MISSOULA, MT - (11/13/08-dg) The University of Montana
basketball program has signed two high school standouts to National
Letters of Intent, announced third-year UM Head Coach Wayne Tinkle.
Wednesday, Nov. 12 was the first day for prep athletes to sign NLIs.

Eric Hutchison, a 6-9, 215-pound post player from Mark Morris
High School in Longview, Wash., and 6-5, 190-pound forward Thurman Woods
from Dominguez High School in Compton, Calif., will join the Grizzlies
next season.

Hutchison averaged 10.3 points and 8.7 rebounds last year as a
junior and shot 58 percent from the field and 72% from the line. He was
a first team all-state selection.

"We are very excited to have Eric join our program," said Coach
Tinkle. "We identified him a couple of years ago in the recruiting
process as our kind of post player. He is a big guy with athleticism.
What I really like about him is his motor. For a big man he really
plays with a lot of emotion and intensity. He comes from an outstanding
high school program at Mark Morris, and we know he has been taught great
fundamentals. I think he will remind people of some of our good post
players from the past."

Some of the things that ESPN's Basketball Recruiting web site
(May, 2008) had on its site about Hutchison: "He has great hands, quick
feet and can finish in transition. Hutchison can add to his game by
utilizing the jump-stop and developing a midrange jump shot, but overall
he is one of the top 10 post prospects on the West Coast."

Last season Woods averaged 12.0 points and 8.0 rebounds for a
30-3 Dominguez Hills team which was ranked 11th in the country, and lost
in the C.I.F. championship game.

Woods said he chose the Griz over a host of schools that
included Montana State, Fresno State, Cal State Northridge,
Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Oregon State, Stanford, Columbia, UMass and Boston
University.

"We are equally as excited to have somebody with Thurman's
athleticism and skill to join our program," Tinkle said. "He comes from
one of the top high school programs in the nation. When we were
initially recruiting him we thought he might be a notch above, as far as
a player who we could get, but he fell in love with Missoula and felt
like it would be the best place for him. He will really add a high
level of athleticism to our wing position."

Said ESPN's Basketball Recruiting web site about Woods: "If
Woods continues to develop his game, particularly his ball-handling,
he'll be reminiscent of former UCLA standout Charles O'Bannon."
"The combination of these two signees adds great character and
toughness to our basketball program," Tinkle said.