One of the state's top high school basketball players is en route to SMU — to play football.

Mustangs coach June Jones offered Marcus Holyfield, the No. 2 player in the Star-Bulletin Boys Basketball All-State Fab 15, a scholarship nearly a month ago. Holyfield, a muscular 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds, was surprised by the opportunity. The recent Mid-Pacific graduate was expecting to attend Cal Maritime to play basketball.

Now, he's just days away from flying to Dallas and participating in two-a-day workouts on SMU's campus. It all began on a Sunday morning.

“;June Jones came down to speak at our church (Grace Bible). I was playing in the NCAA (summer basketball league) and Artie was coaching me,”; Holyfield said. Artie, of course, is Artie Wilson, former UH guard and a close buddy of Jones, the former UH football coach.

Holyfield's father, Anthony Sr., played football at the University of Hawaii. Marcus may get to play two sports at SMU.

“;I want to play both and (Jones) knew that,”; he said.