Smith Takes Winding Road to OSU – Ohio State Buckeyes
12/7/1998 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
December 7, 1998
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%^$In the world of college athletics, you%^$are sometimes quick to find the individual who insists there is an “I”%^$in “team.” If you are looking for a player like that, do not look in the%^$direction of Devon Smith. %^$
Smith, a 6-0 junior point guard from%^$Roncerverte, W.Va., believes many people are responsible for his%^$success. He spreads praise for where he is today.
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%^$”I’m at a loss for words for (Head) Coach (Jim) O’Brien and (Assistant)%^$Coach (Paul) Biancardi,” Smith said. “If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t%^$have this opportunity. A lot of people would sacrifice a limb to play at%^$this level, especially at Ohio State. I am extremely fortunate.”
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%^$ The path to Columbus has been anything but simple for Smith. He%^$played at Fork Union Military Academy in 1995, where he was one of 10%^$Division I basketball signees. Originally, he committed to Georgia State%^$University in the early signing period, before changing his mind and%^$opting for Virginia Tech. After things went array with the Hokies in%^$1996, Smith found himself at a crossroads. He took a year away%^$from school, worked and played in a couple winter leagues in New York%^$City.
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%^$Smith came to Ohio State last January. He was discovered by Biancardi%^$through connections at Five Star Basketball Camp near Robert Morris%^$College in Pittsburgh. Smith has been a camp counselor at Five Star for%^$the past three years.
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%^$Five Star, a camp that has harbored 200 coaches into the college or NBA%^$ranks, has played a critical role in the development of Smith, both on%^$and off the court. At the camp he met Howard Garfinkel, a nationally%^$respected recruiting guru who has been at Five Star Basketball since its%^$inception 34 years ago. Garfinkel inspired Smith, despite the fact his%^$stock was down after departing Virginia Tech.
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“I admire him%^$tremendously,” Garfinkel said. “He never gave up on himself. He has%^$shown an enormous amount of sticktoitiveness.” Garfinkel helped%^$Smith, a communication major, to realize that he ultimately wants to%^$become part of the college basketball coaching fraternity.
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%^$”Somebody once told me, if you do something you love for a profession,%^$you’ll never have to work a day in your life,” Smith said. “I want to go%^$into coaching and I can’t think of a better place to prepare me for that%^$than OSU.
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%^$”I can learn so much from Coach O’Brien, from what he wants as a coach,%^$to how he handles his players. This has been an invaluable experience%^$for me.”
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%^$Garfinkel believes Smith possesses one special talent that he can carry%^$with him into coaching.
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%^$”He can really teach the game to younger players,” Garfinkel said.%^$”There is not enough of an emphasis placed on teaching the game these%^$days, and because of that the skills of the players are plummeting.”
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%^$ Religion has perhaps made the biggest impact on the life of Smith.%^$The credit for that goes to his grandparents, who raised him.
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%^$”God is first and foremost in my life,” Smith said. “Without Him, I%^$would be lost. If you keep God in your forethoughts, good things will%^$come.”
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%^$Smith is a modest person who has persevered through much adversity.%^$While Smith doesn’t focus on himself, he receives credit from other%^$people.
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%^$”Devon is a very mild-mannered young man,” Biancardi said. “He is%^$hard-working. He is a great person.”
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%^$With as much adversity as Smith has endured in his career, one may tend%^$to think he would become discouraged. In contrast, however, he is%^$upbeat. He keeps a positive outlook because of his personal mott – “do%^$more.”
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%^$”The greatest lesson I’ve learned in life was from Fletcher Arritt, my%^$coach at Fork Union,” Smith said. “He taught me that if you fail and%^$suffer adversity, it makes you stronger.” Arritt also tries to%^$pass another message to the young men whom he coaches.
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%^$”What I hope they leave here with is the whole notion of accomplishing a%^$goal,” he said. “You may have the physical talents to succeed, but I%^$think, more important than that is persistence.
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“I think Devon%^$has that. He is a very loyal young man who sees his goal and takes pride%^$in accomplishing it.”
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%^$Smith’s main responsibility as an Ohio State point guard is to%^$distribute the ball to his teammates. However, he is feeding them%^$compliments as well.
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%^$”I admire the hustle of a Jason Singleton, the heart of a Shamar Herron%^$or a Kwadjo Steele, and the desire to win like a George Reese,” Smith,%^$who has always seen his teammates as a source of motivation, said.
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%^$ “When I played with (former North Carolina standout) Shammond%^$Williams at Fork Union, it was a competition,” he said. “Neither one of%^$us would leave the gym, because we didn’t want to see the other one get%^$the upper hand. Scoonie (Penn) is the same as Shammond. He made himself%^$into a good player with hard work.”
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%^$Biancardi believes Penn can make Smith better.
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“His toughest%^$challenge as a basketball player is going against Scoonie in practice%^$everyday,” Biancardi said.
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%^$While Biancardi seemed to show admiration for Smith’s work ethic, the%^$regard that Smith has for his coaches is just as strong.
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“I have%^$nothing but respect for Coach (Dave) Spiller, Coach Biancardi, Coach%^$(Rick) Boyages and Coach O’Brien,” Smith said.
%^$By Tom Campbell%^$
OSU Athletic Communications%^$
