"It rains all the time in Portland, so I'm always inside playing basketball," said Waters, who averaged 23.4 points per game as a senior at Grant High School last season.

Waters made an official visit to Hawai'i last week and said he was impressed with the UH players and coaches ... and the weather.

"I really liked the family atmosphere out there," he said. "And you can't beat Hawai'i. It was beautiful."

Waters also made recruiting visits to Boston University and Sacramento State.

Grant High head coach Tony Broadous described Waters as "a steal" for Hawai'i.

"To me, he could play in the Pac-10 or the Big 12," Broadous said. "He's a point guard first, but he can also score. He's a very smart player; he's a vocal leader. He's everything you want in a point guard."

Waters was selected the Portland Interscholastic League's Player of the Year, and was a first-team all-state pick.

In a game against nationally ranked Montrose Christian (Md.), Waters scored 46 points, including 7 of 8 shooting from 3-point range.

"He can really shoot, and he's quick and athletic," Hawai'i associate coach Jackson Wheeler said. "He has a good future in our program."

Waters, 18, was raised in Portland by his mother, Nikki Blackburn. She said he was a year-round basketball player ever since he was 8.

"He always loved the game," she said. "He was always out competing, even if it was against the older kids."

Waters has improved his skills in recent years by working with a personal trainer, Kumbeno Memory. Several professional players from the area work with Memory, including Dan Dickau of the New Orleans Hornets.

"There's no doubt in my mind that Dominic can come in and compete right away," Memory said. "His 3-point shot really developed this year and he always had a good mid-range game. Probably the one thing he needs to do now is get stronger."

Waters is 165 pounds, and said he will spend the summer lifting weights.

"That's one thing the coaches (at UH) told me I have to do, and I'm going to do it," he said.

Waters maintains a 3.5 grade point average at Grant High. He will be a freshman at Hawai'i in the fall, and will have four years of eligibility.

If anything, Waters' signing means the 'Bows will not have a shortage of point guards to choose from next season.

He is the third point guard recruit to sign with Hawai'i in the last week. The others are 6-4 Hiram Thompson of Oak Ridge High (Calif.) and 6-1 John Wilder of Weatherford College (Texas).

Deonte Tatum is also returning for his senior season with the 'Bows. He was a part-time starter as a junior last season.

Hawai'i has one more scholarship to offer during the "late" signing period, which ends May 18.