In the search for a multi-skilled power forward, the University of Hawaii basketball team found “Nemo.”

Gytis “Nemo” Nemeiksa, a 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward from Lithuania, has accepted a UH scholarship and will join the Rainbow Warriors next week for offseason training.

“I felt I got attention from the whole Hawaii staff,” said Nemeiksa, who is transferring after one season with Xavier University. “The presentation went really well. I like everything about Hawaii — the weather, the people there. The Hawaii basketball team feels like one big family.”

This past season, Nemeiksa played in 34 games for Xavier, starting 20. He scored 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds against Providence, which was led by the Big East Player of the Year Devin Carter. Nemeiksa had 10 points and five rebounds against two-time NCAA champion UConn.

Prior to Xavier, he attended Vytautus Magnus University in Kaunas, Lithuania, but played as an amateur for the Zalgiris Kaunas club. He averaged 11.7 points (36.4% on 3s) and 6.1 rebounds in leading Zalgiris Kaunas to the 2023 NKL championship. He was named the 2023 Final Four’s most valuable player.

As an undersized wing through high school, he developed ball-handling and outside-shooting skills. He said he had a growth spurt when he was 17.

In joining Xavier last year, he said he wanted to experience the NCAA’s “high level of competition.” He praised his time at Xavier, noting, “the coaching staff was great, my teammates were great. … I think I grew up a lot through that year. I’m really thankful for that experience.”

But Nemeiksa said he entered the transfer portal to seek expanded playing time—an opportunity the ’Bows could offer. At the end of the 2023-24 season, posts Bernardo da Silva and Justin McKoy completed their UH eligibility. Mor Seck, a 7-foot-1 center who is recovering from an ACL injury, transferred to Fresno State.

The past spring, the ’Bows signed 6-10, 275-pound center Tanner Christensen, a transfer from Utah Tech, and point guard Marcus Greene of Houston Christian. Last November, the Bows signed guards Aaron Hunkin-Claytor and AJ Economou. Economou enrolled at UH in January and redshirted during the 2024 spring semester.

HONOLULU — The Hawaii men’s basketball team gained a potentially crucial commitment for the 2024-25 season on Friday in former Xavier forward Gytis Nemeiksa, a native of Lithuania.

Nemeiska was a part-time starter at Xavier, which competes in the Big East, one of college basketball’s elite conferences, and brings some credibility to a UH roster that is still light on significant Division I experience at the midpoint of the offseason.

He was classified as a senior in 2023-24 and supplied XU with 5.2 points and 4.2 rebounds in 18.5 minutes per game, while starting 20 of 34 contests.

Nemeiksa is the first scholarship commitment in several weeks for coach Eran Ganot and his staff, which still has several holes to fill for the coming season. At a rugged 6 feet 8 and 220 pounds, Nemeiksa should compete for playing time right away at small or power forward for the Rainbow Warriors.

He shot 46.9% from the field, 36.4% on 3-pointers and 64.7% from the free-throw line in his first Division I season.

The Musketeers went 16-18 overall and 9-11 in the Big East, which includes two-time reigning national champion Connecticut as well as marquee programs like Marquette, Villanova and Creighton.

Prior to his time at XU, Nemeiksa competed for Zalgiris Kaunas II, a reserve team for a professional club in his hometown, from 2020 to 2023. He was credited with 11.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game in helping his team to the 2023 NKL Championship.

Against eventual national champion Connecticut, Nemeiksa scored 10 points on 4-for-5 shooting and five rebounds on Jan. 10. He posted a career-high 20 points against Washington on Nov. 17.

His playing time was reduced late in the season, however, as he appeared off the bench in his last eight games for XU.

UH’s last player from Lithuania was Petras Balocka from 2008-10. Other past ‘Bows from the Eastern European nation are Vaidotas Peciukas (2002-05), Mindaugas Burneika (2000-02) and Nerijus Puida (1999-01).

UH is believed to have four scholarships still to award for 2024-25. Besides Nemeiksa, UH’s other new scholarship commitments for next season are guard Aaron Hunkin-Claytor, wing A.J. Economou, center Tanner Christensen and guard Marcus Greene.

Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Starting July, the Biki bikeshare system will now be overseen by the city’s Department of Transportation Services.

The city announced Friday that the nonprofit Bikeshare Hawaii will transfer oversight to the city as the program evolves.

Officials said that there will be no changes to Biki operations during this transition and that riders will not notice any changes in system availability, operations, Biki accounts or customer support.

“Secure Bike Share will continue their effective and efficient operations and maintenance of the Biki Bikeshare system, as they have since system opening in 2017,” said Roger Morton, director of the Department of Transportation Services.

DTS will oversee a concessions contract beginning July 1, 2024 and running until June 30, 2025.

Officials said this transition will allow the city to expand Biki’s network and achieve greater coverage on Oahu.

“Biki is the 6th most-used bikeshare system in the country, illustrating how critical our kamaaina-based system is to Honolulu’s shared mobility,” aid Greg Gaug, board chair for Bikeshare Hawaii.

The current Biki fleet includes 1,288 bicycles, 136 self-service stations, and 2,500 docked bicycle stalls. In 2023, there were nearly 800,000 rides on Biki, with 62% taken by residents, and nearly 17,000 active members.

DTS said it plans to deploy future federal funding towards the acquisition of replacement bicycles and docks to continue our support of Biki and provide affordable, efficient, and healthy ways for residents and visitors to move around Honolulu.

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