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/ Men's BasketballPhoto by: Mathew McGraw
Coro: Smith levels up, fills stats
5/25/2020 9:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro
New Lope left Phoenix area to sharpen game at Pima CC
It will not take 10,000 hours for Rashad Smith to graduate from Grand Canyon but that time dedication gave him a jump on getting to GCU.
With pro boxers Andre and Anthony Dirrell in his family, Smith first tried boxing as a youngster. An uncle taught him karate. Football proved too hot for him in Phoenix.
When Smith discovered basketball, it grabbed his heart and soul. He applied the 10,000-hour rule, giving the sport that much deliberate practice to become a star at Hamilton High School in crosstown Chandler, ascend his game at Pima Community College in Tucson and return to the Valley for GCU the next two years.
"Preparation comes along with how much you want it," Smith said. "I feel like basketball is what I wanted to do and I wanted to take it as far as I can. The way my work ethic is and the certain areas I've improved over the last year, I feel like I'm going to be a lot stronger, quicker and more agile coming into GCU."
As Lopes head coach Bryce Drew formulates his first team, roles are yet to be earned but he said Smith has an immediate opportunity to help somewhere, somehow.
At 6 feet 5 inches, Smith is listed at guard but played and defended every position at Pima. He puts up numbers, but in an unselfish way. As a Pima sophomore, Smith averaged 18.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game with 49% percent shooting from the field and 37% shooting on 3-pointers.
"That is filling the stat sheet, no question there," Drew said. "His team played a very fast pace, got up and down and scored a lot of points. And he was a big reason for that. He was able to rebound the basketball, start fastbreaks and obviously score points at the other end. That speaks volumes about his versatility. He's not one-dimensional."
Jake Lieppert can attest to that.
Lieppert, a Rice signee, said Smith's driving, passing and athleticism helped him score 23.7 points per game for Pima last season. But he helped the team with much more. Smith was the spiritual leader, easing tension by entering the locker room with a smile and a song on his mouth and music from a speaker on his shoulder.
"He fits right in at the next level because he's unselfish and there's going to be more space for his athletic ability," Lieppert said. "There are always going to be other good players around him. Surrounding him with guys like that, he's going to be a great player at the next level."
Smith is not a point guard but he can be a playmaker. Lieppert said he ideally complements shooters and big men with his lob or kickout passes, and he is the ideal teammate because of his extreme effort and outgoing personality.
"I'm not really a score-first type of dude," Smith said. "If I can score, I'm going to score on you. If I see an open shot elsewhere, I'm not going to be selfish. I'm going to get all my stats going and get everybody involved."
After Smith left the Phoenix area for the past two years, his large, local family will be heard the next two seasons in GCU Arena. Earning his way to the Division I level via a junior college requires dedication and discipline without the fandom. He carried that focus into this summer, when COVID-19 kept his self-driven workouts to a driveway hoop and garage weightlifting set.
"It's a huge leap and I know a couple guys are on a different level than me so I have to have a stronger heart and know what I need to be prepared for," Smith said. "I see what the potential is for what we have. I know I can bring a lot of athleticism and I'll bring anything I can.
"The love that everybody has for you as an athlete at GCU and the coaches' dedication and the way they talk to you makes it a place you want to be."
Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.
With pro boxers Andre and Anthony Dirrell in his family, Smith first tried boxing as a youngster. An uncle taught him karate. Football proved too hot for him in Phoenix.
When Smith discovered basketball, it grabbed his heart and soul. He applied the 10,000-hour rule, giving the sport that much deliberate practice to become a star at Hamilton High School in crosstown Chandler, ascend his game at Pima Community College in Tucson and return to the Valley for GCU the next two years.
"Preparation comes along with how much you want it," Smith said. "I feel like basketball is what I wanted to do and I wanted to take it as far as I can. The way my work ethic is and the certain areas I've improved over the last year, I feel like I'm going to be a lot stronger, quicker and more agile coming into GCU."As Lopes head coach Bryce Drew formulates his first team, roles are yet to be earned but he said Smith has an immediate opportunity to help somewhere, somehow.
At 6 feet 5 inches, Smith is listed at guard but played and defended every position at Pima. He puts up numbers, but in an unselfish way. As a Pima sophomore, Smith averaged 18.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game with 49% percent shooting from the field and 37% shooting on 3-pointers.
"That is filling the stat sheet, no question there," Drew said. "His team played a very fast pace, got up and down and scored a lot of points. And he was a big reason for that. He was able to rebound the basketball, start fastbreaks and obviously score points at the other end. That speaks volumes about his versatility. He's not one-dimensional."
Jake Lieppert can attest to that.
Lieppert, a Rice signee, said Smith's driving, passing and athleticism helped him score 23.7 points per game for Pima last season. But he helped the team with much more. Smith was the spiritual leader, easing tension by entering the locker room with a smile and a song on his mouth and music from a speaker on his shoulder.
"He fits right in at the next level because he's unselfish and there's going to be more space for his athletic ability," Lieppert said. "There are always going to be other good players around him. Surrounding him with guys like that, he's going to be a great player at the next level."
Smith is not a point guard but he can be a playmaker. Lieppert said he ideally complements shooters and big men with his lob or kickout passes, and he is the ideal teammate because of his extreme effort and outgoing personality.
"I'm not really a score-first type of dude," Smith said. "If I can score, I'm going to score on you. If I see an open shot elsewhere, I'm not going to be selfish. I'm going to get all my stats going and get everybody involved."
After Smith left the Phoenix area for the past two years, his large, local family will be heard the next two seasons in GCU Arena. Earning his way to the Division I level via a junior college requires dedication and discipline without the fandom. He carried that focus into this summer, when COVID-19 kept his self-driven workouts to a driveway hoop and garage weightlifting set.
"It's a huge leap and I know a couple guys are on a different level than me so I have to have a stronger heart and know what I need to be prepared for," Smith said. "I see what the potential is for what we have. I know I can bring a lot of athleticism and I'll bring anything I can.
"The love that everybody has for you as an athlete at GCU and the coaches' dedication and the way they talk to you makes it a place you want to be."
Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.
Committed 🔒#GOLOPES pic.twitter.com/eEwYBlxpV6
— Shad🙏🏽❄️ (@Rashad2324) November 1, 2019
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