Matt Gibson, a 6-foot-4, 175-pound freshman at Three Rivers Community College (Mo.), said last night he will sign a letter of intent to play for the Rainbow Warriors.

"I'm not messing around with this (recruiting) stuff anymore," he said. "The opportunity is here to come to Hawai'i and I want to take advantage of it. It's a great school, a great place and a great situation for me."

The commitment comes three days after the 'Bows upset No. 25 Utah State, and on the same day that the Stan Sheriff Center sold out for tomorrow's game against Nebraska.

Based on his statistics, Gibson appears to be a prized catch.

He ranked fourth in national junior college statistics with an average of 25.8 points per game, and first with a 90.2 free throw percentage.

He is not to be confused with Matt Gipson, a 6-9 forward at North Idaho College who signed a letter of intent to play for Hawai'i last November.

Gibson said he will sign his letter of intent during the spring signing period in April. He can join the 'Bows next season, and will have three seasons of eligibility.

"I know Hawai'i is losing a lot of scoring, and I know (Michael) Kuebler is a senior, so hopefully I can come in and pick up some of the slack," Gibson said.

Gibson said he played point guard at Putnam High in Oklahoma City, but switched to shooting guard last season at Three Rivers.

"I played (point guard) all my life, but they put me at the (shooting guard) this year and I kind of liked it," he said.

His father, Lon Gibson, likes to tell the story of a very young Matt Gibson showing signs of his future in basketball.

"He started dribbling a ball at age 1," Lon Gibson said. "It was the most amazing thing we'd seen. It wasn't just one bounce, he'd keep it going."

Matt Gibson spent the past two days in Honolulu on a recruiting visit. He said Hawai'i will be the only campus he visits, even though he has been invited to several others.

Among the other teams recruiting him was Nebraska, which will arrive in Honolulu today to play a second-round National Invitation Tournament game against the 'Bows tomorrow.

"I wish I was here to watch it," said Gibson, who departed Honolulu last night. "But at least you know who I'm cheering for now."

Other teams recruiting Gibson included Kansas, Oklahoma, San Diego State and North Texas.

Lon Gibson said Hawai'i associate coach Jackson Wheeler played a key role in his son's decision.

"The coaches at Hawai'i were all awesome through this whole thing, especially Coach Wheeler," Lon Gibson said. "Some of the coaches from the other schools weren't so easy to deal with."

Gibson committed to play at Colorado out of high school, but a scholarship deal fell through at the last minute, so he opted to attend Three Rivers instead.

He scored 30 or more points in five games this season for the Raiders, who finished 18-12. His scoring average of 25.8 was the second-highest in school history, behind the 26.6 put up by current NBA player Latrell Sprewell in 1990.

Gibson shot 46.4 percent from the field overall, and 56 of his 149 field goals were 3-pointers. He shot 36.6 percent from 3-point range, and also contributed 3.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.

This weekend was his first trip to Hawai'i.

"He's never even been to California, much less Hawai'i," his father said. "To have a chance to go to school there, let alone play ball there, is a great opportunity."

Per NCAA rules, the Hawai'i coaches are not allowed to comment on Gibson until they receive his letter of intent.

Also due to NCAA rules, the 'Bows will be allowed to sign only three recruits for next season.

Gipson, who led North Idaho with 16.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.47 blocked shots per game this season, was the first recruit to sign; Gibson would be the second.

The third available scholarship will probably go to a center or power forward.