Former UC San Diego big Bol Dengdit decides on Hawai’i for final year

HONOLULU – Priority locked.

Former UC San Diego starting forward Bol Dengdit announced his commitment to the University of Hawai’i on Thursday, agreeing to jump to the islands for his final season of eligibility in 2026-27 as the Rainbow Warriors move into the Mountain West.

Dengdit, 6-foot-11, was an All-Big West honorable mention in his lone season with the Tritons. The redshirt junior started all 34 games for UC San Diego, averaging a career-best 10.7 points and 5.2 rebounds while knocking down 25 3-pointers.

A member of the NBA Global Academy in Australia, Dengdit has continuously developed year over year when faced with better competition. A member of Australia’s U19 team at the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup, the athletic forward averaged 6.7 points and 3.3 rebounds across seven games and had a 10-point, 3-rebound outing against a Team USA squad that featured future NBA bigs Chet Holmgren and Ryan Kalkbrenner.

The forward began his college career at the University of Portland, spending three years with the Pilots before transferring to UCSD last season. Dengdit redshirted in 2022-23 and burst onto the scene as a productive piece for Portland as a redshirt freshman, playing in all 32 games (15 start) and finishing second on the team in rebounding.

Dengdit got his first impression of the Stan Sheriff Center in December of his redshirt freshman campaign, playing 16 minutes off the bench and scoring five points while grabbing three rebounds in a loss by the Pilots versus the Rainbow Warriors during the 2023 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic.

He took a step in his sophomore season at Portland, starting 24 of the 30 games that he played in while drilling nearly 38% of his attempts from beyond the arc. He also upped his scoring average (7.4, up from 6.2) and assist rate (9.3, up from 6.5) while seeing a down tick in his overall usage with the Pilots as a sophomore.

Hawai’i got an up-close and personal look at Dengdit again this past season as he transferred to in-conference rival UC San Diego. The forward had 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting against Hawai’i on January 3 in La Jolla and had 11 points, four rebounds and a pair of steals when he visited the islands, going 5-for-7 from the floor inside Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.

That visit stuck in the mind of Dengdit after he entered the portal on April 7, hearing from assistant coach Clay Wilson and Hawai’i quickly. The Rainbow Warriors were far from the only team in pursuit of the 6-foot-11 stretch forward, fighting the likes of Memphis, USC, Nevada, Duquesne, Charleston and others for his services.

After Wilson connected with Dengdit, the rest of the Hawai’i coaching staff made concerted efforts to build trust and make sure he felt as though the islands could be his next home.

“My relationship with the staff is strong,” Dengdit said. “They’ve been real with me throughout the whole process, and that meant a lot … Hawai’i really stood out to me because of the culture and the way the staff made me feel from the start, especially the family aspect.”

There also was the constant ringing memory of the fans and atmosphere when playing in Hawai’i that was tantalizing for the talented forward.

“I played there this year, and it was incredible,” Dengdit recalled from the Stan Sheriff Center environment. “So being able to do that as a home player is really exciting. Plus, I’m looking forward to competing in the Mountain West.”

After two years with up-and-down results on the scoreboard at Portland, Dengdit enjoyed his first career 20-win season at UC San Diego. He took his game to another level in Big West play, averaging 12.4 points and 5.4 rebounds while helping the Tritons to a 12-8 conference mark and a Big West quarterfinal appearance.

The chance to win again was a priority for Dengdit as he approached his final year of eligibility and UH presented the chance to play for an entire state while pursuing the very best on the court.

“The opportunity to be a part of something special and represent the islands meant a lot to me,” Dengdit said. “I love to compete … I love seeing my teammates succeed and I’ll do whatever it takes to help us win.”

Dengdit is the seventh addition out of the portal for Hawai’i, joining Marcus Adams Jr., Jaden Matingou, Zack Davidson, Houran Dan, Chance Trujillo and Kellen Hampton as next faces to transfer into the Rainbow Warrior program. Hawai’i also returns Tanner Cuff and Isaiah Kerr from last season’s team while prep standouts Tiger Cuff and Scotty Belnap embark on their freshman campaigns.