Point guards Jeremy Lay and Dwain Williams signed letters of intent today to play for the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team.

Both players will be juniors during the 2009-10 season, and will have two seasons of eligibility for the Rainbow Warriors.

"Jeremy and Dwain add more pieces to the puzzle," UH coach Bob Nash said. "We're building a team geared for an up-tempo game. You need the quality guards for that and these guys fit the bill. They also address concerns regarding turnovers and perimeter shooting. They're both excellent ball-handlers and outside shooters. Their ability to spread the floor will help open up the inside for our big men and give us a more balanced attack."

Lay, who is 6 feet and 185 pounds, was a two-year starter at Northern Oklahoma College at Enid. He averaged 16.7 points and 6.5 assists per game as a sophomore this past season. He also led the team with 58 3-pointers.

"Jeremy is a strong, physical guard," Nash said. "He's an excellent passer and 3-point shooter and has good pace to his game. Foremost, he's a winner with strong leadership skills."

Williams, who is 6 feet and 175 pounds, was the starting point guard for Providence in the Big East Conference as a sophomore during the 2007-08 season. He averaged 11.0 points and 2.2 assists per game that season, and led the team in free throw percentage (.902) and 3-point percentage (.407).

Williams, who is from San Diego, attended a junior college in California this past season, but did not play basketball.

"I've known Dwain since the eighth grade," Nash said. "He and Bobby (Nash's son) played on the same AAU team and we spent a lot of time traveling the circuit with him and his family. He's developed into a very good player since then and you can see that by his performance in one of the toughest conferences in the country. The qualities he brings will certainly enhance our guard play."

Lay and Williams are the first two recruits to sign with Hawai'i for the 2009-10 season. The coaches can fill two more scholarships.