HONOLULU – University of Hawai'i men's basketball head coach Gib Arnold announced his first three recruits with the commitments of a pair of junior college standouts and a high school all-star. Vander Joaquim, Josten Thomas and Trevor Wiseman all signed with Hawai'i and will join the Rainbow Warriors this fall.

“I'm extremely pleased that Trevor, Vander and Josten will be joining the team,” Arnold said. “We only had a few weeks before the start of the signing period and I'm thrilled to sign players of this caliber who are going to help build this program.”

Arnold's first three signees boast size, athleticism and loads of promise. Joaquim is a 6-10 center and native of Angola, where he has trained with the national team before coming to the United State as a high school junior. Josten, a 6-7 wing, was one of the nation's most sought after prep players, before playing this freshman season at junior college powerhouse College of Southern Idaho, a school Arnold was formerly the head coach. Wiseman, meanwhile, was a matchup nightmare for opponents during his high school career at Golden Valley High School in Santa Clarita, Calif., often running the point as a 6-7 forward.

The Rainbow Warriors signed another Southern California product, 6-4 guard Jordan Coleman form Calabasas High School, during the early signing period. Wiseman and Coleman, both of whom earned 3A all-CIF first team honors, will play in the "The Battle of the Valley” all-star game on April 17.

Vander Joaquim, C, 6-10, 240, So. Luanda, Angola (College of Eastern Utah)

A native of Luanda, Angola… selected to the Basketball Without Borders Africa camp in 2006 and '07, in which the top 100 players from 28 countries on the continent were selected to participate by FIBA and the NBA….also played in the Lusophony Games as a member of the Angolan National Team in 2006…came to the United States in 2007, attending Christian High School in El Cajon, Calif., for his junior season…averaged 21.1 ppg while shooting 54.3 percent from the floor and 69.5 percent from the free throw line…led the league with 16.8 rebounds per contest and posted 89 blocked shots (3.2 bpg)…played senior season at Mountain State Academy in Huntington, W.Va…singed with the University of Nebraska in November 2008, before attending College of Eastern Utah as a freshman…a key contributor on a Golden Eagles squad that went 27-10 overall and finished third in the NJCAA Tournament this past season...averaged 8.9 ppg and 6.9 rpg and led the team with 31 blocks...posted seven double-doubles.

Coach Arnold on Joaquim: “Joaquim has great length and skill. I really like his versatility. He's one of those guys that can score in the low post as well as hit the open 3-pointer. He's a hard worker and great kid. I'm really looking forward to working with him.”

Josten Thomas, G/F, 6-7, 225, So., Washington, D.C. (College of Southern Idaho)

Played freshman season at College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls, Idaho, where he led the team in both scoring (15.3 ppg) and rebounding (8.2 rpg)…also ranked second in the conference in both categories…recorded 10 double-doubles on the season, including four straight to start the season…appeared in 30 games and shot 46 percent from the field as the Eagles won 20 games and advanced to the second round of the Region 18 Tournament...before attending CSI was a heralded prepster out of God's Academy in Grand Prairie, Texas…among the teams who expressed interest in Thomas out of high school were Connecticut, Kentucky, Memphis, South Carolina, Texas A&M and West Virginia…rated as the fourth-best prep player out of the state of Texas, while ESPN touted him as one of the nation's top 30 high school players after averaging 32.1 points, 10.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game as a senior...prior to God's Academy, the Washington, D.C. native played for National Christian Academy in Maryland where he was rated as the second-best player in the DC Metro area as a junior.

Coach Arnold on Thomas: “Josten has great size and strength. He was the leading scorer and rebounder on a very good team and is not afraid to mix it up. He's extremely versatile and can play multiple positions. He has a great blend of athleticism, size and skill and should be a match-up problem for our opponents. We're thrilled to have him join the team.”

Trevor Wiseman, F, 6-7, 210, Fr., Valencia, Calif. (Golden Valley High School)

Averaged 20.5 points, 11.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game this past season as senior for Golden Valley High School in Santa Clarita, Calif…named Foothill League co-Player of the Year and earned first-team All-California Interscholastic Federation honors in 3A…played nearly every position on the court, including point guard...a three-year starter for Golden Valley, helped lead the school to two league titles and guided his team to the division quarterfinals this season…aside from league player of the year and all-state honors, was also named to the McDonald's All-American Game watch list in 2010…will participate in “The Battle of the Valley” all-star game along with fellow Rainbow Warriors signee and Southern California product, 6-4 guard Jordan Coleman form Calabasas High School.

Coach Arnold on Wiseman: “I feel Trevor is a true sleeper in this signing period. He's a great playmaker for his size. You don't find many players who jump ball and play the point. It'll be fun to see him develop as a player.”

2010-11 University of Hawai`i Recruits

Jordan Coleman, G, 6-4, 175, Fr., Calabasas, Calif. (Calabasas High School)

Vander Joaquim, C, 6-10, 240, So. Luanda, Angola (College of Eastern Utah)

Josten Thomas, G/F, 6-7, 225, So., Washington, D.C. (College of Southern Idaho)

Trevor Wiseman, F, 6-7, 210, Fr., Valencia, Calif. (Golden Valley High School)