Rutgers-Newark Athletics

PROFILE OF THE WEEK

CAREER: Two-year starter at point guard who led Raiders to a pair of their best seasons… R-N played in its first-ever NJAC Tournament championship game in 2009 and earned its first-ever NCAA Tournament berth in 1010 with Smith running the offense… junior college transfer who compiled 519 points (9.1 ppg), 233 rebounds (4.1 rpg), 144 assists (2.5 apg) and 88 steals (1.5 spg)… a starter in all but three of his 57 games in Scarlet & Black… R-N posted a 37-21 overall mark with a 16-10 NJAC ledger during his two seasons.

SENIOR (2009-10): Starting point guard who helped Raiders to a school-record 20 wins and their first-ever NCAA Tournament berth… averaged 9.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 2.7 assists per game while starting in 24 games… made 41.7% (20-48) of his 3-point attempts… knocked down 75.4% (52-69) of his free throws… led the team in scoring four times and in rebounding six times… scored in double digits a dozen times… notched 16 multiple-assist and 14 multiple-steal games… scored and rebounded in all but one game which was 4-minute injury-shortened showing against Rowan (1/9/10)… matched his career high with 19 points, making three of four shots from beyond the arc, in a 98-71 win over Ramapo (1/27/10)… pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds – all on the defensive end – while handing out five assists in an 89-52 win over Penn State Harrisburg (11/22/09)… handed out a career-high seven assists, grabbed seven rebounds and scored 14 points in an 86-65 win over York NY (12/9/09)… matched his career high with seven assists while hitting all four of his 3-point attempts while tallying 15 points in an 81-58 win over SUNY Cobleskill (1/20/10)… had a season-high five steals to go along with six assists and six rebounds in a 72-47 win over CCNY (11/24/09)… netted 17 points while dishing out four assists in an 86-73 loss to Richard Stockton (2/24/10) in the NJAC Tournament semifinals… turned in a 16-point, 5-assist, 5-rebound effort in a 73-66 win at Montclair State (2/3/10).

JUNIOR (2008-09): Led 17-13 Scarlet Raiders in assists (71) and steals (47) to spark the team to the first NJAC Championship title game in program history... the only R-N player to start all 30 games... averaged 9.1 points and 4.0 rebounds... ranked 12th among NJAC players in both assist (2.37) and steal (1.57) averages... hit 45.8% of his shots from the field and 70.4% of his free throws... connected on 20 of 66 treys... posted 18 multiple-assist games, reaching a high of five on five occasions... chalked up 13 multiple-steal efforts topped by a 7-steal, 9-point output in a win over John Carroll (11/21/08)... had a dozen double-digit scoring games highlighted by a career-high 19 points to go along with four rebounds, three assists, two steals and a blocked shot in the ECAC Metro Championship opening round win over Stevens (3/4/09)... scored in all 30 games, failing to get a rebound just once... opened his R-N career with nine rebounds, four assists and two steals in a win over Medgar Evers (11/15/08) in the John K. Adams Tip-Off Classic... had 17 points, six rebounds and four assists in a double-overtime loss to New Jersey City (1/28/09), making nine of 11 free throw attempts... connected on all three of his 3-point attempts on his way to 17 points in a win over York NY (12/13/08)... knocked down three of four 3-point shots on his way to 15 points in an NJAC tournament win over TCNJ (2/21/09)... scored 16 points and dished out five assists in a win at Rowan (1/24/09)... notched a 14-point, 6-rebound, 4-assist, 2-steal effort in a second win over Medgar Evers (1/3/09) at the Sig Makofski Invitational... score nine points and handed out five assists in JKA Classic title win over Fredonia State (11/16/08)... hauled down eight rebounds, made four steals, blocked a shot and dished out three assists in a win over New Jersey City (2/18/09).

FRESHMAN & SOPHOMORE (2006-07 & 2007-08): Region 19 Tournament MVP at Gloucester County College in 2007... helped GCC to a record of 21-9 and a fourth-place finish in the 12-team Garden State Athletic Conference race in 2007-08... dished out 202 assists and amassed 119 steals in two seasons... ranked among the conference leaders as a freshman and a sophomore in assists, steals, free throw percentage and field goal percentage... ranked 11 in the GSAC with 4.1 assists per game as a sophomore, handing out 111 for the season... also averaged 2.15 steals while hitting 52.1% of his field goals and 68.5% of his free throws... as a freshman averaged 2.6 assists (91) and 1.74 steals (61) while hitting 72.9% of his free throws and 53.5% of his field goal tries.

HIGH SCHOOL: Played on Camden Catholic HS teams which went a combined 65-11 and reached the state semifinal round in each of his three varsity seasons... senior co-captain and best defensive player for 22-4 Olympic Conference championship team that lost to Christian Brothers in the semifinal round in 2006... during his junior year, the Fighting Irish went 20-5 with an Olympic Conference title and a trip to the state semifinals... as a sophomore, he helped the team to a 23-2 record and a state championship... also claimed a conference title in the high jump in outdoor track.

PERSONAL: Father, Tim Smith, played basketball at the University of Pennsylvania, helping the Quakers to the NCAA Division I Final Four in 1979 where they lost to Michigan State and Magic Johnson.