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Post by The Professor on Oct 24, 2008 15:18:10 GMT -5
McNamara's Smith Commits to North Carolina A&Tby DCSportsFan.com 10/23/2008 Lawrence Smith, a 6-foot-4 senior guard/forward from Bishop McNamara High School, has verbally committed to play basketball at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, NC, a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Smith will start at the small forward spot this year for the Mustangs. As a junior, he recorded season highs in points with 11 against Ballou at the Caron Butler Classic and seven rebounds in a victory at Bishop Ireton. This past summer, Smith was named a Top 20 Senior at the Hoop Group Elite Camp and led his team to a Final 4 appearance at the nationally recognized Hoop Group Elite Team Camp. He also led his team to the Championship game at The Rock Summer League. Smith will join Marc Hill (McNamara '08) at A&T and becomes the third Mustang player to commit from the current team. Talib Zanna is heading to Pittsburgh and Rashad Whack has committed to George Mason. dcsportsfan.com/article.aspx?aid=2324
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Post by The Professor on Oct 24, 2008 15:20:20 GMT -5
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Post by The Professor on Oct 24, 2008 15:23:41 GMT -5
October 23, 2008 – “I’d say people think he’s a sleeper” said Bishop McNamara (MD) head coach Marty Keithline of a student athlete he coaches, one of a trio that has just committed to play Division I basketball in 2009. “But I don’t think he is”. The player, 6’3”, 200 pound Lawrence Smith will not be slept on for long. “Last year he played four (power forward) a lot for us” due to roster necessity and personal skill set, noted Keithline of Smith. “This year he’ll be a three (small forward)”. Facilitating the move the move has been Lawrence’s skill development, including work on his jumper and handle. Lawrence Smith feels the MEAC is underrated because of its HBCU makeup, but by making "the most of my time at A&T I could play at the next level (somewhere professionally)". Increased confidence is also being illustrated by Smith, having been developed recently. “Last summer, he made the July 5th through 8th group of top seniors” at the Hoop Group Eastern Invitational said recalled Keithline. “After that, he knew he fit in”. That certainty of belonging has also been impacted favorably by playing with the DC Assault travel, a fact both Smith and Keithline have noted. Those who witnessed Lawrence in the Maryland Invitational will attest to his development. All of this has resulted in a scholarship to North Carolina A&T University. “I feel like A&T is the perfect situation for me. I get to play at a competitive level while getting that HBCU (Historically Black College and University) experience. Also the school’s academics are great” shared Smith of his motivation of choosing the institution based in Greensboro, NC. His feelings were cemented during an October 11th official visit to the institution. Of the experience, Lawrence remarked “Homecoming was fun although NC A&T lost (by one point to Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference rival Morgan State)…It was probably the most live homecoming I had ever been to”. Adding to the school’s attraction for Smith is its reputation as a great trainer of teachers – Smith’s possibly future vocation – and the presence of Marc Hill, a former McNamara standout, on the Aggie’s hoop team. A&T bested New Hampshire and UMBC – both of which were highly interested – along with Shepherd University and other Division II schools. An athletic, tough player who can bang inside but will play swingman in college, Smith is primed for a big upcoming season at McNamara. Just ask his coach. “He’s going to get heavy minutes and hopefully he’ll be a double-double man” opined Keithline of Lawrence’s upcoming role and expectations. The North Carolina A&T faithful can eventually expect the same; Lawrence Smith is the type of player to make it happen. www.i95ballerz.com/story%20-%20lawrence%20smith%20to%20a&t.html
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Post by The Professor on Oct 24, 2008 15:24:32 GMT -5
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oleschoolaggie
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Post by oleschoolaggie on Oct 24, 2008 16:10:43 GMT -5
well, since i live near mcnamara high school, i guess i'll have to check him out when the season starts. his credentials aren't overwhelmingly impressive, but i know for a fact that there's few if any high school leagues in america that can match the talent and competitive level of the wcac league that mcnamara plays in. i was a girl's high school varsity head coach in that league for 8 years, so i know first hand.
that's the same league that the legendary dematha high school plays in. its a private catholic school league, so the coaches can recruit players from "anywhere" because there's no boundary restrictions. teams in this league simply "dominate" pretty much any public school team because their players are recruited.
i've never seen marc hill play while at mcnamara, but without ever seeing him play, i can almost guarantee he'll be a flat out baller! same can be said for bibbs' freshman guard (Tierra Thomas) who's from the very same school. her numbers aren't that impressive either and i haven't seen her play, but the league is so competitive i'm sure she's a baller...
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Post by flash on Oct 24, 2008 19:15:00 GMT -5
His season high in points was 11?? Wow
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Post by aggielove on Oct 24, 2008 19:22:49 GMT -5
He played out of position at the 4 spot, while only being 6'3 or 6'4. Only Charles Barkley could get away with that. We'll have to see what he does this year at the Small forward spot.
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Post by aggiejazz on Oct 25, 2008 10:22:43 GMT -5
His season high in points was 11?? Wow That was my immediate reaction until I realized that Smith was the 4th option on a team that was very talented. This year he will be free to let it go from the wing position. This also will be a great example of Eaves spotting talent that are diamonds in the rough.
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Maxell
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Post by Maxell on Oct 25, 2008 17:55:09 GMT -5
His season high in points was 11?? Wow That was my immediate reaction until I realized that Smith was the 4th option on a team that was very talented. This year he will be free to let it go from the wing position. This also will be a great example of Eaves spotting talent that are diamonds in the rough. I'm tired of diamonds in the rough. By now, he should be able to get at least one guy that a lot of others want also.
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Post by flash on Oct 25, 2008 18:12:03 GMT -5
I agree with Maxell. Thats exactly why A&T athletics is they way they are. We get all these guys that "MIGHT" turn out to be good. Lets get people that have a lot of potential. Not somone who had a season best of 11 points. What if he does the same thing this season? Well...he already have a scholarship so I guess it doesnt matter.
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Post by aggiejazz on Oct 25, 2008 20:43:00 GMT -5
I agree with Maxell. Thats exactly why A&T athletics is they way they are. We get all these guys that "MIGHT" turn out to be good. Lets get people that have a lot of potential. Not somone who had a season best of 11 points. What if he does the same thing this season? Well...he already have a scholarship so I guess it doesnt matter. point taken but Eaves does have three players who came in with potential; Coleman, Austin and Marc Hill. The diamond in the rough comments is referring to whether or not Smith is one. If Smith turns out to be a good player for us it will say to me that Eaves can spot talent that most people can't see. It would be nice to get very good talent, 3 star talent, but right now only Morgan State and Hampton can get it. Check out what they do and lets try to duplicate it.
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Maxell
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Post by Maxell on Oct 25, 2008 22:55:20 GMT -5
It would be nice to get very good talent, 3 star talent, but right now only Morgan State and Hampton can get it. I don't buy that at all. If we went somewhere other than Kentucky ...
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Post by aggie82 on Oct 26, 2008 15:36:09 GMT -5
I just wanted to add my two cents again about recruiting....yesterday i had the opportunity to take a couple of local players (sophs) over to unc-g for a campus tour and to their inter squad scrimmage. It was first class all the way....We met at the gym, and then the AD, Head Coach, and Academic Counselor spoke to the group of about 25 athletes and their parents..
We then proceeded over to the Greensboro Coliseum for a tour because after this season, UNC-G will play all of their games at the Coliseum... Next we toured the campus and then went to the game...
My only question is, why cant we do something like this? With athletes making verbals at the start of their junior year, we have to be more proactive...Again, just my two cents worth..
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oleschoolaggie
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Post by oleschoolaggie on Oct 26, 2008 17:01:53 GMT -5
i really thought eaves would have turned the corner on recruiting by now. i understand recruiting is very difficult when you're rebuilding from a 1 win season. but our program has been very stable for two consecutive years now (of course, eaves gets the credit), yet we seem to have reached our plateau on recruiting.
however, i'll reserve final judgment until i've actually had an opportunity to see this year's recruiting class play...
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Post by aahhbigboy on Oct 26, 2008 18:00:00 GMT -5
Listen guys, it's OK to agree with me. You guys are beating around the bush. Eaves doesn't have a clue when it comes to recruiting. Jazz has got to be Eaves' golf buddy or something or he is just addicted to the Aggie Juice. Aggie 82, what you're saying is what I've been screaming. What you saw at UNCG hardly costs anything!!!!! That's why I don't want to hear about budgets. It's important, but not everything. Eaves is the biggest fraud we've had. Why Kentucky you ask Maxell?? It's a free trip home on someone else's budget everytime, that's why. Nothing he's brought in from Kentucky has made a difference. People, he just signed a player who's career high is 11 points!!!!!! It's killing me. I can't take it.
Olde school, you don't have to see them play. We have a cap on what we can do with Eaves. Fourth place is as high as we'll see. You say we've been stable the last 2 years? Man, we've been 56% in conference play. That's terrible, and that's also the best he's done. Then, his staff is the most inexperienced in the conference. His top assistant left and he hires a former player......with no experience. Eaves is the George Bush of Meac coaching.
An incompetent leader that looks out for the cronies, all while everyone else (fans) suffers.
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