Dennis Smith, Jr. entered college basketball as one of the most hyped NC State prospects in recent memory. ACC media selected him as preseason Rookie of the Year, fifth in preseason Player of the Year and a preseason All-ACC First Team selection. The precocious point guard was expected to combine with veterans such as Abdul-Malik Abu, Beejay Anya, and Maverick Rowan to help the Wolfpack make a move up the pecking order of the ACC standings. And while NC State has won its first two games of the season — both home wins against mid-majors — Smith has struggled, averaging just 11.5 points per game on 27.3% shooting (0-of-7 from three-point range). Are Smith’s early issues just a sign of the steep learning curve of playing at a new level, or are his struggles caused by something else?

One of the most heralded recruits to enter the NC State program, Dennis Smith Jr. has struggled coming out of the gates. (Adidas)

Smith’s shooting is clearly the first area on which to focus. The freshman is 6-of-22 from the field to start his career, and per Synergy Sports, has yet to make a spot-up jumper or score out of an isolation situation (0-of-8). He is quickly learning that college-level defense is quite a bit more physical and complicated than it was in high school. As a result, he is taking too many contested, off-the-dribble jumpers and bad shots when he penetrates too deeply into the lane. When he does find a good shot inside, he has also struggled to finish as the added physicality of the college game hs affected him. His shooting stroke should come around with additional open looks — one positive sign is that he has gone 11-of-13 from the line — but it is clear that the game still needs to slow down.

While there are some causes for concern in Smith’s early play, there have been equally as many encouraging signs. His ability to get into the lane seemingly at will bodes well as a finisher, and that corresponding ability to beat defenders off the dribble has already created opportunities for his teammates. Leading the team with eight assists versus just two turnovers, Smith has already shown excellent point guard instincts. On top of that, his two turnovers (one of which came on a jump ball ball after an offensive rebound) suggest that he has done an excellent job of protecting possession.

Mark Gottfried‘s squad continues its season tonight against Montana in the Paradise Jam and Smith will of course continue to be one of the Wolfpack’s most integral players. If the young leader can make some adjustments in shot selection and gain experience as his team works through a relatively weak non-conference schedule, he could turn into a very dangerous threat come ACC play. With some excellent complementary pieces around him, NC State could be poised to lead the Wolfpack to a top-five ACC finish and corresponding NCAA Tournament berth.

Charlie Maikis (15 Posts)

This entry was posted on Friday, November 18th, 2016 at 1:25 pm by Charlie Maikis and is filed under acc, microsites. Tagged: dennis smith jr., mark gottfried, nc state. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.