Although the ASU men's basketball team is still far from being prepared for the upcoming season, Rob Evans is already putting the pieces in place for the 2003-04 campaign.
The fifth-year Sun Devil head coach landed his first of an expected seven commitments Wednesday at the Adidas ABCD Camp in Teaneck, N.J. The prized recruit is 6-foot-2, 188-pound combo guard Tron Smith, an incoming senior at Canyon Springs High School in Moreno Valley, Calif.
"He wanted to give himself an opportunity to go there and play the best he could, and then he would make his decision. At the time, he felt comfortable with going ahead and doing it," said Canyon Springs head coach Jeff Stovall, who completed his fifth season at the helm earlier this year. "It takes a lot of pressure off him. He can continue to play and work on the aspects of his game that he needs to work on."
Smith, who is ranked by ESPN.com as the nation's 17th-best prospect for the Class of 2003, was recruited most heavily by Boston College, Miami, Florida State and UCLA. But he chose ASU after taking a weeklong visit to the Tempe campus last month. He played in several pickup games at Wells Fargo Arena during his stay.
"Coach Evans has done a good job recruiting in our area," Stovall said. "A lot of coaches are now starting to look in our area and realize there are a lot of good kids. You don't have to go to Los Angeles."
Recruiting analysts said Smith chose ASU partly because he wanted to reunite with his former high school teammate, sophomore point guard Jason Braxton. Canyon Springs accumulated a 38-20 record in the two years Smith and Braxton played with one another. With the departure of Sun Devil senior guard Curtis Millage after next season, the tandem could once again share the same backcourt.
"They're going to be the hardest-working guards in the Pac-10. When him and Braxton bring that type of athletic ability, they will be able to break more people down in the Pac-10," Stovall said. "Tron probably shoots the ball better than Jason does. Now he can shoot the 20-footer out to 25 feet, which opens his game up.
"On the wing, he is very dangerous because when he catches the ball, he can do so many things. He can get in the lane and create for other people."
Smith has been likened to Braxton, but he is much bulkier and isn't quite as quick. He does, however, have similar capabilities when taking the ball to the hoop, something he did quite frequently during his junior season at Canyon Springs when he averaged 16 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals per game and was named a second-team All-Riverside County selection.
Smith and sophomore point guard Andre McGee were called upon to carry the load this past year for Canyon Springs after senior guards Richard Cobbs and Carlton Arnwine were both sidelined with injuries early in the season. The task became especially tough when Smith was constantly double-teamed.
"What he showed me is his leadership ability. That turned out to be one of his biggest strengths," said Stovall, whose team ran a motion offense last year and primarily faced zone defenses. "The kids believed in him and followed him. His work ethic has gotten so much better and his overall game has gotten so much better."
Smith still managed to shine by showing an explosive move off the dribble, a strong finish around the hoop, a soft touch on the perimeter and great range from beyond the arc. He also proved to be reliable on the defensive end.
But Canyon Springs (20-9, 8-2 Ivy League) fell short yet again in the postseason, suffering a season-ending loss to Lakewood (Calif.) High School. Smith missed two games during the regular season with a concussion.
It wasn't until this spring when Smith competed in a pair of camps in Las Vegas and Fresno, Calif., that most scouts and coaches began taking notice of him. Nearly everyone seemed to know of Smith after he outplayed Los Angeles Loyola High School senior shooting guard Omar Wilkes and Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, Calif.) senior shooting guard Wesley Washington, both of whom were ranked higher than he was at the time.
"He was overshadowed," Stovall said. "People mistook how good he really was, but ASU had already seen him."
Stovall said Smith struggled this past week at the ABCD Camp while playing on a team that did not fare too well. Smith had problems during the camp's first day, but settled down thereafter.
Smith participated last weekend in the Adidas Three Stripes Classic at Hofstra University (Hempstead, N.Y.). He is scheduled to compete later this summer in the adidas Big Time 2002 Tournament (July 22-26, Las Vegas) and in the Adidas Double Pump Best of the Summer camp (July 27-31, Los Angeles).
Smith is averaging more than 20 points per game this summer for Inland, a club team based in Rialto, Calif., Head coach Elvert "Kool-Aid" Perry's squad has boasted some of the top talent in the nation, including Cobbs, Lawrence Academy (Groton, Mass.) senior small forward Antwan Wright and Salisbury (Conn.) Prep senior small forward Lawrence Carrier. Smith averaged 16.3 points in 26 games earlier this year when playing with a different Southern California-based club team in the Inland Empire Basketball Program.
"He needs to continue to improve on defense. At the collegiate level, they come at you, they press you more and they're bigger and stronger," Stovall said. "At the high school level, he can get away with certain things he might not be able to get away with up there. We're not going to allow him to settle here. We're going to tell him to continue to work."
The Sun Devils are slated to lose three guards æ seniors Kyle Dodd, Brandon Goldman and Millage æ to graduation following the 2002-03 season, meaning that much of the load in the backcourt likely will be placed on Smith's shoulders.
"Tron is going to fit nicely in there. He's going to have a real good impact," Stovall said. "The program is really going to turn around. They're headed in the right direction."
Stovall said academics should not be a problem for Smith, who recorded a 3.5 grade-point average last semester at Canyon Springs, boosting his cumulative mark to just below a 3.0. Smith has taken the SAT, but has not yet received his results.
Kansas product cites interest in ASU
The Lexington Herald-Leader reported last week that 6-foot-9, 219-pound small forward Keith Wooden, an incoming senior at Free State High School (Lawrence, Kan.), who participated in the ABCD Camp, has expressed interest in ASU. He also listed Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville and Wichita State as his top choices. Wooden averaged nine rebounds and 16 points per game this past season.
Ex-Devil joins summer league
Former ASU center Chad Prewitt is playing for the Golden State Warriors in the Summer Pro League, which is held annually in Southern California. "Big Red" is on the same team as former UA guard Gilbert Arenas.
ASU receives favorable ranking
In its most recent issue, Basketball Times ranked ASU's 2002 recruiting class as the 24th-best among the top 40 in the nation. With the signing of freshmen forwards Serge Angounou and Allen Morill, freshman center Ike Diogu and junior forward Jamal Hill, the Sun Devils checked in at the No. 3 spot in the Pac-10, behind UA (No. 11) and USC (No. 22) and ahead of Washington (No. 35) and UCLA (No. 37).
Evans to host another golf tourney
Evans' fifth annual charity golf tournament, which benefits the Boys & Girls Club of the East Valley and the Tempe Diablos, will be held Oct. 3 at the Phantom Horse Golf Club at the Pointe South Mountain Resort. Registration is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m., followed by a shotgun scramble start at 12:45 p.m. Awards will be presented during dinner.
The tournament entry fee is $300 for a single or $1,200 for a foursome. Holes may be sponsored for $1,800. The registration deadline is Sept. 16. For more information, contact the Boys & Girls Club of the East Valley at (480) 820-3688 or the ASU men's basketball office at (480) 965-3261.
Correction
There was an error in last week's issue regarding Morill's academic status. ASU has not yet received word as to whether the 6-foot-6, 226-pound freshman forward from Sam Houston High School (Arlington, Texas) has academically qualified for next season. Morill is still awaiting results from the college entrance exam he took last month.
Reach the reporter at brian.gomez@asu.edu.
