Marquez Jackson wants to return punts for the Hawai'i football team as well as return to the sport he loves most — basketball.

Jackson started training with the Rainbow Warrior basketball team last week, and said he will attempt to play both sports.

"I'm going to manage school, basketball and football," he said. "But basketball is more my thing. I think I'm better at it than football. The only thing I'm lacking for basketball is height, but I can make up for that in a lot of ways."

Jackson is a 5-foot-8 freshman from East Hall High in Gainesville, Ga. He was a four-year starter at point guard for East Hall, and the team's record was 125-9 during those years, including two state championships.

Jackson said he received several scholarship offers to play NCAA Division I basketball, but Hawai'i was the only football program to offer him a scholarship.

"I was all set to go to Marshall and play basketball," he said. "But then Hawai'i offered me football and so I came out here."

Jackson is a reserve receiver with the Warriors who is also competing to be the top punt returner.

Hawai'i basketball coach Riley Wallace said Jackson must still prove his worth on the basketball court, and his spot on the roster is not secure.

"I don't know anything about him other than he must be a really good athlete," Wallace said. "It's the same for any other walk-on. He's going to have to earn his way."

The Hawai'i basketball team started physical training sessions last week, but the official practices do not start until mid-October.

GUEYE'S INJURY KEPT HIM OFF NATIONAL TEAM

Hawai'i center Ahmet Gueye stayed in Honolulu the entire summer to rehabilitate his injured right knee.

Gueye tore the anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament in his right knee during a practice in March.

It cost him the final two games of last season, as well as a chance to play for the Senegal national team.

"I was supposed to go with them to train in Europe, but then I got hurt so I couldn't," said Gueye, who is from Dakar, Senegal. "Hopefully they will qualify for the Olympics (in 2008) and I can try again."

Senegal went 0-5 in the FIBA World Championship at Japan last month, including a 103-58 loss to the United States.

"I was so ashamed," Gueye said. "Everybody here gave me a hard time about it."

Gueye is participating in some conditioning drills with the Rainbow Warriors, but still has not been cleared to run and jump at full-strength on the basketball court.

"I would say I'm about 85 percent right now," he said. "I think I'll be ready when practice starts (in mid-October)."

FORMER 'BOWS WILL PLAY IN EUROPE

Former Hawai'i standouts Carl English and Julian Sensley recently signed contracts to play with European teams this season.

English signed with KK Zadar, a team from Croatia's top league. English played last season in Italy's first league, and was the leading scorer for Canada's national team during the summer.

Sensley signed with Curtiriso Casale Monferrato, a team from Italy's second league. Sensley started the summer with the Golden State Warriors summer league team, then trained with the German national team. He was the last player cut from the German team prior to the World Championship.

WALLACE HIRES NEW DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Eran Ganot was hired as the director of basketball operations last week for the Rainbow Warriors.

Ganot held a similar position with St. Mary's (Calif.) the past three seasons.

"I found out there was a position open at Hawai'i and I felt like it would be a new challenge and something interesting for me," said Ganot, 25.

He played four seasons of basketball at Swarthmore College (Pa.).

Wallace said Ganot's duties will include assisting the Hawai'i coaches with film exchange, travel arrangements, and daily practice preparation.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.