HONOLULU - University of Hawai`i men's basketball coach Bob Nash announced the signing of Jordan Coleman to a national letter of intent during the early signing period. Coleman will enroll at UH next fall and will have four years of eligibility.

 

Coleman is a 6-4, 175-pound guard out of Calabasas High School in California. As junior he averaged 11.9 points and 4.7 rebounds, while shooting 50 percent from the field. Coleman played wing for Calabasas during his junior season and was used primarily as a defensive point man for his team. Despite not being a featured part of the offense, Coleman was the second-leading scorer and he averaged 15 points per game during the second half of the season after the loss of the team's starting point guard. After just his first season with Calabasas, his teammates voted him to receive the Leadership Award for his unselfish play and his steadying influence on and off the court.

 

“We are extremely excited to welcome Jordan into our basketball family,” Nash said. “He is a dynamic young guard with significant upside and has really come into his own over the past year. We feel good about the way he's performed on the court, in the classroom and generally speaking, how he handles himself.”

 

Coleman was also an AAU standout while playing for Team Eleate. This past spring and summer he appeared in a number of West Coast tournaments, playing at both the point and shooting guard positions, while establishing himself as one of the team's top offensive players.

 

“He's a tremendous athlete with a solid skill set and feel for the game,” Nash said. “His strength is in the open floor and he's worked really hard to extend his range. Having just turned 17, we look forward to following his progress during his senior season and can't wait for the opportunity to aid his development.”

 

With six seniors on this year's squad, UH has five more available scholarships to fill. The early signing period ends Nov. 18. The Rainbow Warriors officially open the 2009-10 season Friday night versus Southern Utah in the Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic.