November 25, 2009

Mr. Smith goes to Easton

Kevin McCarthy
 

It took longer than earlier anticipated as the route has included a detour to New England but Leslie Smith, formerly of Marin Catholic High, is squared away and will morph into a Leopard in college after five years as a Wildcat.

photo of Leslie Smith
Smith will join the Lafayette Leopards

The 6-foot-2 point guard has signed a national letter-of-intent with Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. Currently spending a prep year at Kimball Union Academy in New Hampshire, Smith cast his lot with the Leopards because "the coaching staff is the greatest. They stuck with me."

He suffered an ACL injury in the summer before his senior year and then broke a hand just prior to the season. That didn’t deter Coach Fran O’Hanlon who has been in place at Lafayette since 1995.

Here is what the accomplishment means to Smith: "Earning a college basketball scholarship means everything to me. Being a student athlete is my life, it is what I do and I am incredibly happy and grateful that I can continue to do this at both a great academic institution and athletic institution."

This isn’t the first venture into California for Lafayette recruiting. Backcourter Tony Johnson, out of Folsom High, is a Leopard freshman currently averaging 18 minutes of playing time a game.

Here is Phil Handy, Smith’s Team 94 coach, on his protégé: "Considering that Leslie didn’t really have a chance to have a solid high school career due to injuries I think it speaks volumes to his talent that he was still able to garner a D-1 scholarship. He has one of the best crossovers I have seen and I have been fortunate to train some really good players. Hopefully, his college career will be productive and healthy."

Michael Olson is Smith’s current coach at Kimball Union Academy: "Leslie is a natural leader and a tireless worker. We are thrilled to have him at Kimball Union and know he will make an impact at Lafayette when the time comes."

Another factor in Smith’s decision was that the Leopards graduate Michael Gruner, a three year starter, and Jeff Kari, after the 2009-2010 season, thereby leaving a wide open opportunity for earning playing time.

Smith will be majoring in business, with a minor in physiology or biology at Lafayette.

"I want to thank my parents and my brother Thomas for all their support, along with Phil Handy (basketball trainer and Team 94 coach) and Rick Winter (longtime Marin Catholic athletic director and boys basketball coach)," Smith said.

As an for-your-information aside, besides Lafayette, the Patriot League consists of American, Army, Navy, Lehigh, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross. Dotting the rosters of these teams are a bevy of northern Californians such as: