Parnell gets his minutes

A lot has changed in a year for sophomore Parnell Smith.

Last season at this time, he was donning his warm-ups at the end of the bench, watching his teammates play from the sidelines because of poor academics.

This season, Smith is lacing up his Nikes, wearing his blue and white number 32 jersey, and hearing his name announced as one of the UB men's basketball team's starting five.

Smith, who started playing basketball when he was eight, earned his first collegiate start on Feb. 5, 2005 at the home of the Miami RedHawks. Even though the crowd wasn't behind him, the experience was still extremely thrilling for Smith.

"It was definitely exciting, especially being on the road and the crowd being for the other team and everything, us only having five or six fans," said Smith. "I was really anxious. I was a little nervous but I was more anxious about getting out there and showing what I can do."

Smith, a 6-foot-6-inch forward from Indianapolis, did not know about his new role until he was approached by the coaching staff minutes before the game.

"I found out like right before the game, actually," said Smith. "The coaches came in, we had a group meeting about it and they asked me if I was ready and I told them I was definitely ready for it."

Smith was able to answer the call of duty with confidence, something that he says his game lacked last year.

"My confidence level is up a whole lot and I've just been trying to play as hard as I can in practice and in the games and it's paid off a lot," said Smith.

Smith, a sophomore media studies major, has also been working hard off the court in order to keep his grades up and ensure that he does not fall into the same situation that occurred last year.

"I got a couple tutors and I was studying a lot harder and putting more effort into my studying, getting more focused," said Smith of his current study habits. "I was also setting aside more time to do my homework."

He has learned, however, that the most difficult part of being a successful Division I athlete is learning to balance time between the books and the court.

"The most difficult thing is time management - balancing time studying, going to class and coming to practice," said Smith.

While Smith has changed his study habits, if he could change one thing about himself, he says it would be his quiet demeanor.

"I guess I would break out of my shell, start talking as much as other people," said Smith. "I'm trying to break out of it."

Smith says his friends would describe him as quiet, but aggressive on the court, and thanks to the national media attention the Bulls have received of late, his fans back in Indianapolis have been able to see that first hand.

"I got a lot of people calling me, especially because of the Ball State game because that's right around my home town," said Smith. "They've been able to watch a couple games."

Smith beams when he talks about his family and friends watching him play from home, although occasionally the sophomore becomes a bit camera-shy.

"It pumps me up a lot more but during free throws I get a little bit nervous because the camera is all in your face," said Smith. "Other than that, it's just like a regular game."

Overall, Smith credits his teammates and the coaches for being the deciding factor in coming to UB to continue his education and his athletic development.

"They really made me feel like I was a part of the family here when I came on my visit and everything so that really helped out a lot," said Smith. "Plus, it's a nice city, except for the winter."