RJ Smith rolled his ankle during the preseason last year, but he never became overly concerned about the setback.
As far as sprained ankles go, it was a mild affliction, and one Smith had little doubt he could play through as he settled into a regular bench role with the Colorado men’s basketball team.
Then the Buffaloes took a long flight to Daytona, Fla., for the two-game Sunshine Slam tournament, and Smith’s lower leg seemed to stiffen. A week later, as the Buffs prepared to square off against Colorado State, Smith’s leg swelled significantly. He played only about seven minutes in the loss at Colorado State, and a visit to the doctor shortly afterward confirmed the bad news for Smith.
Due to blood clots in his lower leg, Smith’s season ended after just seven games. While the Buffs soldiered through an injury-riddled season that nonetheless ended with a program-record 26 wins and a pair of victories in the NCAA Tournament, Smith could only watch and set his sights on the 2024-25 campaign.
That time has arrived. Healthy once again, Smith is looking to maintain the backcourt role that he dipped his toes into last year as one of the players capable of filling a key void in CU’s guard rotation.
“It was definitely frustrating, because I could see that I could play. Especially with the good guys we had last year,” Smith said. “It sucked for sure. But I’m definitely ready for this opportunity that I have now. I have a new role. I can step up and be a leader, help the young guys out and see what happens. I’m excited.”
Smith suffered a knee injury during the Division I state championship game in California as a senior and still was dealing with the lingering effects of that setback when he arrived at CU in the summer of 2022. Smith redshirted as a true freshman in 2022-23 but earned a spot off the bench behind veteran guards KJ Simpson and Julian Hammond III last year.
Smith went 3-for-4 with 11 points in the third game of the season last year against Milwaukee, and after knocking down his only long-range attempt against Richmond in the first game of the Sunshine Slam, Smith was off to a 5-for-9 start from 3-point range.
Smith didn’t score another point as the blood clot in his leg derailed his season. This past offseason, head coach Tad Boyle easily could have looked to the transfer portal for reinforcements in the backcourt as, after Hammond, the Buffs feature two guards who have battled injuries (Smith, Javon Ruffin) and three who have yet to play a minute at the collegiate level (redshirt freshman Courtney Anderson, plus true freshmen Felix Kossaras and Andrew Crawford).
Smith is planning to reward his head coach’s faith.
“It means everything. It’s a testament to his program and how we’re built,” Smith said. “We’re a family. Ups and downs, we’re in it together. (Boyle) has confidence in me and Ruff, and we’re kind of in the same position. The confidence he has in us makes us want to play even harder for him and the school.
“Obviously it’s been rough, but everything happens for a reason. It’s good to be back in the gym with the guys. We spent a lot of time this summer playing with each other, playing pickup and everything. We have a good feel. We just have to keep playing together and everything will fall into place. But yeah, being healthy is my main goal. I’m not worried about anything else. The game will come, but staying healthy is the main thing.”
Originally Published:
