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BUFFALO, NY - Parnell Smith (Indianapolis, IN/Pike) has signed a National Letter of Intent to attend the University at Buffalo and participate on the men's basketball team, according to head coach Reggie Witherspoon.

Smith, a 6-6, 210 lb. forward, was a three-year starter for perennial power Pike High School in Indianapolis. For his career, he averaged 10 points and seven rebounds per game. He was a member of the state championship teams of 2001 and 2003. Pike finished the 2002-03 season 29-0 and ranked second in the nation in the USA Today Super 25 Boys' Basketball Rankings.

Smith earned first-team All-State honors as a sophomore and was a two-time first-team All-Sectional, All-County and All-State Tournament selection.

Prior to the 2002-03 season, he was a McDonald's All-American nominee and an Indiana Mr. Basketball candidate. However, his senior season was slowed by a groin injury that kept him out of the starting lineup. Despite the injury, he still managed to average six points and four rebounds in 10 minutes per game. He has fully recovered from the injury.

Following the 2002-03 season, he was named to the Indiana High School Guide Tremendous 26 as one of the top 26 men's and women's basketball players in the state. He is one of 14 players from the state of Indiana selected to play in the Indiana vs. Kentucky High School All-Star Game.

"Parnell had a great high school career and comes from a great program," Witherspoon said. "He has established himself as a winner and beyond that, the character that he displayed coming back from the injury and putting the team first, are all tremendously important things to our university and our program. We are thrilled to be able to go into the state of Indiana and come away with a great student-athlete who has been selected to the Indiana High School All-Star team, has won two state championships and was a candidate for Mr. Basketball in the state of Indiana."

Smith, whose older brother Rodney played basketball at Purdue, chose UB over Ball State, Bradley, Eastern Kentucky and Louisiana-Monroe.

Smith joins 6-9 forward Brian Andre (Bingham, ME/Valley) and 6-11 center Andrew Atman (Upper St. Clair, PA/Upper St. Clair) who signed National Letters of Intent in November.