GreatLakeState
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- Apr 22, 2005
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By Mark Kiszla
Denver Post Staff Columnist
Boulder --
Here is all you need to know about the state of college basketball in
Colorado. There were not 5,000 people willing to drive down the street
on Saturday night to watch a future first-round NBA draft pick.
And we're not talking about CU guard Richard Roby, whose stock as a pro
prospect is plummeting.
Better catch Colorado State forward Jason Smith, who helped the Rams
win a basketball game on the CU campus for the first time since 1957,
while you can.
At the same time next year, he figures to be a millionaire, working in New
York or Dallas or Los Angeles. After Smith scored 15 points and grabbed
16 rebounds in CSU's 72-69 victory against the Buffaloes, it's hard to
imagine that if he declares for the draft after his junior season with the
Rams, 30 NBA teams could find somebody better to take than him during
the first round.
Getting rich can wait. For now, Smith, the son of two proud Colorado
State alums, is satisfied to be the most rude visitor from Fort Collins that
any CU basketball team has allowed in the house in almost five decades.
"Forty-nine years, that was our motivation," a grinning Smith said.
Although 7 feet tall, Smith will earn his money as a pro on the perimeter,
where his quick feet, keen court vision and soft shooting touch seem
destined to create mismatches that NBA coaches constantly seek when
they diagram offensive plays.
With the Rams using him almost exclusively below the foul line against
CU, it's fair to wonder if Smith is being given ample opportunity to refine
the skills that make him a special player.
"I work on those skills in practice, to keep it fresh, and not get rusty,"
Smith said.
While seventh-year Colorado State coach Dale Layer needs to worry about
saving his job, shouldn't his first responsibility as a teacher be to prepare
Smith for life after college?
Roby contemplated jumping to the NBA after his sophomore year. He
decided to stay in school, unaware coach Ricardo Patton would allow this
year to be a waste of everyone's time by announcing he was walking out
on the Buffs at the conclusion of the season.
Anybody who thinks Patton has his team's full attention is not paying any
more attention than Roby was during a timeout with 7 minutes, 55
seconds remaining in the second half and the Buffs trailing CSU by 15
points.
Roby stood on the edge of the team huddle, appearing for all the world
like a barely interested listener to whatever words of wisdom Patton was
relaying to the Buffs.
And, if Roby is not careful, NBA scouts will stop paying attention to him.
With his field-goal accuracy hovering around 33 percent for the season,
what reason would pro teams think he's capable of succeeding at the next
level?
Roby often seemed unfocused until a furious, but ultimately futile, rally
by the Buffs in the game's final three minutes. But can any of us really
blame Roby for his indifference?
A lame-duck coach has killed what little enthusiasm fans had for buying
tickets to games at CU. The attendance for an intrastate rivalry game
between the Buffs and Rams was 4,309, which is almost unfathomable.
With the Coors Events Center filled to less than 50 percent of capacity,
CSU's Layer could not believe his eyes.
"It was a good college game," Layer said. "I'm sorry that more people
didn't get to see it."
At this time next year, there will be hundreds of local basketball fans who
will tell you they saw the potential in Smith to make it all the way from the
tiny Colorado town of Kersey to the bright lights of the NBA.
Don't believe any of those claims. Almost nobody in this state has
bothered to watch Smith play hoops.
It's a shame.
Denver Post Staff Columnist
Boulder --
Here is all you need to know about the state of college basketball in
Colorado. There were not 5,000 people willing to drive down the street
on Saturday night to watch a future first-round NBA draft pick.
And we're not talking about CU guard Richard Roby, whose stock as a pro
prospect is plummeting.
Better catch Colorado State forward Jason Smith, who helped the Rams
win a basketball game on the CU campus for the first time since 1957,
while you can.
At the same time next year, he figures to be a millionaire, working in New
York or Dallas or Los Angeles. After Smith scored 15 points and grabbed
16 rebounds in CSU's 72-69 victory against the Buffaloes, it's hard to
imagine that if he declares for the draft after his junior season with the
Rams, 30 NBA teams could find somebody better to take than him during
the first round.
Getting rich can wait. For now, Smith, the son of two proud Colorado
State alums, is satisfied to be the most rude visitor from Fort Collins that
any CU basketball team has allowed in the house in almost five decades.
"Forty-nine years, that was our motivation," a grinning Smith said.
Although 7 feet tall, Smith will earn his money as a pro on the perimeter,
where his quick feet, keen court vision and soft shooting touch seem
destined to create mismatches that NBA coaches constantly seek when
they diagram offensive plays.
With the Rams using him almost exclusively below the foul line against
CU, it's fair to wonder if Smith is being given ample opportunity to refine
the skills that make him a special player.
"I work on those skills in practice, to keep it fresh, and not get rusty,"
Smith said.
While seventh-year Colorado State coach Dale Layer needs to worry about
saving his job, shouldn't his first responsibility as a teacher be to prepare
Smith for life after college?
Roby contemplated jumping to the NBA after his sophomore year. He
decided to stay in school, unaware coach Ricardo Patton would allow this
year to be a waste of everyone's time by announcing he was walking out
on the Buffs at the conclusion of the season.
Anybody who thinks Patton has his team's full attention is not paying any
more attention than Roby was during a timeout with 7 minutes, 55
seconds remaining in the second half and the Buffs trailing CSU by 15
points.
Roby stood on the edge of the team huddle, appearing for all the world
like a barely interested listener to whatever words of wisdom Patton was
relaying to the Buffs.
And, if Roby is not careful, NBA scouts will stop paying attention to him.
With his field-goal accuracy hovering around 33 percent for the season,
what reason would pro teams think he's capable of succeeding at the next
level?
Roby often seemed unfocused until a furious, but ultimately futile, rally
by the Buffs in the game's final three minutes. But can any of us really
blame Roby for his indifference?
A lame-duck coach has killed what little enthusiasm fans had for buying
tickets to games at CU. The attendance for an intrastate rivalry game
between the Buffs and Rams was 4,309, which is almost unfathomable.
With the Coors Events Center filled to less than 50 percent of capacity,
CSU's Layer could not believe his eyes.
"It was a good college game," Layer said. "I'm sorry that more people
didn't get to see it."
At this time next year, there will be hundreds of local basketball fans who
will tell you they saw the potential in Smith to make it all the way from the
tiny Colorado town of Kersey to the bright lights of the NBA.
Don't believe any of those claims. Almost nobody in this state has
bothered to watch Smith play hoops.
It's a shame.
