"It was an easy decision once I saw the place," Tatum said. "What's not to like about Hawai'i?"

Groce and Tatum were recruited by UH in recent weeks because Logan Lee — the projected starting point guard — said last month that he would not return to Hawai'i for his junior season. Last season, Lee and senior Jason Carter formed what UH head coach Riley Wallace described as a two-headed point guard.

Until UH officials receive the letters of intent, the Hawai'i coaches are not allowed to comment on the recruits. But indications are, both Groce and Tatum are quality players.

Kris Groce

Groce, who is 5 feet 10 and 150 pounds, is the latest addition to UH from the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC).

As a freshman at Columbia Basin Community College (Wash.) last season, Groce was selected as the most valuable player of the Eastern Division of the NWAACC.

He ranked fourth in the conference with 21.4 points per game, second with 7.2 assists per game, and first with an .860 free throw percentage. He also made 53 3-pointers in 24 games, shot 46 percent from the field overall, and 43 percent from 3-point range.

"You look at him and think 'What is this little kid doing in the gym?' " said Columbia Basin head coach Lane Schumacher. "But then you see him shoot, and you see how quick he is, and you realize he's a big-time player."

Groce qualified for an NCAA program out of Pasco High (Wash.), but said he attended nearby Columbia Basin to "get better offers from D-1 schools."

As Schumacher put it: "A lot of teams overlooked him because of his size. He came to junior college to prove everybody wrong, and I think he did that."

Groce was also being recruited by Boise State, Eastern Washington, Gonzaga and Sacramento State. Groce said he planned to play two seasons at Columbia Basin until Hawai'i informed him of the opening point guard position.

"That made a little bit of difference," he said. "But I also felt real good about Hawai'i. I liked all the players and coaches I met there and felt like it was a good fit."

Groce will be a sophomore at UH this season, and will have three seasons of eligibility.

He will be one of three players from the NWAACC on UH's roster this season. Incoming recruit Chris Botez and walk-on Ryan Schmidt were also all-league selections in the NWAACC last season. That same league also produced former UH starters Mark Campbell and Michael Kuebler.

Deonte Tatum

Tatum, who is 6-2 and 175 pounds, is "a steal" of a recruit, according to his junior college coach.

Tatum averaged 8.4 points, 4.8 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game at Indian Hills Community College (Iowa) last season. Several recruiting publications listed him among the top point guards in junior college last season.

He was not able to sign with any other NCAA Division I programs because he did not become academically eligible until recently completing summer courses.

"He's a true point guard," Indian Hills head coach Lorenzo Watkins said. "He'll help you in so many ways on offense, but one of the things that really stands out to me is his defense."

Tatum was also being recruited by DePaul, Saint Louis and Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He was recruited by other top programs out of Vincent High in Milwaukee, but attended Indian Hills to improve his academic standing. Indian Hills, which finished 22-9 last season, is considered one of the top junior college basketball programs in the nation.

"I'll do what ever it takes to help my team win," Tatum said. "If you want me to score, I can score. If you want me to pass, I can pass. I just want to play."

Tatum will be a junior at UH this season, and will have two seasons of eligibility.

Groce and Tatum will be two of five new scholarship players on the 2004-05 roster. The others are 7-foot center Botez, 6-4 shooting guard Matt Gibson, and 6-9 forward Matt Gipson.