When people talk about the recent success of ETSU basketball, most conversations ultimately lead to the grace and efficiency of point guard Tim Smith.
After ranking seventh nationally in scoring last season, it looks as though Smith possesses the credentials needed to lead the Buccaneers back to the NCAA tournament, where they’ve appeared for two of the past three years.
With Smith on pace to break the ETSU overall scoring record, winning the 2006 conference title would be yet another huge accomplishment in his illustrious career at ETSU.
“I’m most proud of my success,” Smith said. “I never even thought I would ever make it this far. And I’m not finished. Hopefully I can carry it on after this year.”
Chosen as the Atlantic Sun preseason player of the year, Smith is poised to bring his team to another conference title in his senior year. Picked second to Gardner-Webb in both the coaches and media polls, ETSU is looking for Smith to push them over the edge. “Tim’s tended to lead by example more in years past,” coach Murry Bartow said. “Now he’s a lot more vocal, which is something I think this team needs. He’s a great competitor and he loves to play. We’ve gotten three great years from him, and we’re ready for a big fourth.”
While most graduating college basketball players are now looking for job opportunities outside the athletic realm, Smith is ready to play professionally next year.
“I definitely want to continue at a higher level,” Smith said. “Obviously, I’ll play with an NBA team if I get picked up, but whatever I have a chance to do will be fine. It’s something I love to do, and it’s a blessing for me to be able to play.”
Analysts and scouts often describe his ability to create unusual shots among his strengths. Finishing within the top 50 in steals last season, his steady defense is another quality that should not be overlooked.
According to coach Bartow, Smith is a huge factor in bringing extended publicity to ETSU, whose program is often overshadowed in national coverage by powerhouses such as Kentucky and Duke.
Because of his dominant 2004 season, he was featured in a Sports Illustrated article during the postseason. In the last two weeks, he’s been mentioned in college basketball stories for USA Today and CBS Sportsline.
“Because he’s a great player, he’s brought us a lot of visibility, especially nationally from the [NCAA] tournament,” Bartow said. “He played great in our two games. Exposure came from the article in a national publication and from TV, which help in recruiting.”
Originally from Newport News, Va., Smith played two years of high school basketball at Hargrave Military Academy. To give an idea of the prestige of his team, some of his teammates went on to sign with Florida, Wake Forest and North Carolina State.
Because of his talent, Smith said he was never subject to adversity due to his height. Playing since the age of six, he said “what you all see now is the same thing as back then.”
Playing as a shooting guard until his junior year of high school, Smith also played for a national championship AAU team. From those days, he chose an excellent player to imitate.
“My main hero was Allen Iverson,” Smith said. “Seeing how short he was and how short I was – he was fun to watch.”
Off the court, Smith cites “being a father” as his favorite thing to do. After his basketball career comes to an end, Smith plans to fall back on a sports management degree he is finishing this year.

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