Was anyone surprised earlier this week when Kentwood star Josh Smith chose UCLA over UW as his future home?
Though it was just officially reported this week, the rumor had been out there for well over a month.

Selfishly, I’m a bit bummed Smith chose UCLA over UW, but I’m not surprised. I think overall he’s making the right choice. That’s no knock on the UW, I just think Smith’s style of play is better suited for UCLA.
“It’s a relief and just good to finally get it off my chest,” Smith said. “I’ve known for a while (that I was going to UCLA).”
When talking with or about the big guy, I always find myself coming back to the same thing: What must it be like to be in his shoes right now? I can’t imagine what it would be like to be labeled a future NBA player before my 15th birthday. That’s just really the tip of the iceberg, too.
Think about it. Since his freshman year at KW, I bet a day hasn’t passed — heck, an hour — where someone didn’t say, “Hey, Josh, where are you going to go for college?”
The number of times per day he’s been asked that same question has swelled this year to …
“About a million,” said Smith, a 6-foot-10, 280-pounder who averaged 24.3 points per game last year en route to winning All-SPSL North MVP honors for the second straight year. “It has been very tiring. (The media attention) hasn’t settled down like I wanted it to (after the decision).”

Again, I can’t imagine what it has been like. However, as a member of the media, I’ve watched this unfold and I’ve made a strong effort to simply give Smith space. I can’t lie, however, I did ask him twice during the fall how close he was to making a decision. I even went as far as to ask him why Eastern Oregon University, a small school in La Grande I attended years ago, wasn’t among the finalists. I got a bit of a chuckle only after he realized I was in no way serious.

Regardless, I wish the big guy the best of luck. I look forward to not just watching his final prep season unfold, but his future as well.