Matt Gipson, who was one of the nation's top recruits out of Burkburnett High in Texas two years ago, said last night he will play basketball for the Rainbow Warriors starting in the 2004-05 season.

"People might be surprised that it's Hawai'i, but I see it as a great fit," said Gipson, who is a sophomore at North Idaho Junior College.

Gipson, a 6-foot-9, 215-pound forward, played sparingly as a redshirt freshman at Oklahoma last season. He averaged 1.9 points and 1.1 rebounds per game for a Sooners team that went 27-7 and advanced to the elite eight of the NCAA Tournament.

"There were a lot of conflicting issues, and I just wasn't happy there," he said.

As a senior at Burkburnett in 2001, Gipson averaged 23.4 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.7 blocked shots per game. He chose Oklahoma over UCLA, Utah and Texas Tech.

"He's big-time," said North Idaho head coach Hugh Watson. "He can play just about any position, but he's probably best as a (small forward). He can dribble, he can shoot the 3 and he can dunk it. He's really an all-around talent."

Gonzaga, Utah, Florida State and Virginia Tech have also been trying to recruit Gipson out of North Idaho.

"It's good (Hawai'i) got him early because everybody in the country wants him," Watson said.

Gipson said: "Once I visited (Hawai'i) and got to meet the coaches and players, I knew that's where I wanted to be."

Lindy's magazine ranks Gipson as the No. 6 center in junior college this season.

Gipson, who will have two seasons of eligibility at UH, said he will sign his official letter of intent during the early signing period, Nov. 13-20.