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Smith accolades

mk23

Senior
Dec 7, 2005
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I’ve been the leader of the “bench Smith” brigade for the better part of the last 2 years, but I’ve got to give the dude credit today. At the end of the game he actually made 5 or so plays in a row and made 4 straight free throws to help win this one. I was shocked to see it and very happy for him. If he can play like that, he can really help Trayce and Race underneath.

My only question was why wasn’t he guarding Stevens? Everybody constantly brings up what a great defender he is but he only had #11 a couple of times at the very end after that kid had nearly 30. It was clearly a brain fade (to put it mildly) to have Brunk on him. And I thought Race was going to foul out trying to stop him. I guess Arch thought he needed to shut down #2 instead?
 
I’ve been the leader of the “bench Smith” brigade for the better part of the last 2 years, but I’ve got to give the dude credit today. At the end of the game he actually made 5 or so plays in a row and made 4 straight free throws to help win this one. I was shocked to see it and very happy for him. If he can play like that, he can really help Trayce and Race underneath.

My only question was why wasn’t he guarding Stevens? Everybody constantly brings up what a great defender he is but he only had #11 a couple of times at the very end after that kid had nearly 30. It was clearly a brain fade (to put it mildly) to have Brunk on him. And I thought Race was going to foul out trying to stop him. I guess Arch thought he needed to shut down #2 instead?
At the end of the game we had our most athletic lineup on the floor with Trayce, Smith, Race and Green/Durham with Phin at the point. Race is a better one-on-one defender - he gives everything he has while on the floor - and is stronger than Smith . . . I think that's why he was guarding Stevens. Smith is more of a center fielder type of front line player . . . he's quicker to the ball than the other guys, so not having him man-up on a major talent like Stevens, plus Smith deciding he wanted to win this game, made Smith very effective.

Smith has the worst body language I've seen on an IU bball player in ages . . . I'm surprised he plays, in all honesty. But when he decides he wants to, he's pretty good . . . I'd love to see him develop a consistent mid-range shot . . . if he had that . . . .
 
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At the end of the game we had our most athletic lineup on the floor with Trayce, Smith, Race and Green/Durham with Phin at the point. Race is a better one-on-one defender - he gives everything he has while on the floor - and is stronger than Smith . . . I think that's why he was guarding Stevens. Smith is more of a center fielder type of front line player . . . he's quicker to the ball than the other guys, so not having him man-up on a major talent like Stevens, plus Smith deciding he wanted to win this game, made Smith very effective.

Smith has the worst body language I've seen on an IU bball player in ages . . . I'm surprised he plays, in all honesty. But when he decides he wants to, he's pretty good . . . I'd love to see him develop a consistent mid-range shot . . . if he had that . . . .

If he had just a little bit of Ray Tolbert's edge he would be a load.
 
I’ve been the leader of the “bench Smith” brigade for the better part of the last 2 years, but I’ve got to give the dude credit today. At the end of the game he actually made 5 or so plays in a row and made 4 straight free throws to help win this one. I was shocked to see it and very happy for him. If he can play like that, he can really help Trayce and Race underneath.

My only question was why wasn’t he guarding Stevens? Everybody constantly brings up what a great defender he is but he only had #11 a couple of times at the very end after that kid had nearly 30. It was clearly a brain fade (to put it mildly) to have Brunk on him. And I thought Race was going to foul out trying to stop him. I guess Arch thought he needed to shut down #2 instead?
If you put Smith on Stevens, then one of your bigs has to guard their three, who is basically a guard. That would have been a mess.

Archie doesn't care for changing lineups, as has been evident last year and this year.
 
I’ve been the leader of the “bench Smith” brigade for the better part of the last 2 years, but I’ve got to give the dude credit today. At the end of the game he actually made 5 or so plays in a row and made 4 straight free throws to help win this one. I was shocked to see it and very happy for him. If he can play like that, he can really help Trayce and Race underneath.

My only question was why wasn’t he guarding Stevens? Everybody constantly brings up what a great defender he is but he only had #11 a couple of times at the very end after that kid had nearly 30. It was clearly a brain fade (to put it mildly) to have Brunk on him. And I thought Race was going to foul out trying to stop him. I guess Arch thought he needed to shut down #2 instead?
Brunk was only on him after switched. I am fine with the job on Steven's. He took a lot of shots to get his points and he is a stud.
 
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Brunk was only on him after switched. I am fine with the job on Steven's. He took a lot of shots to get his points and he is a stud.
What IU did was to make Stevens an inefficient player. He got his points. In fact he scored 29 of their 60. But it took him a lot to do it. He got his and the rest of the team got shut down. Thank goodness Curtis Jones didn't go off. I was actually worried about him. He scored 0.
 
Great effort today for most of the game. Key rebounds, putbacks, and free throws.

If Justin had any go to moves or a spot he could consistently hit from he would be a legit weapon. Instead he just goes toward the rim, jumps and hopes for the best. Its the old Troy Williams approach.
 
Smith was in on almost every single defensive play at the end, and fought hard for the ball. In the past, if his shot is off, as has been the case all year, he just coasts. Several recent games he has been successful playing great defense and rebounding.
 
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I've always felt & hoped that J. Smith was & is on the OG Anuoby progression. I hope he's tracked OG's college career closely; starting out as an athletic shot blocker and defender, then improving his offense over time. There's still time for that to happen.
 
My guess is that Smith is beginning to realize that he is not going to the NBA, so he is embracing his role as a hustle guy.
 
We nee more guys like Race out there who are not gifted with the talent that Smith has I much rather see hustle and grit then Smith being a soft lazy player. But today he did play better.
 
I’ve been the leader of the “bench Smith” brigade for the better part of the last 2 years, but I’ve got to give the dude credit today. At the end of the game he actually made 5 or so plays in a row and made 4 straight free throws to help win this one. I was shocked to see it and very happy for him. If he can play like that, he can really help Trayce and Race underneath.

My only question was why wasn’t he guarding Stevens? Everybody constantly brings up what a great defender he is but he only had #11 a couple of times at the very end after that kid had nearly 30. It was clearly a brain fade (to put it mildly) to have Brunk on him. And I thought Race was going to foul out trying to stop him. I guess Arch thought he needed to shut down #2 instead?
Wondered the same thing about him not being on Stevens. If you have watched, he has been playing his butt off on defense the past several games. If he can work on his finish offensively, IU could really do some damage in the NCAAs - just another weapon inside. He's about athletic as anyone on the team.
 
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