Luettgerodt, a junior college swingman, commits to 'Bows

The pipeline from the Pacific Northwest continues to flow

The now familiar recruiting grounds of the Pacific Northwest netted the Hawaii basketball team a high-scoring guard/forward.

Riley Luettgerodt, who set the single-season scoring record at Chemeketa (Ore.) Community College this year, will join the Rainbow Warriors next season. He planned to sign and fax his national letter of intent last night.

Luettgerodt (6-foot-5, 210 pounds) racked up 802 points (26.5 per game) as a sophomore, hitting for a high of 53 in a game. He also averaged 8.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists and shot 51 percent from the field while playing both guard positions and small forward for the Storm.

"He has a definite knack for putting the ball in the hoop," Chemeketa coach David Abderhalden said.

"He can score in a variety of ways from a variety of positions. He has a great mid-range game, that's probably the strength of his game. And he does it all in the flow of the offense."

Luettgerodt, who will have two years of eligibility and likely compete at shooting guard or small forward for the Rainbows, had narrowed his choices to Hawaii and Montana and committed to UH after visiting the campus over the weekend.

"I'm excited, it's like a weight off my shoulders," Luettgerodt said yesterday. "I'm pumped up about going there."

"I just liked my visit to Hawaii. I liked the coaches. I liked the players. I can't say anything negative about Montana, I had a great visit there, but I just went with my gut feeling and Hawaii was where I wanted to go."

Luettgerodt will become the fourth member of next season's incoming recruiting class, joining guard Todd Lowenthal and forwards Alex Veit and Todd Follmer.

He follows fellow Chemeketa product Chris Botez, who completed his two-year career with the Rainbows in March, to Manoa. He also adds to UH's pipeline from the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges, which included Botez and guards Michael Kuebler and Mark Campbell in recent years.

Luettgerodt's 53-point effort came in a 111-97 win over Lane Community College in January. He shot 17-for-25 from the field, including 5-for-8 from 3-point range.

Luettgerodt's scoring prowess helped earn him NWAACC Southern Division MVP honors, but he's looking forward to showing off another skill as he makes the jump to Division I.

"I've found ways to score," he said. "But I'm looking forward, especially at Hawaii, to having great players around where I don't have to score as much as I've had to in the past. I feel my passing ability is one of my strengths."

The Rainbows return several players who have played shooting guard, including Matt Gibson, Matt Lojeski, Bobby Nash and John Wilder. The Rainbows will need to fill the void left by the departure of small forward Julian Sensley, the team's leading scorer this season.

"I feel I've accomplished something," Luettgerodt said. "But now it's like I'll enjoy it for the moment, but then you start working and getting better and setting some new goals and looking forward to a good career at Hawaii."