Dennis Smith Jr. (born November 25, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was ranked among the top point guards in the class of 2016 by most basketball recruiting services. He attended NC State University for one season of college basketball and earned second-team all-conference honors in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) as a freshman as well as ACC Freshman of the Year. After the season, Smith decided to forgo his remaining college eligibility and declared for the 2017 NBA draft. He was selected 9th overall by the Mavericks.
Video Dennis Smith Jr.
High school career
Smith attended Trinity Christian School in Fayetteville, North Carolina all four years of his high school basketball career. During his freshman year at Trinity Christian in 2013, Smith came off the bench on the varsity basketball team, where he averaged 9.2 points, 3.0 assist per game. As a sophomore, Smith and Trinity Christian defeated Greenfield by one point to win the 2014 NCISAA 1-A State Championship, while Smith scored 21 points and was named MVP. During the season, Smith averaged, 17.6 points per game and 9.3 assists, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.4 steals per game. After the conclusion of his sophomore season, Smith participated in the NBPA Top 100 Camp on June 19, 2014, at John Paul Jones Arena in Virginia. Later that summer, Smith was selected to the 2014 Under Armour Elite 24 game in Brooklyn. Smith also competed in the 2014 Adidas Nations. Prior to the start of Smith's junior year, he began to blossom as a player and outshined the competition during the 2014 summer while playing AAU basketball. After the 2014 summer, the 6-foot-3 junior entered the year more focused than ever to claim his spot as one of the best point guards and player's in the Class of 2016. In his junior year, Smith and Trinity Christian played in the 2014-2015 High School OT Holiday Invitational Tournament at Needham B. Broughton High School in Raleigh. On December 26, 2014, Smith scored 23 points to help Trinity defeat Ravenscroft School (83-60). On December 29, 2014, Smith and Trinity Christian went head to head with an Orangeville Prep that featured future NBA players Jamal Murray and Thon Maker. Smith scored 38 points in a losing effort as Trinity Christian lost (79-75) in the semi-finals. On February 2, 2015, Smith scored 17 points to defeat Cape Fear Christian Academy in the NCISAA 1-A quarterfinals. On February 11, 2015, in the last game of the season, Smith scored 33 points in a (90-58) loss to Word of God Christian Academy in the NCISAA 1-A Semi-Finals. During the season, Smith averaged 22.2 points per game, 7.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds per game, and 3 steals, while leading them to a (23-10) overall record. In 2015, he was named the Gatorade Basketball Player of the Year for North Carolina.
Prior to his senior year, Smith tore his ACL, causing him to miss the entire season. Smith received surgery weeks later after the injury. Before the injury, in the summer of 2015, Smith competed on the Adidas Uprising Circuit for the AAU team, Team Loaded North Carolina (NC), alongside Bam Adebayo. He led his team to victory in the 2015 Adidas Uprising Gauntlet 17u championship in Indianapolis. Smith averaged 16.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 6.9 assists in 11 games on the circuit. Weeks later, Smith and his team played in the ESPNU summer showcase against Indiana Elite. He led Team Loaded to victory. Smith also appeared in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) Circuit for AAU Team Penny, sponsored by former NBA superstar Penny Hardaway. He played nine games for Team Penny while averaging 12.0 points and 2.9 assists. Smith participated in other events and camps such as the NBPA Top 100 camp, Steph Curry Select Camp, Adidas Nations, and the Elite 24 Invitational. Smith was rated by Scout.com, Rivals.com, and 247sports as a five-star recruit and ranked No. 7 by 247sports, while Scout.com ranked him No. 10 in the Class of 2016. He committed to NC State University to play college basketball.
Maps Dennis Smith Jr.
College career
North Carolina State (2016-2017)
In December 2015, Smith graduated early from Trinity Christian School and in January 2016, enrolled at North Carolina State University. He decided to take the opportunity to get an early start on his freshman year by attending classes and rehabbing from his injury with the NC State medical staff. Smith began his freshman season playing in two exhibition games against Lynn University and Barton College. In his debut for the Wolfpack, Smith played 36 minutes and dished out five assists in a 81-79 victory against Georgia Southern. On November 21, 2016, Smith recorded a career-high 24 points to go along with 8 assists, defeating Saint Joseph's University 73-63 in the Paradise Jam Tournament. On November 26, 2016, he scored a season-high 30 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and tallied 7 assists to help NC State defeat Loyola University Chicago. On December 15, 2016, Smith recorded 22 points and 6 assists, leading NC State in a win over Appalachian State. On December 19, 2016, Smith earned ACC Freshman of the Week honors.
On January 4, 2017, Smith achieved a triple-double - 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists - in a win against the Virginia Tech Hokies, making him and Julius Hodge the only two NC State players to record this feat. On January 23, 2017, Smith scored another career high 32 points and had 6 assists in a 84-82 victory against the Duke Blue Devils, leading NC State to its first win at Cameron Indoor Stadium since 1995. Smith recorded his second triple-double - 13 points, 15 assists, and 11 rebounds - of the season on February 1 in a losing effort to Syracuse. He is the only player in ACC history to record two triple-doubles against league opponents in an entire collegiate career. On February 21, 2017, Smith scored 18 points in a 71-69 win against the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets. On March 5, 2017, Smith earned ACC Rookie of the Year honors. In 32 games for NC State in 2016-17, he averaged 18.1 points, 6.2 assist, and 1.9 steals per game. At the conclusion of his freshman season, Smith announced his intention to forgo his final three years of collegiate eligibility and enter the 2017 NBA draft.
College statistics
Professional career
On June 22, 2017, Smith was selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft by the Dallas Mavericks. On July 5, 2017 he signed his rookie contract. While Smith would be out of action during the 2017 NBA Summer League in Orlando, he would return to action just in time for the event in Las Vegas. Under the six games he played with the Mavericks out in Las Vegas, Smith recorded 17.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 2.2 steals per game in under 25.9 minutes of action, which earned him All-Summer League first team honors.
Smith made his debut in the Mavericks' season opener on October 18, 2017, in a 117-111 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, where he scored 16 points and made 10 assists. On December 29, 2017, he recorded his first career triple-double with 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 128-120 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. He was 5 of 7 from 3-point range and 8 of 12 overall. At 20 years, 34 days, Smith became the third-youngest player in NBA history to have a triple-double, behind Lonzo Ball and LeBron James.
NBA career statistics
Regular season
References
External links
- NC State Wolfpack bio
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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