Lanny Smith didn't need to look very far in searching for a college, and it's a major reason why he committed to the Houston basketball program this week.

Smith, a penetrating 6-2, 160 pound point guard from Hightower H.S. in Houston, said he picked the hometown Cougs over Texas, TCU, Baylor and Oklahoma.

Back at the adidas Big Time Tournament last month, Smith told Rivalshoops that he would commit to Texas if the Longhorns offered. And it looked like Rick Barnes' program might make an offer at some point during the July evaluation period.

But as the summer wore on, Texas had a change in plans and opted not to bring in any perimeter players.

At first, the recruiting process was exciting to Lanny. But as time wore on, he became more confused and unsure about who was telling him the truth and who was telling him what he wanted to hear.

"I really feel like I can trust the coaching staff at U of H," Smith said. "There's an opportunity to step right in and play right away, and I can also be close to home."

Last season at Hightower, Smith averaged 15 points, eight assists and four steals per game. He has explosive quickness, good athleticism, and generally makes solid decisions with the ball. The one thing we're not sure about is his perimeter stroke, which tends to be quite streaky.

Any way you slice it, however, Smith is a terrific get for Ray McCallum's Houston program. He should contribute immediately and become a big part of the Cougars' rebuilding program in Conference USA.

A qualifier who has a 3.5 GPA and scored a 1080 on the SAT, Smith plans on signing a national letter of intent with Houston during the November early period.