VANCOUVER - UBC Thunderbirds men's basketball head coach
Kevin Hanson announced today that Colorado Springs, CO resident Geoff Pippus has committed to join the T-Birds for the 2010-11 CIS varsity season.
Pippus, who was born in Calgary but has lived in the US since the age of two, was team captain and MVP at Cheyenne Mountain High School this season after averaging 17.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 41.2% from three-point land and 77.8% from the free throw line.
"Geoff is an all-around great kid. He is long and athletic which are two qualities we feel are important to the style of basketball we play," said Hanson of the lanky 6-foot-5 two guard. "He can shoot the lights out and will give us a real, consistent threat from beyond the arc."
Pippus' decision to come to UBC was strongly influenced by family connections to both UBC and Vancouver.
His uncle, Ross Marshall, is a former UBC Thunderbird (1977-82) and coached in the lower mainland for 17 years. His grandfather, Hugh Marshall, is a living legend in BC boys high school basketball after spending 33 years as head coach at John Oliver High School where the gym is now named after him. The elder Marshall has also been actively involved in the BC Boys' High School Basketball Association since the mid 1950's, and continues to contribute.
"My grandfather is reason that I play the game today and for him to be able see me play college basketball is a dream come true for both of us. We have spent countless hours working on my game both on and off the court. He has been the ultimate influence in my life, and he remains a positive role model and a personal hero to this day," said Pippus.
This season he led Cheyenne Mountain to a 15-10 record and their second straight State Sweet 16 appearance - the first such streak in school history. Pippus finished third in his league's Player of the Year voting and was a first-team all-league and second-team all-area player en route to earning an all-state honourable mention.
Hanson believes that Pippus is the type of player that fits in extremely well with his vision for the UBC program.
"After speaking with Geoff, it's easy to see that he is a stand-up individual both on and off the court who will take full advantage of everything UBC has to offer."
Pippus echoed Hanson's statement when asked about his future plans.
"I explored many other options in the United States, but the overall fit couldn't compare to UBC. Academics are my top priority, and I know that the quality of education at UBC is hard to beat," said Pippus, who plans to study psychology with the hopes of a career in sports psychology.
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