By The Daily Item

CATAWISSA -- Colin Klebon made it official on Wednesday.

After making a verbal commitment in July, Klebon, a 6-foot-6 senior forward for Southern Columbia, signed his national letter of intent to play for the Bucknell Bison next season.

A two-time Daily Item Player of the Year and a two-time Associated Press All-State selection the past two seasons for the Tigers, Klebon chose Bucknell because of its winning tradition, its proximity to his home and for its academics.

Klebon's anticipated major while at Bucknell is engineering.

Although he missed the first nine games of the 2007-08 season with a fractured left wrist, Klebon still averaged 25.9 points per game and pulled down 12.4 rebounds per game for Southern.

Klebon's return from his injury helped turn a disappointing season around for Southern.

The Tigers began last season 2-7, but with Klebon back in the lineup they won all but two of their remaining games to qualify for the District 4 Class AA playoffs.

Through his first three years in a Southern uniform, Klebon has scored 1,597 points and grabbed 977 rebounds.

Before this season Klebon was on pace to set school records in both categories. He's just 17 caroms shy of the record of 994 held by Butch Romanoski, while he's 541 points behind school scoring record holder Chad Fabian.

However, Klebon will have his work cut out for him this year if he wants to match the numbers he put up a year ago and break those two school records.

For the second straight year Klebon will start the season watching the Tigers play from the sideline.

Klebon will miss the first part of the season after he broke his left leg while dunking the ball during an open gym on Oct. 20.

He landed awkwardly after the dunk, causing his leg to break above the ankle.

According to Southern head coach Curt Stellfox, Klebon will probably miss less time this year than what he did last season.