshirt freshman in 2015-16 but saw his playing time — no starts — dip last season while averaging 1.8 points per game. Still, he would be the most accomplished guard UH has.
Alberts announced last month that he was leaving the Zags in hopes of finding more action and a wider role somewhere else. The search has so far taken him on visits to Weber State, UH, Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara. Word is that he also might work in a visit to UC Davis or save one in the event an 11th-hour opening occurs at a Power Five school.
The fact is UH needs him and can’t afford to lose to anybody. But it would be particularly disappointing to get beaten out by a Big Sky Conference school (Weber State) or one of UH’s Big West brethren (Long Beach State, UCSB or UC Davis). Especially after losing out to conference rivals already.
Meanwhile, UH waits as Alberts’ shadow over the ‘Bows lengthens.
