VIDEO: 7-footer cleared to practice with UH basketball team

Douglas Kurtz — a 7-foot, 275-pound junior — was finally able to practice with his teammates this week. He sat out the first two weeks of practice with an injured right knee.

"For a player, the worst part is just watching practice because you want to get better every day," said Kurtz, who is in his first season as a Rainbow Warrior. "It feels pretty good just to be out there again, not feeling any pain in my knee."

The missed practice time has put Kurtz in a reserve role for now, but he is expected to see action in tomorrow's exhibition game when the 'Bows host NCAA Division II power Brigham Young-Hawaii.

"He'll get some minutes to see where he is," Hawaii head coach Bob Nash said. "But we'll have to monitor his leg as well. We need him healthy for the season."

Kurtz is originally from Pelotas, Brazil, but played the last two seasons at Marshalltown Community College in Iowa.

He was recruited to Hawaii to help strengthen the interior defense.

"Teams with bigger size than us tried to pound us inside last year," Nash said. "Doug has size and he can hold guys off and push them out of the post. The biggest thing he brings is that presence in the middle."

Kurtz's first full practice was on Monday, and yesterday was his second. Already, he is making an impression on teammates.

Some of the Hawaii guards said Kurtz's screens were "like running into a brick wall."

Senior forward Bill Amis described Kurtz as: "A big guy ... a really big guy. He's just a big, strong defensive post player."

Kurtz said: "I always play thinking that nobody is going to step in the paint, so I play very strong on defense."

Kurtz was the starting center for Brazil's under-22 national team that participated in the World University Games over the summer.

When he first saw BYUH as an exhibition opponent for the 'Bows, Kurtz thought he might get to play against Lucas Alves — BYUH's All-American center. However, Alves is recovering from a knee injury and will not play tomorrow.

Alves is also from Brazil, although Kurtz said they have never formally met.

"I actually played against him a long time ago, maybe four or five years ago," Kurtz said. "He was good already. I really wish he could play (tomorrow) because that would be good for our team to prepare."

Kurtz has been practicing with a soft brace on his knee, but he said it is only a precaution.

The only pain he has been experiencing in recent days has been in his feet. His size-16 shoes are apparently a little snug.

"It's new shoes so it's squeezing my foot, killing me," he said. "It's going to be OK. I just need some more practice with it to make it stretch a little bit."

Kurtz is expected to play tomorrow, but several other 'Bows are considered questionable, including forward Brandon Adams (ankle), center Paul Campbell (knee) and guard Dwain Williams (thumb).