Smith breaks out late at Curry camp
ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Dennis Smith elevated his play as the 2015 Stephen Curry Select Camp wrapped up Wednesday at St. Joseph Notre Dame High School. Th 2016 point guard played well the first two days, then shifted his game into overdrive.
Smith dominates final session
After two and a half days focused primarily on skill development, Wednesday's final session of camp was about competition. Nobody rose to the challenge quite like 2016's No. 4 player Dennis Smith.
The 6-foot-2 point guard from Fayetteville (N.C.) Trinity Christian flipped the switch and put on a show during the camp's one-on-one competition.
In a word, Smith was unguardable. He used crossover dribbles, hesitation moves and slick dribble combinations to get to the rim for dunks. He pulled up for short jumpers and floaters and when he was gassed from driving the ball, he stayed outside and buried one deep three after another. At one point, Smith had things going so well that he threw the ball between the legs of a defender before gathering and finishing with a big two-handed dunk.
During the finals, he was tested by Michael Porter and actually needed a comeback to win, but he was clearly the star of the session.
All throughout the week, Smith had the chance to pick Steph Curry's ear and one thing stuck out to him.
"Tempo is the biggest thing," said Smith. "How he picks his spots. He doesn't really rush at all and he thinks two plays ahead."
Smith has scholarship offers from N.C. State, North Carolina, Duke, Wake Forest, Kansas, California, and Louisville.
He's quite familiar with the local schools and the general consensus has been that he will stay close to home. However, Smith says that he would like to take official visits to Louisville, Kansas and California and he pointed out that Louisville's Terry Rozier was one of his favorite college players because how Rick Pitino allowed him to play.
Whether he stays home or heads out of North Carolina, fit and playing time are going to be very important in his decision.
"Whatever is the right fit for me," said Smith about picking a school. "I don't want to go in and play behind anybody. I want to come in and start doing my work the first year, so those are the two biggest things."
At this point, Smith isn't set on a timetable. He would prefer to commit in the early period, but he's willing to wait like many of 2015's top players did to see how situations shake out.
He'll also look at who else the schools he's interested in land, but ultimately it is about what works best for him and not somebody else.
"I want to be my own player," said Smith. "There's a lot of guys I would like to play with in college, but if they go somewhere that's not the best for me, then I can't go there."
J.J. CaldwellClick The son of a 14-year NBA veteran point guard, Phoenix (Ariz.) Shadow Mountain's Michael BibbyClick One of the better defenders throughout the camp was point guard Jaylen FisherClick Recently elevated to No. 5 overall in the class of 2017, 6-foot-3 point guard Trevon DuvalClick Final news and notesHere to view this Link. backed up his lofty status with a dynamite showing from beginning to end. Selected as the co-MVP of camp with 2017's No. 2 player Michael PorterClick Final news and notesHere to view this Link., Duval showed off a very complete game. One of the things that Curry stressed all week was learning how to dictate pace and make the most of small gaps and space to cause damage and that pretty much sums up Duval's game. He is never rushed, has a high level of skill off the dribble and probes the defense until the smallest crack is given and then he reacts on it quickly to make a play. He's big and strong enough to take contact and finish at the rim, is a respectable shooter from deep and makes alert passes. His game and reputation have really taken off in the past few months.Here to view this Link.. The No. 45 player in the class of 2016 and a product of Memphis (Tenn.) Bolton, Fisher has good strength and plays hard on both ends of the floor. Fisher is also one of the most talkative players in the class and doesn't mind engaging in trash talk in the heat of battle. Here to view this Link. is starting to come into his own. For some reason, children of pro athletes tend to be late bloomers and Bibby may fall into this category. Skinny as a rail the last time Rivals saw him, the six-footer has added strength and he's an on-the-floor communicator with a good overall skill level. The release on his jumper is a bit unique in that it almost looks like he is shooting with two hands, but he has pretty deep range. The three-star prospect will be one to watch as the summer goes on.Here to view this Link., a six-foot point guard and Texas A&MClick The son of a 14-year NBA veteran point guard, Phoenix (Ariz.) Shadow Mountain's Michael BibbyClick One of the better defenders throughout the camp was point guard Jaylen FisherClick Recently elevated to No. 5 overall in the class of 2017, 6-foot-3 point guard Trevon DuvalClick Final news and notesHere to view this Link. backed up his lofty status with a dynamite showing from beginning to end. Selected as the co-MVP of camp with 2017's No. 2 player Michael PorterClick Final news and notesHere to view this Link., Duval showed off a very complete game. One of the things that Curry stressed all week was learning how to dictate pace and make the most of small gaps and space to cause damage and that pretty much sums up Duval's game. He is never rushed, has a high level of skill off the dribble and probes the defense until the smallest crack is given and then he reacts on it quickly to make a play. He's big and strong enough to take contact and finish at the rim, is a respectable shooter from deep and makes alert passes. His game and reputation have really taken off in the past few months.Here to view this Link.. The No. 45 player in the class of 2016 and a product of Memphis (Tenn.) Bolton, Fisher has good strength and plays hard on both ends of the floor. Fisher is also one of the most talkative players in the class and doesn't mind engaging in trash talk in the heat of battle. Here to view this Link. is starting to come into his own. For some reason, children of pro athletes tend to be late bloomers and Bibby may fall into this category. Skinny as a rail the last time Rivals saw him, the six-footer has added strength and he's an on-the-floor communicator with a good overall skill level. The release on his jumper is a bit unique in that it almost looks like he is shooting with two hands, but he has pretty deep range. The three-star prospect will be one to watch as the summer goes on.Here to view this Link. commit, was solid throughout the camp. He's not a scorer by nature, but he is a playmaker off the dribble who thinks pass first and he's a tough defender. What really stood out about Caldwell was how hard he competed and how hard he worked to master each drill. Unlike some highly regarded players who don't want to ask for help, the four-star floor general was constantly picking the brain of camp coaches and players.
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