P.J. Owsley left Bozeman, Mont., in 2004 because he wanted to see something different.

He's found it here in Honolulu.

"Right now in Bozeman, it's like 10 degrees with snow up to here," he said, raising his hand to his chest. "You don't want to be there when you can be here."

Owsley is in his first season with the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team. The 6-foot-8 junior took a circuitous route to play for the Rainbow Warriors.

After graduating from Bozeman High, he signed to play for the hometown team, NCAA Division I Montana State. He averaged 2.6 points and 1.1 rebounds per game in a reserve role as a freshman.

"It just felt like another year of high school," Owsley said. "That was the place I grew up, and I just wanted to see what it was like outside of that place."

He transferred to Salt Lake Community College (Utah) and played one season there before signing with the Rainbow Warriors prior to this season.

He is the latest "big man" to sign with Hawai'i out of Salt Lake CC in recent years. The others were Troy Ostler, Jeff Blackett and Ahmet Gueye.

"The kids we get out of there are all good athletes," Hawai'i head coach Riley Wallace said. "P.J.'s not quite ready as the others were, but he'll have to be because I'm planning on using him."

Owsley is expected to play a key reserve role on Friday when the 'Bows open their season on the road at UNLV.

"He'll probably be the first big guy off the bench," Wallace said. "I think he can come in and contribute."

Owsley and other Hawai'i post players could be key factors on Friday. The 'Bows have five players 6-8 and taller. The Runnin' Rebels are expected to start a 6-9 center and a 6-6 forward along with three guards.

"We'll have to use our size, but (UNLV) is quick and they can jump," Wallace said.

Owsley finished with 10 points and seven rebounds in 15 minutes off the bench in Hawai'i's 83-50 exhibition victory over Hawai'i-Hilo last Saturday.

"That helped my confidence, but I can't settle for that," Owsley said. "UNLV is going to be a higher level, so I'm going to have to play at a higher level."

Wallace said Owsley was "the surprise" among the five new recruits during preseason workouts.

"He was running good cuts, he was hitting his shots, and it seemed like he had a good feel for what we wanted to do," Wallace said. "His problem right now is he fatigues and that affects his game."

Which leads to his nickname, and it's not just P.J. (which is short for Philip Jeffrey).

Owsley has been labeled "Heavy" by his teammates because he weighs 240 pounds.

"I remember when he was skinny," said Gueye, who was Owsley's roommate for one year at Salt Lake CC. "But ever since he came here, he's been eating a lot."

Owsley said: "It's not like I'm a big, fat kid. But I do eat a lot. When I was younger, I could never put on weight, no matter how much I ate. I don't know what happened to that."

Gueye and Owsley never got to play together at Salt Lake because Owsley had a knee injury and had to redshirt the 2004-05 season. Owsley averaged 11.2 points and 5.0 rebounds per game at Salt Lake last season while Gueye was in his first season with the 'Bows.

"After last year, I told P.J. to cancel all his (recruiting) trips because he would love it in Hawai'i," Gueye said. "And I knew he could play. The first impression I had of him before he got hurt was his nice shot. I'm happy he still has it."

So far, Owsley is loving Hono-lulu. "The beaches, the ocean, it's great," he said.

While growing up in Bozeman, he said he often went camping and fishing during the summers, and skiing during the winters.

"My dad was really into skiing, so I was doing that from when I could walk," he said. "I miss the snow a little bit, but not too much. I think if I went back home, I'd start to miss Hawai'i after about a day or two."

NOTES

Wallace said he will take all 15 players on the roster to UNLV. The 'Bows are scheduled to leave tomorrow afternoon.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.