More than 3,700 miles separate Honolulu and Weatherford, Texas.

But the close proximity of the basketball programs at the University of Hawai'i and Weatherford College was a key factor in the signing of coveted recruit Roderick Flemings last week.

Flemings, a 6-foot-7, 215-pound guard/forward, is the crown jewel of the 2008 recruiting class for the Rainbow Warriors.

"Obviously, our ties with Weatherford and (coach) Mark Osina helped us get the process started," Hawai'i head coach Bob Nash said. "But it was a culmination of a lot of other things. Once (Flemings) visited our campus and saw the family atmosphere that we have here ... the opportunity to play right away and be a major contributor. There were a lot of things that were attractive to him."

Flemings is the fifth recruit from Weatherford to sign with the 'Bows since 1999. Osina, who has been the head coach at Weatherford since 1991, describes Flemings as "the best I've ever coached, by far."

"I told Roderick, every kid I sent to Hawai'i loved the place," Osina said. "But none of the other kids was being recruited like him. That was the hard part."

Osina and Hawai'i associate coach Jackson Wheeler have become friends through all those years of recruiting.

"We've developed good relationships with a bunch of schools and coaches over the years," Nash said. "And in this business, good relationships are a big part of success."

If Flemings had attended a junior college not among those "relationships," UH may not have been in the recruiting mix for him.

"Around Christmas, (Wheeler) told me he needed a big-time player, so keep an eye out," Osina said. "I told him I might have the best one in the country right here. And it started from there."

Osina said he did not sway Flemings' decision to choose Hawai'i over Kentucky. But he did say that he talked more with Nash and Wheeler than anybody on the Kentucky staff during the recruiting process.

The bad news? Osina will be leaving Weatherford to become an assistant coach at Mercer University next season.

"At least I left (UH) with a good one," Osina said.

Nash said the signing of Flemings could open the door for similar recruits in future years.

"Getting a player of his quality over some national powers sends a message out there that you can look at Hawai'i as a place to play basketball and continue your education," Nash said.

Flemings must complete summer courses at Weatherford to become eligible at UH. But he and the coaches at Weatherford and UH are confident that he will be eligible next season.

If so, Flemings is expected to become the centerpiece of the 2008-09 UH team.

"He still has to come in and earn it, but with his competitiveness and his game, I think he'll emerge as a go-to guy for the program," Nash said.

Flemings averaged 20.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game at Weatherford last season, and was named to the junior college All-America first team.

"One or two players can improve your team, but you still need other players around them to be a good team," Nash said.

Nash said he thinks the other players in the recruiting class — as well as the returnees from last season — can fill those needs.

"For the pieces we needed, our recruiting really took a step forward this year," Nash said.

Among the other recruits: