HONOLULU – University of Hawai`i men's basketball coach Gib Arnold announced the addition of the sixth player to his 2011-12 recruiting class. New York City Player of the Year Shaquille Stokes signed a national letter of intent and will join the Rainbow Warriors this fall with four years of eligibility.

 

Stokes, a 5-10 point guard, averaged 18.4 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists per game this past season as a senior for Lincoln High School in New York. He led Lincoln to a 29-3 record, a runner-up finish in the city championship and a No. 21 national ranking by USA Today.

 

Stokes was a three-year starter for Lincoln, a New York powerhouse that has produced some of the best point guards in the nation. During his career, he helped Lincoln to three-straight league titles and capped his career by being tabbed as first-team all-city and city Player of the Year by the New York Daliy News. He was named the All-Brooklyn Player of the Year and also ranked among the top 10 seniors in New York City by NYChoops.net.
 

“Shaquille gives our team a great added dimension,” Arnold said. “New York point guards have a reputation for being tough, defensive-minded players who can create off the dribble. Shaquille fits that mold perfectly. He played for a winning program under a legendary coach that has consistently produced NBA players at the point guard position, most recently Stephon Marbury, Sebastian Telfair and Lance Stephenson.”

 

Stokes tallied 23 points and eight assists to lead Lincoln to the Brooklyn Borough basketball championship, helping Lincoln earn the top seed in New York's prestigious public schools playoffs. The Railsplitters eventually advanced to the city championship game played in Madison Square Garden, before eventually falling.

 

Stokes is the sixth player to join this year's UH recruiting class and is the fourth player signed by Arnold in the spring period. He joins the Rainbow Warriors after being recruited by schools from the Big East, SEC and Mountain West, among others.

 

“Rainbow Warrior fans will love the way Shaquille plays and will enjoy watching him for the next four years,” Arnold said. “I think with the addition of Shaquille and our other two freshman guards—Gerry Blakes and Dillon Biggs—we've added great depth and athleticism to the backcourt.”

 

 

Dillon Biggs, 6-7, 195, F, Fr., Los Angles, Calif., Dorsey HS

Gerry Blakes, G, 6-4, 175, Fr., Inglewood, Calif., Morningside HS

Hauns Brereton, F, 6-7, 205, Jr., Bartlett, Tenn., Western Nebraska CC

DeShawn Mitchell, G, 6-5, 205, Jr., Newark, N.J., Snow College (Utah)

Ronnie Stevens, F, 6-8, 225, Fr., Gardena, Calif., Serra HS

Shaquille Stokes, G, 5-10, 160, Fr., Brooklyn, N.Y., Lincoln HS