Joshua Smith
Photo by Dennis Lee
Joshua Smith of Kentwood (Covington, Wash.) put an end to his recruitment Monday night by choosing UCLA over Washington.
"He felt very good about those two programs," Kentwood head coach Michael Angelidis said. "I think he has been leaning toward UCLA for quite some time but didn’t know for sure until last night."
Smith, a 6-foot-9, 280-pound post player, averaged over 24 points and 14 rebounds as a junior. He posted back-to-back 40-point, 20-rebound performances last January. The future Bruin is the No. 6 player in MaxPreps.com’s 2010 Top 100 and the most significant commitment for Ben Howland since Kevin Love chose UCLA in 2006.
The decision is a major disappointment for the University of Washington program. Head coach Lorenzo Romar has doggedly pursued Smith since his freshman year at Kentwood. The Huskies were hoping the massive post could be the final piece to a team building toward a big run in 2010-2011.
The Bruins also have a commitment from Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) wing Tyler Lamb, ranked No. 93 in the 2010 class by MaxPreps.
With Smith's pledge, just two of the nation's top 10 players remain uncommitted. Top-ranked guard Brandon Knight of Pine Crest (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) appears to be headed toward a spring decision, while No. 4 Harrison Barnes of Ames, Iowa, will make an announcement later this week.
