It will be "ni hao ma" for one new player when the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team is introduced to the public tomorrow.

Ji Xiang, a recruit from China, will say hello for the first time as a Rainbow Warrior during the Twilight 'Ohana event at the Stan Sheriff Center. Tomorrow is the first day that NCAA basketball teams are allowed to start practicing for the 2007-08 season.

"One of the reasons why I chose to play in Hawai'i is because I know there is a big Chinese population here," Ji said. "I already met a lot of people from China, a lot of other students. That has helped me a lot."

As might be expected of an 18-year-old freshman from a foreign country, the adjustment has not been easy.

On the court, Ji is still learning what he describes as "the American style" of basketball. In particular, the 6-foot-10, 230-pound forward will have to develop a low-post game to fit his size.

"Right now, he's more of a perimeter player than a post player," Hawai'i head coach Bob Nash said. "But with his size, we'd like him to be more of a presence inside. Once he gets that part of his game, we think he can be even more effective as a big man who can play both inside and out."

Ji admits that he has been struggling against some of his teammates in the low-post during pick-up games.

"A lot of the big guys are stronger than I am right now," he said. "But I want to learn as quick as possible. I want to get a feel for the NCAA game."

After graduating from high school in China in 2006, Ji spent one year at the United States Basketball Academy — a training camp for Chinese players.

"It was a lot of fundamentals, a lot of details," Ji said. "It really helped me."

He also played on an AAU team in Oregon last year, and was scouted by several colleges, including Oregon and Oregon State.

"He has a ways to go before we can say he's a big-time player for us," Nash said. "But what I liked when I saw him was the skills he showed for a player his size. He has a good feel for the game; he just has to get stronger, and the best part is he has four years to develop with us."

Ji was the last of Hawai'i's six new recruits to sign. He did not arrive in Honolulu until mid-August, just in time for the fall semester.

"It's a long process to get international players right now," Nash said. "There's the language barrier, and visa issues ... I'm just glad we were able to get Ji out of China in time for the season."

Off the court, Ji has also had to adjust to Hawai'i. He said he is still trying to figure out the language, food and weather.

During his first week on campus, a female student walked up to him and tried to start a conversation ... in Korean.

"I knew it was Korean, but I didn't understand any of it," Xiang said. "She kept talking, and I finally had to say something in Chinese. Then she walked away."

And despite the multitude of Chinese restaurants in Honolulu, Ji said he has yet to find an authentic one.

"My favorite is kung pao chicken, but they change the flavor here," he said. "Hawai'i is part of the United States, so I think they adjust the flavor because all the customers are Americans."

One thing he has enjoyed in Hawai'i is surfing. Teammate Beau Albrechtson — a Kaimuki High graduate — has been teaching Ji how to surf in the waves off Waikiki.

"The first time I tried, it was hard — I kept falling," Ji said. "But I'm getting better. I wish I had more time to practice, but I have to wait for next year."

That's because Nash has put a hold on the surfing lessons starting tomorrow.

"When it's the off-season, I want the guys to have as much fun as they want," Nash said. "But once the season starts, it's all about basketball."

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.