It isn't easy being 7 feet tall.

Just ask Chris Botez.

Go ahead, everybody else does.

"I can't tell you how many times I've heard the same question: 'How tall are you?' " he said. "It gets old after a while, but I guess it's one of the things you have to deal with when you're as tall as I am."

Botez is a 7-foot senior center for the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team.

After starting for most of last season, he has become a key reserve for the Rainbow Warriors, averaging 3.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game as the first "big man" off the bench this season.

The 'Bows will host Fresno State in a Western Athletic Conference game Saturday. Hawai'i is on a two-game losing streak, so head coach Riley Wallace may shake up the lineup by starting Botez this week.

"He's a senior, so he knows our offense as well as anybody out there," Wallace said. "And he always plays with energy."

Despite his modest statistics, Botez has earned the respect of his coaches and teammates.

"He kind of set the standard for us when it comes to being a team player," senior co-captain Deonte Tatum said. "He started 27 games for us last year, but he accepted his role this year. He never complained, he just does what he needs to do to help the team. If he's not going to cry about his situation, nobody else should."

Instead of sulking, Botez has put in extra work this season.

He asked the coaches for a spare key to the practice gym, and can often be found in there late at night.

"I like to work on my own," he said. "It doesn't matter if I start or come in off the bench. I still have to work hard to help the team win."

At times this season, Botez's left-handed hook shot has been effective. In an 87-84 loss at New Mexico State last Saturday, he scored eight points on 4-of-4 shooting, and had three rebounds and four assists.

However, his most significant contributions have come on defense. He ranks second on the team with 16 blocked shots, and needs 10 more blocks to rank among the top 10 in UH history.

"We expected him to be a little more advanced offensively," Wallace said. "But he's still a presence because of his size, and he can out-run and out-work a lot of other big guys."

For the record, Botez said he does practice shooting free throws during his late-night sessions.

Botez is shooting 55.9 percent from the field this season, but 33.3 percent from the free-throw line. In his two seasons at Hawai'i, he is 20 of 52 on free throws (38.5 percent).

"How do you think Shaq (O'Neal) feels?" Wallace said, referring to the NBA All-Star's poor free-throw shooting. "Some guys are just not good at it, no matter how hard they work at it."

It may be something that only a 7-footer could understand.

As Wallace put it: "There's a lot more margin for error in the motion when you're that tall. That's probably why you don't see any 7-foot golfers."

Growing up in Portland, Ore., Botez's height was both a blessing and a curse.

"Because he was so tall, everybody encouraged him to play basketball, and he got a lot of support," said his father, Val Botez. "But he was so tall, his shoe size got to 15, and we had a hard time finding shoes for him."

Botez has two older brothers and a younger sister. They are all 6-1 and shorter.

"I always tell people it was the pork chops and red Kool-Aid," he said. "I went through a lot of that when I was a kid, a lot more than my brothers."

Prior to enrolling at Hawai'i, Botez played two seasons at Chemeketa Community College in Oregon. During his sophomore season, he averaged 12.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.3 blocked shots per game.

He chose Hawai'i after a close recruiting battle with Boise State.

"No regrets," Botez said. "I accept my role with the team, what ever it is. And it's a great bunch of guys."

According to his teammates, Botez is the team clown during social gatherings. At any moment, he could break out into a dance routine or pull a practical joke on someone.

"He knows how to make a scene, and it's not just because he's 7 feet," Tatum said. "He could be 5 feet and you would know that's Chris Botez. He's hilarious. If you're feeling down, that's the man to go to because he will pick you up."

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.