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Four-star SF Colin Smith talks Kansas

Colin Smith is the No. 58 ranked player in the 2022 class
Colin Smith is the No. 58 ranked player in the 2022 class (https://michigan.rivals.com)

Colin Smith, the 6-foot-8, 200-pound small forward from St. Mark’s High School in Dallas, Texas, is no stranger to the recruiting process. Smith, the No. 58 ranked player in the 2022 class, is currently considering scholarship offers from Arkansas, Baylor, Georgetown, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, SMU, Stanford, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, UCLA, and Vanderbilt.

Not surprisingly, life simply hasn’t been the same for Smith, a four-star prospect, since the coronavirus (COVID-19) hit, but he was able to finish out his sophomore season with a state championship. Because of the pandemic, Smith spent a majority of his spring and summer at home instead of traveling on the AAU circuit.

Despite the coronavirus (COVID-19) shutting down the spring and summer AAU circuit, basketball continues to be a top priority for Colin Smith.

“At the beginning of the summer, I was just working out at home,” Colin Smith said during a phone interview with JayhawkSlant.com. “I was just trying to do as much as I could with what I had at home. I was just trying to stay fit and stay ready for whenever AAU was going to start back-up. The gyms started to open back up around May, so we were able to get back in the gym, workout, and actually get some shots up.

“We had a couple of tournaments and then another long break,” he added. “We just got to play again this weekend, so it has been a struggle. I actually finished my sophomore season of basketball a week or two before everything got canceled, so we lucked out. We actually ended up winning a state championship.

“Yes sir, it was very exciting,” he continued. “The year before, we lost in the semifinals, so we wanted to get back. We played that team again in the semifinals, and we beat them this year, so it was a sweet revenge game. It was a good year.”

Kansas extended a scholarship offer to Smith during his freshman year
Kansas extended a scholarship offer to Smith during his freshman year (Future150)
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With the start of his junior year at St. Mark’s High School quickly approaching, Smith, like most high school and college students across the United States, isn’t exactly sure what to expect moving forward.

The plan, according to Smith, is to start the school year off with virtual learning. The hope is there will be a decrease in the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases to allow Smith and his classmates to eventually return to school to finish out the year.

While Smith has two years of high school remaining, many won’t get to experience the thrill that comes with stepping foot on campus the first day of your senior year. The joy, happiness, and feeling like you’re on top of the world is something that simply can’t be replicated.

“We start school next week,” said Smith. “We’re doing virtual learning for a little bit, and we might transition into returning to the classroom.”

During his sophomore year at St. Mark’s High School, Smith averaged 21.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, five assists, 1.5 blocks and one steal per game. With close to 20 scholarship offers on the table, Smith was looking forward to making a splash on the AAU circuit this spring and summer.

There’s no doubt that Smith would have seen his offer list grow had the AAU circuit, including all evaluation periods, not been shut down due to the coronavirus (COVID-19). While there was no spring and summer ball to be played, Smith still made it a priority to work on all aspects of his game.

“I think, during this long break, I’ve been working a lot on ball work and handling the ball,” said Smith. “I’ve been working on a lot of moves in the post, once I get a smaller person on me, or whenever I get the opportunity to get a mismatch and put them in the post.

“I’ve just been working on post moves and stuff like that,” he added. “The one part of my game that I feel good about is my passing ability, the ability to read the floor, being able to know where people are going to be and just getting them the ball, and finishing and shooting.”


Smith plans to visit Kansas in the future
Smith plans to visit Kansas in the future (SI.com)

When college coaches were officially allowed to contact prospects from the 2022 class for the first time in June, Smith, not surprisingly, was one of the most popular prospects in the class. It just so happens that one of the first schools to reach out to the talented small forward was Kansas.

Throughout his recruitment, Smith has managed to build a strong relationship with Bill Self and his staff.

“We haven’t done a virtual tour or anything like that, but we have been talking,” he said. “They actually offered me my freshman year, so we’ve been pretty close for a while. I still remember when Kansas offered me a scholarship. Coach (Jerrance) Howard called my dad before practice and he called me in there and told me that I was getting offered by Kansas.

“I actually thought he was joking,” he added. “I think it was pretty close to my birthday, so it was a cool little birthday surprise. Coach Howard is my recruiting coordinator. He’s real laid back and he’s a cool guy. He just talks to me about what’s going on and stuff like that. He’s just a cool dude.”

On the surface, it doesn’t appear that Smith is anywhere near close to making a decision regarding his recruitment. With scholarship offers from Arkansas, Baylor, Georgetown, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, SMU, Stanford, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, UCLA, and Vanderbilt, and more likely coming in the future, the decision-making process is likely a long way from taking place.

Still, while much remains unknown, it is clear that Kansas has established itself as a serious contender for Colin Smith.

“We haven’t been able to get down there, but that it definitely one of the schools we want to get down and take a look at,” he said. “We’d like to get down for a game and stuff like that. Obviously, the culture that they’ve built down at Kansas is definitely crazy.

“The coaching staff, the history of Coach (Bill) Self and their ability to get players to the next level is definitely intriguing,” he added.

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