Seminoles wary of star freshman

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.

The dynamic North Carolina State product is the fifth-leading scorer in the Atlantic Coast Conference and third among all freshmen nationwide. He has captured Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton’s attention ahead of his team’s game tonight against N.C. State 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 past seven games. The streak includes N.C. State’s last game, during which he scored 31 points in a home loss to Miami on Saturday.

Smith has also notched two tripledoubles in the past month — 27 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists against 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 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.”

N.C. 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.

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.

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 — in scoring among freshmen in the nation. He also averages 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 try to slow him down. Star guard Dwayne Bacon and even forward Terance Mann could also end up on Smith at some point during the game.

Slowing Smith will be instrumental as FSU hopes to win its third consecutive game before ending the regular season with four of six 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.”