Hawai’i bolsters front court depth, adds former Valpo big Jerome Palm

HONOLULU – Palm is heading for palm trees.

The University of Hawai’i men’s basketball team gained additional depth to the frontcourt on Thursday, receiving the commitment of former Valparaiso forward Jerome Palm for his final season of college ball.

The 6-foot-10 forward from the Netherlands appeared in 27 games last season for the Beacons, starting in 17 contests while averaging 4.7 points and 3.8 rebounds on 48.7% shooting from the floor in just under 15 minutes per game. Palm spent two seasons in Indiana after beginning his collegiate career at the junior college level for Hillsborough CC, where he tallied 9.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game before jumping to Division I.

“Hawai’i is a winning program with a solid coaching staff, which is very important to me,” Palm said. “The facilities look amazing and Hawai’i itself is an unreal place.”

Palm becomes the third frontcourt player to join UH via the transfer portal this offseason, joining former Utah Tech shot-blocker Tanner Christensen and former Xavier forward Gytis Nemeiška as new Rainbow Warriors with one year of eligibility remaining. Hawai’i also added dynamic scoring guard Marcus Greene from Houston Christian from the transfer portal this offseason.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to experience a different type of environment compared to the ones I’ve been in,” the graduate big man said of his move to the islands. “I get to do all of it while doing what I love the most, playing basketball.”

Playing in an underrated Missouri Valley Conference, Palm faced off against quality competition consistently in 2023-24. He started to flash signs of being a productive rotational big man during the non-conference slate for the Beacons, posting a double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds) on November 17 when Valpo fell at #23 Illinois, 83-67. During the conference season, Palm posted a career-best 14 points two times in three games against Indiana State and UNI.

Palm does not offer a major shot-blocking option for the ‘Bows as he turned away just four shots during the entirety of the 2023-24 season, but provides a strong frame for UH to employ in a role off the bench. At 6-foot-10, 230-pounds, the Dutch forward can hold his own at times defensively against post players and has shown an improving game on the other end.

“I’m a versatile player that can extend my game to the perimeter,” said Palm of his defensive ability. “I’m very mobile and play hard which is part of why I am capable of guarding multiple positions.”

While his offensive expertise has evolved to add a few post moves and has seen him knock down a few 15-footers, the Dutch big will not wow fans with his ability off of the dribble or to draw fouls. Palm has struggled historically at the foul line, hitting only 53.1% of his attempts from the charity stripe last year and only getting to the line 32 times total. His impact will be felt more off of dump-offs from guards and his activity on the offensive glass than elsewhere.

Hawai’i’s 2024 recruiting class sits at seven after the addition of Palm with four college transfers joining along with three prep recruits in Aaron Hunkin-Claytor, Jacapo Van der Knaap and AJ Economou, who joined the program and redshirted this past spring.