[ UH BASKETBALL ]
’Bows add a big man
-- if he stays healthy
Matt Gipson figures to help the Hawaii basketball team fill its holes in the front court next season, assuming he arrives in the islands in one piece.
The North Idaho College forward's national letter of intent arrived at the UH coaches' office yesterday. Now NIC coach Hugh Watson's job will be to try to keep Gipson healthy the rest of this season.
"I'm just scared he's going to get killed before he gets over there because he plays so hard," Watson said. "He's such a hard player; he's got bruises all over his body. It's unbelievable."
Gipson, rated the seventh-best junior college center in the nation by Lindy's magazine, orally committed to UH last month and signed the letter Wednesday. The letter also had to be signed by his parents because he's under 21. The forms were faxed back to the North Idaho coaches, who then mailed them to UH.
The 6-foot-9 Gipson is the only player the Rainbow Warriors will sign during the early period. He will have two seasons of eligibility remaining when he joins the squad for the 2004-05 season.
With senior forwards Phil Martin and Paul Jesinskis and center Haim Shimonovich set to complete their college eligibility this season, UH associate coach Jackson Wheeler said securing Gipson represented a significant victory for the program.
"It's huge obviously," said Wheeler, who coordinates the team's recruiting. "We needed to get a big man early because we're losing two four-year starters. Trying to get two big men late would have put a lot of pressure on us.
"He made a commitment to us and stuck with it. We really appreciate that because he had some big-time programs after him. ... He just fits perfectly with what we are as a program."
Gipson spent two years at Oklahoma before transferring to NIC for his sophomore season. He was the Cardinals' leading scorer in their first two games this season, making 18 of 26 shots from the field and grabbing 14 rebounds in two NIC victories.
"He's a player, there's no question about it," Watson said. "He plays two or three different positions for us. ... He can pass it, he can post up, shoot the 3s and he really, really plays hard. He's a hard-nosed player."
Gipson's aggression on the court put him on the bench earlier this week as he suffered a slight concussion in a collision with a teammate during a shootaround on Monday. He sat out the game that night as a precaution, but returned to practice Thursday and Watson said he displayed the same abandon he had prior to the collision.
"He practiced and practiced as hard as he always does," Watson said.
Gipson was highly sought after as a prep star at Burkburnett (Texas) High School, where he averaged 24.3 points and 9.2 rebounds as a senior and finished his career as the school's all-time leading scorer. He eventually chose Oklahoma over UCLA, Utah, Texas Tech, Baylor and Texas Christian.
He redshirted his first season and played in 17 games for the Sooners last year, averaging 1.8 points and 1.1 rebounds per game.
When he transferred to NIC, Gipson was recruited by Utah, Virginia Tech, Texas A&M, Baylor and Florida State, but chose UH after visiting the Manoa campus early last month.
"When I made my visit, I fit in so well and felt I couldn't find a better place," Gipson said. "The coaches and the system was the No. 1 thing. The way they run their offense, I felt it was the perfect fit for me."
"He turned down some good schools and we've still got some calls coming in on him," Watson said yesterday. "I got about six letters this morning from different schools. He told me when he first came in he wasn't interested in the big-name schools, he just wanted to go somewhere he can play and be happy."
UH will have two more scholarships available for the late signing period, which runs April 14 to May 19. Wheeler said the Rainbows hope to attract a center and a guard to fill those spots.
