Punahou water polo standout Smith, like father, will play for UCLA
By Dennis Anderson
Advertiser Staff Writer
C.J. Smith, Hawai'i's best high school water polo player, verbally committed this week to attend UCLA, where his father Ken was an All-American 35 years ago.
The younger Smith, who was selected by coaches as the Interscholastic League of Honolulu Player of the Year after leading Punahou School, coached by his father, to an undefeated season this fall.
He also won the Brad Yim Award for Hawai'i's Male Player of the Year at all levels at the annual Hawaiian Invitational tournament last summer. The award by the Hawai'i committee of USA Water Polo is named for a former Punahou water polo player who died in a fireworks accident at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992.
C.J. made his official recruiting trip to UCLA last weekend. "I loved the campus and had a lot of fun with the team," he said. "UCLA seems to have a combination of outstanding athletics and academics, which is definitely a good thing.
"Their team looks good for the upcoming years and I look forward to contributing, and hopefully being part of an NCAA championship team." UCLA has won seven national titles, including four of the last seven.
C.J.'s father, whose Punahou boys water polo teams have won 26 ILH titles in 29 years, was an All-American at UCLA in 1966 and 1967 on teams that went 29-0. There was no NCAA championship until two years after he graduated.
"My dad and brother went to UCLA, and I want to be there, too," C.J. said. His older brother Parker is a three-year letterman on the UCLA volleyball team.
C.J. (Cameron James) never played on a losing ILH game for Punahou in three years as a starter and one as a reserve. He was a first-team all-league pick as a driver (point man) the past two years.
C.J., who will be the 30th Punahou water polo player to matriculate at UCLA in Ken Smith's coaching tenure, cannot sign an official scholarship agreement until April 16. Until he signs, UCLA coach Adam Krikorian is not allowed by the NCAA to discuss him publicly.
