Tim Smith may be one of the shortest guys in the Southern Conference, but his toughness, speed and energy lead the ETSU Buccaneers to some big wins and now the NCAA Tournament. And he’s only a sophomore.
Generously listed at 5 feet, 9 inches, 155 pounds, the point guard averaged 25.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 3.3 steals in the Southern Conference tournament, winning him the 44-vote, unanimous pick for Most Valuable Player. Last year, Smith was SoCon Freshman of the Year.
Smith’s myriad contributions obviously helped the Bucs win back-to-back conference trophies, but he says he’s just doing his job. “As point guard, I have to be a leader,” Smith said. “I’m where they go to get the engine going.”
His engine seems to be stuck at full throttle. In the conference tournament alone, he played an average of 39.5 minutes a game. His speed and stamina don’t go unnoticed. “Timmy is a difference-maker,” ETSU head basketball coach Murry Bartow said after the conference clincher. “We just wind him up before a game, and he just goes and goes and goes and goes. Needless to say, we are glad he’s on our team.”
Smith’s teammates are happy to be on the court with such an outstanding player. “He’s unbelievable,” said ETSU sophomore forward Ben Rhoda. “Not only does he make your team better, he makes each player better. He’s got such an advantage out there because he’s so quick …
“He’s as quick a guy as I’ve played with or even seen. He just goes up and down, up and down, and he never gets tired.”
Having missed Smith’s first visit to ETSU, senior forward Jerald Fields recalls his surprise at the new recruit on the first day of practice. “I remember the guys told me we had a new recruit named Tim Smith,” Fields said. “He came in and I said, ‘Who is this little guy? This is who we recruited?’ Next thing you know, he turned out to be one of the best players in the conference.
“He’s just a ball of energy. I wouldn’t trade him for anyone. He makes some turnovers, but he makes up for it with his numbers. A point guard’s gonna turn it over. He’s real aggressive and so fast it’s hard for him to slow down.”
There is no slowing Smith down and Bartow has learned to let Smith play his game in his own style. “With Tim, if you analyze every turnover you’ll have gray hair,” he said. “You can’t coach Timmy that way. You just can’t. The good is always gonna outweigh the bad. He makes so much happen. He’s so fast with the ball.
“Timmy’s a playmaker. He’s a difference maker.”
Smith has always been a go-to guy on the court. He played two years at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va., after transferring from Denbigh High School in his hometown, Newport News, Va. As point guard there, he served as a “coach on the floor,” said Kevin Keatts, Smith’s coach during his junior year.
“Tim is definitely a special player,” Keatts said. “He has a heart of a champion and plays hard every second.”
Keatts is not at all surprised at Smith’s success at ETSU. “I knew what Tim was capable of,” he said. “Many doubted him, but that’s what drives Timmy so much.”
The reoccurring critique of Smith focuses not on his energy but on his size – or lack thereof. “He’s proved all of his critics wrong,” Keatts said. “A lot of people missed a great opportunity with him.”
When he was young, Smith says he decided to never let his size bother him. He was very athletic growing up, playing baseball, football and basketball since he was 6 or 7 years old. Once he got to high school, he realized his main focus would be basketball.
Allen Iverson, also a Virginia native, gave Smith his inspiration. “I watched him growing up,” Smith said. “He was the shortest on his team, too, so I thought if he can do it, I can do it, too.”
The love of the game has been the major motivator for Smith. “I played every day growing up,” he said. “It was just something we loved to do.”
With that passion for the game, his unique ability and the support of his team, Smith makes goals for himself and works overtime to achieve what he wants.
But reaching those goals is not always easy. “He was struggling early a little bit,” Bartow said. “Hard work got him through it. He put in a lot of extra time on his own, an incredible amount of individual time.”
Fields and senior forward Zakee Wadood have had great influence on Smith both on and off the court. “They are like big brothers,” Smith said. “They taught me the ropes. When I was down and having problems, they were there for me. They were the first ones I would go to.”
That camaraderie may be part of the secret of the team’s success. “The chemistry is really there.” Smith said. “We have our problems, but we don’t let problems go out on the outside.
“Our team is different from other teams I’ve heard about. When we’re out of practice and not in class we do stuff together. We’re all friends.”
Smith also has the support of his family and friends. He is the youngest of seven siblings, five sisters and two brothers, yet despite the age differences and distances between them, the family is close. They became even closer, Smith said, when his sister passed away in September.
Probably two of Smith’s biggest fans are also the smallest in size – his 3-year-old daughter and his son who will be 2 in June. Smith’s mother, Suzanne McRae, brings the children to home games when she can. He talks to them via phone often.
The 22-year-old has a lot going on. Beside being a father, brother, son and star basketball player, he is also a sports management major who wants to be a coach in the future.
Although an NBA career could be in the works if Smith continues his rise to stardom, graduation is one of his next goals. “I look forward to graduation,” Smith said. “If something comes down (with the NBA) I’ll take it, but right now, I’m just looking forward to graduation.”
Smith seems to maintain this level-headedness in life and in basketball games, and his continued efforts to grow and improve are viewed as his greatest strengths. “I think he is one of the best point guards in the country,” Bartow said. “He’s fast, hard to guard. He’s improved definitely since last year.
“You can’t find a more competitive player. He likes to play, likes to win and is an unselfish player.”
Smith has worked hard for everything he has achieved and his game has only helped him become a complete player and a complete person, Keatts said.
“One thing Tim Smith has developed and earned is respect,” he said. “He goes into the game being one of the smallest guys on the court, but he leaves the game the biggest man on the court.

Author