Seminoles wary of Wolfpack phenom
TALLAHASSEE — Dennis Smith Jr. has gone from being a highly touted guard sidelined with an ACL tear to a potential NBA lottery pick in a span of about 17 months.
Smith, the dynamic NC State product who is the fifth-leading scorer in the Atlantic Coast Conference and third among all freshmen, has easily captured Leonard Hamilton’s attention ahead of their matchup tonight at the Donald L. Tucker Center.
“From an instinctive standpoint, he has that rare basketball savvy that very seldom comes along with a player his age,” Hamilton said Tuesday.
“Guys with his kind of ability come once in a decade. He has the whole package — the strength, the quickness, the speed, the ability to create his shot, create for others and athletic enough to take it to the basket and finish on top of you.”
Smith averages 19.2 points per game this season for the Wolfpack (14-10, 3-8). He has scored at least
30 points in a game four times this season, with three coming in his last seven games. The streak includes NC State’s last game, during which he scored 31 points in a home loss to Miami on Saturday.
Smith has also notched two triple-doubles in the last month — 27 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists versus Virginia Tech on Jan. 4 and 13 points, 11 rebounds and 15 assists in a loss to Syracuse on Feb. 1 — a feat no other ACC player has ever achieved during his career.
“He has everything and can do everything,” FSU sophomore forward Terance Mann said. “He can pass the ball, can score, he’s fast, can shoot. There are no gaps in his game.”
NC State coach Mark Gottfried, whose team sits 13th in the conference standings, believes Smith would be considered an ACC player of the year candidate if the Wolfpack had a few more victories on their résumé.
Gottfried is also lobbying for his best player with NBA scouts and executives.
“I’ve told NBA people if you pass on him, you’re going to make a mistake — period.” Gottfried said.
“Look at his numbers. Look what he’s done. He’s played different types of games. He’s had two tripledoubles. First time in the history of the league in league competition. Think about how many good players have played in this conference as freshmen.
“You look at his numbers across the board, his shooting percentages, his steals, all of it. If I was an NBA franchise I’d build my future around him.”
Smith is trailing only Washington’s Markelle Fultz (23.2) and Kentucky’s Malik Monk (21.9) — two players also considered top picks in the upcoming NBA draft — as the top scoring freshman in the country. He also leads with seven assists and 2.2 steals per game.
The Seminoles plan on throwing a variety of players, including guards Xavier Rathan-Mayes, Trent Forrest, C.J. Walker and Braian Angola-Rodas, in Smith’s direction to slow him
down. Star guard Dwayne Bacon and even forward Terance Mann could also end up on Smith at some point.
Slowing Smith will be instrumental as FSU hopes to win its third consecutive game before ending the regular season with four of six games on the road.
“He’s a very gifted youngster that is capable of taking over a game at any time,” Hamilton said of Smith. “There have been a few of them to come along, but he is at the top of those guys who bring those special gifts to the table.”