Joshua LaTrell Smith, junior at Georgetown
University, is currently academically ineligible for the remainder of the
season. The 6’10” 350 pound center has played basketball his whole life, but
his career might be over after blowing a very generous second chance.
Smith began his playing days at the Rotary
Style Basketball Program in Seattle, Washington. The program dedicates itself
to developing a child personally, athletically, and academically. Smith was
required to maintain a “C” grade point average if he wanted to participate in
the program.
Rodney
Stuckey, Detroit Pistons star, played for the same program. Smith said Stuckey
is the athlete he most admires. Stuckey played for the Conquerors at Kentwood
High School a few years before Smith joined the squad.
Smith
played a huge role during his four years at Kentwood High. He earned four
varsity letters in basketball for the Conquerors and his Kentwood High team won
the 2010 State Championship during his senior season.
Jeremy
Beck, current student at the University of Montana, played for Mead High School
during the 2010 State Tournament. His team faced Kentwood in the first round of
the tournament and lost 57-44. “There was no defending him. He was so much
bigger than everyone else that there was nothing we could do to stop him”, Beck
said.
At
the end of his senior year, Smith was rated the No. 1 center and No. 10 overall
recruit in the country by ESPN. His next destination was UCLA.
As
a freshman, he finished the season with an average of 11 points and 6.3
rebounds a game. Smith only recorded an average of 10 points and just under 5
rebounds a game his sophomore season.
UCLA fans
expected much more out of their big man and he felt the same way. The reason
for Smith’s downfall is simple. He was out of shape. He is often too winded to get down the court with
everyone else, sometimes not even making it to the three-point line. "My
whole career, I've never been in great shape. I can only imagine what would
happen if I was,” Smith said.
Lucas Kianidehkian, UCLA student, is an avid
Bruins basketball fan and he is furious with the way Smith played as a Bruin. “It’s
embarrassing. That team had so much potential and they suck because of how
heavy he is. He role is to be a “big” man, but he is just too big to get up and
down the floor,” Kianidehkian said.
There was talk that Smith might declare for the
NBA draft, but he decided to rejoin the Bruins for his junior season. He only
appeared in six games recording an average of 5.5 points and 4.2 rebounds a
game.
Smith decided to transfer to Georgetown
last December and sat out the spring 2013 semester. He received a waiver to
play in the fall without having to sit out a full two semesters. Receiving a
waiver isn't uncommon when a medical issue is given as the reason, but Smith
was given a rare exception for two seasons of remaining eligibility. This was
his second chance.
What
did Smith do with this opportunity? He was averaging 11.5 points and 3.4 rebounds, until he
was deemed academically ineligible for
the remainder of the season. The Hoyas are 10-3 with him, 5-5 without him so far this season.
They were running much of their offense through Smith when he
was on the floor. Only
time will tell if Smith ever steps foot on the court again.


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