tyler smith

Tyler Smith's Sad Story

Jason Brubaker — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 07:36:11 -0800

It shouldn't have ended like this.

The happy ending was all that was missing from Tyler Smith's tale. A versatile forward who came to Knoxville three years ago to be closer to his ailing father, Smith had the perfect script. A transfer loaded with ability who seemed destined for an NBA future. A kid who returns to his roots and makes good on his immense potential to honor the memory of his father. It was all right there for him.

Now? Smith is in basketball purgatory, thanks to his dismissal from the Tennessee program following his arrest for gun possession. Smith returned to Knoxville for his senior year to improve his NBA stock and lead Tennessee on a deep tournament run. Instead, he's now hoping just to avoid a jail sentence.

The details have been released, analyzed, picked apart and rehashed all over sports radio for the past week. Smith, along with three teammates, were pulled over in Knoxville. A search of their vehicle turned up drugs, as well as two guns. Smith was first suspended, then dismissed by Coach Bruce Pearl, and now awaits possible weapons charges. A once-promising future is now very cloudy.

And that's what is sad. We should be talking about Smith's NBA stock climbing as he shows a consistent jumps hot and more leadership skills this year. We could be talking about whether Tennessee can be a legitimate threat to Kentucky in the SEC East. We could even be talking about who is the better prospect for Tennessee, Smith or SG Scotty Hopson. But we definitely should not be talking about whether Smith will spend the next phase of his life in a jail cell.

For his part, Smith has owned up to the mistake, offering no excuses. In a released statement, Smith apologized for his actions, and thanked the university for their support during his time there.

“I'm truly sorry for my actions,” he said. “My recent actions do not reflect who I am, and I can only hope that what I do in the future can make everyone believe in me again.”

But even with the apology, basketball fans have to feel cheated. Here was a guy with enormous talent, a guy who was certain to turn his talent into a large paycheck somewhere, a guy who was the face of a prominent basketball team in one of the biggest conferences in the country...and he threw all of that away.

See, there are millions of kids across the country who dream of one day playing big-time college basketball. The vast majority of them never get to realize that dream, instead having to resort to following their favorite athletes and teams and living vicariously through them. For many, the closest they'll get to a Division I basketball court is buying a ticket and plopping down in the stands. No matter how hard they work, they just simply don't have the ability.

But Smith did. Blessed with great size, he was a walking mismatch with the ball skills of a guard but the height to play in the post. He had great court version, often playing as a point forward for Pearl, and he had an enormous reserve of energy and passion that was evident every time he took the court. He had an inconsistent but improving jump shot, good athleticism and a penchant for being a tough defender. In short, he had the type of skills that many young kids all over would kill for. And now, it all appears to be wasted.

Now Smith may still find his way into the NBA. The investigation of the case is still underway, and it's very possible he could avoid any real punishment outside of some community service. But the damage may be done. Smith was a borderline first-round pick entering the season, needing to show some progress on the court to creep comfortably into the first round. Now, not only does he not get the chance to do that, but he also will face questions about his character and maturity. NBA general managers don't always make wise decisions, but you'd be hard-pressed to find one who will get excited about a small forward with a shaky jumper and a criminal record.

It didn't have to be this way. Smith was supposed to come back as a senior and be the unquestioned leader of a team that is on the way up. He was supposed to honor the memory of his father by fulfilling his potential and blossoming into a professional.

Instead, he was forced to watch Tennessee's upset over #1 Kansas on Sunday as a fan, watching his former teammates play better without him than they had at times with him. It had to hurt, and it should have. Smith threw away a golden opportunity, and he has no one to blame but himself.

It was supposed to be a different story this year for Smith. We were waiting for a happy ending. Instead, the story, like his career, ends all too abruptly.

A sad story indeed.

Tennessee Basketball Preview: #9

Joel Welser — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:23:40 -0800

Overall Rank: #9

Conference Rank: #2 Southeastern Conference

2008-09: 21-13, 10-6

2008-09 postseason: NCAA

Coach: Bruce Pearl (98-37 at Tennessee, 415-121 overall)

Tennessee underachieved last year, but it was a young team that relied on some unproven talent who had some big shoes to fill. It took some time for the Volunteers to find their way and consistency was an issue. However, Coach Bruce Pearl’s team still won 21 games and made the NCAA Tournament and now they return every player of importance and the high expectations are warranted.

Key Losses: none

Key Newcomers:

Point guard was a problem last year and junior college Melvin Goins will compete for a starting job right away. Even if he does not win that job, the 5-11 speedster will at least give the team a capable backup. Josh Bone, a transfer from Southern Illinois and Skylar McBee will help bolster the depth on the perimeter. Yet, outside of Goins, it is power forward Kenny Hall who has the skills to make an impact right away. Hall is a true low post scorer and while the Vols have a superb frontcourt, they could use a big body who will stay in the paint.

Backcourt:

Bobby Maze did an admirable job running the point. His assist to turnover ratio was two-to-one and he averaged 8.2 points per game. But his minutes will likely go down with the addition of Goins. Josh Tabb spent some time playing the point, but now he will be able to play off the ball and provide the team with some solid defense off the bench. Cameron Tatum was the team’s sixth man a year ago and is a good, albeit streaky, three-point shooter. Scotty Hopson and J.P. Prince are the likely starters on the wing. Hopson had huge expectations heading into his freshman campaign and he did pretty good with his 9.2 points per game. If his outside shot starts falling more consistently, he will turn into the dominating scorer that everybody thought he would be from day one. Prince is not much of a shooter, but he does everything else. He was the backcourt’s top scorer last year and also averaged 4.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.5 steals.

Frontcourt:

Wayne Chism is the big man who will spend most of his time under the basket, although he does have the ability to stretch out the defense with his three-point shooting ability. Even though Chism spends quite a bit of time on the perimeter, he is a great rebounder and a decent shot blocker. Brian Williams is an underappreciated rebounder who grabbed 5.6 rebounds per game despite only averaging 16.4 minutes. Add the emerging sophomore Emmanuel Negedu, if he can stay healthy, and Hall to the rotation and Coach Pearl has more than enough bodies to go ten deep without much of a drop off in talent.

Who to Watch:

It seems like every year we wonder if Tyler Smith is coming back or going to the NBA. Once again, Smith is back in college and the do-it-all forward is poised for a huge senior season. Last year he easily led the team with 17.4 points per game. He got to the free-throw line an incredible 6.5 times per contest, but he is not just a slasher or post player…Smith can hit the long ball, although he would be better off sticking to his mid-range game and attacking the basket. No matter how he does it, Smith will score in bunches and help the team out on the glass and create open looks for his teammates.

Final Projection:

Last year’s relatively disappointing season has somewhat stymied the expectations of the 2009-2010 Tennessee team, and that should not be the case with so many players returning. This is a team that has the talent, depth and experience to win the Southeastern Conference and make a deep, deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Bobby Maze, Senior, Guard, 8.2 points per game

Scotty Hopson, Sophomore, Guard, 9.2 points per game

J.P. Prince, Senior, Guard, 9.9 points per game

Tyler Smith, Senior, Forward, 17.4 points per game

Wayne Chism, Senior, Forward, 13.7 points per game

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Tyler Smith: NBA Draft Profile

Jeff Fox — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 17:25:53 -0800

Tyler Smith

College: Tennessee

Class: Junior

Position: SF

Height: 6’7”

Weight: 215lbs

Accolades: First Team All-SEC (08), Honorable Mention All-American - AP (08), Third Team All-Big Ten (07), Big Ten All-Freshman Team (07), Third Team Freshman All-American - CHN (07), Tennessee Mr. Basketball - high school (05).

Scouting Report: A jack-of-all-trades.

Strengths: Versatile - can play inside or out. Decent rebounder for a small forward. Great passer/playmaker for his position. Great at drawing fouls. Experienced - played three years of big minutes in major conferences. Very good athlete. Explosive leaper - gets way up and attacks the rim. Physically strong player. Can absorb contact and still score. Solid post up game. Hard worker. Battles on the court. Solid defender.

Weaknesses: Age - will be 23-years-old before the start of next season, limiting his upside. Needs to improve his outside shot - hits less than 30% of his three-point attempts for his career. Played a lot of power forward in college - too small in the NBA to do that. Needs to improve his ball handling. Tweener - too small for NBA power forward and doesn’t possess all the skills necessary to play on the wing.

Projected 2009 Draft Range: Late lottery to late first round pick.

Consensus: Tyler Smith’s toughness, versatility and athleticism certainly help his NBA chances. But to truly stick around he’ll have to improve his small forward skills (ball handling, shooting) to prove he isn’t stuck between position in the pros.

Stats: Tyler Smith Stats

NBA Draft on CollegeHoops.net

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CHN's Six-Star Ranking System w/ 2008 Equivalents

= Superstar/All-NBA Potential - Michael Beasley

= Potential NBA All-Star - Derrick Rose

= Consistent NBA Starter - Brook Lopez

= 6th Man/Fringe Starter - Russell Westbrook

= Career Reserve - Roy Hibbert

= Fringe NBA Player/12th Man - JR Giddens

0 stars = Life in the Minor Leagues - Drew Neitzel