Two For Colorado

With its slot in the Big 12 Conference, the Colorado basketball program has a good chance to land talented players out of the Southwestern United States.

So it was no surprise in the past week when Ricardo Patton's Buffalo program dipped into Texas and Oklahoma to pick up a pair of solid high school players.

Rivalshoops.com spoke with both 5-11 point guard Marcus Hall and 6-6 forward Keith Smith, and each confirmed his commitment to the CU program. Both visited Boulder the weekend of Sept. 6-8, when the Buffalo football team hosted San Diego State.

Hall, the spunky and sharp-shooting 150 pound floor general from Jersey Village H.S. in Houston, Tex., picked the Buffs after considering Southern Methodist, Tulsa and UCLA.

"One of the big reasons I picked Colorado is that it's in the Big 12, and I always wanted to play in the Big 12," Hall said. "That made the decision easy, but the guys at Colorado like David Harrison and some of the other guys are pretty cool, and I liked playing with them.

As is the case with many players on their official visits, Hall said he had a chance to play some pick up ball with the Buffalo players. He said he felt he held his own in the unofficial scrimmage.

Smith, a powerful 220 pound combo/small forward from Putnam City H.S. in Oklahoma City, Okla., said he opted for CU after taking other fall trips to Nebraska (Aug. 30-Sept. 1) and New Mexico (Aug. 23-25). Tulsa was another school on his list, and he unofficially visited there as a high school junior.

The Big 12 was also a big selling point for Smith, who played quite well this past summer for the Athletes First program out of Oklahoma on the Nike travel circuit.

"I will get a chance to play in a major conference, where I'll play against the best competition night in and night out," he stated. "You are going to have a chance to compete on the highest level at a good program that is up and coming."

Smith averaged 17 points and eight rebounds per game last season at Putnam City H.S., where he played alongside current Kansas State freshman Marques "Mad Dog" Hayden.

Like Hall, Smith is a full academic qualifier who said he boasts a 3.7 GPA and a 21 on the ACT.

While he played both the three and four this past summer for Athletes First, Smith likely will play the three position early on at Colorado. The Buffalo coaching staff has discussed the possibility of Keith eventually moving over to the two slot, assuming his perimeter skills continue to develop once he gets to Boulder.

Both Hall and Smith plan on signing with Colorado in November during the NCAA's early signing period.