The rollercoaster year of Dwayne Smith began with the confidence gained from a satisfying sophomore campaign.  Dwayne started 20 games that season after failing to start a single contest as a freshman.  His minutes increased by 6.5 minutes per game, his scoring rose from 5.1 to 9.3 per game, his rebound totals increased from 2.8 to 5.1 per game.  Last summer, this confidence was evident during Kenner play.  Dwayne's play was aggressive, not just his tendency to take the ball hard to the basket, but also in his desire to take shots during big moments in the game.  Dwayne went from wondering whether he was among the best players on the court to believing that he was.  Along with Lasan Kromah (specifically due to his coming off of an injury) and Bryan Bynes, these were the Colonials I was most look forward to seeing play last season. 

Unfortunately, an injury that created "concussion-like symptoms" derailed Dwayne's season.  Already faced with learning the playbook of a new coaching regime, Dwayne fell further behind due to being unable to take the court with his teammates.  When he was cleared to play, Dwayne often looked unsure of himself.  He was caught out-of-position at times on defense, and his inability to grasp the flex offense was apparent.  The irony of course was that Dwayne's game, specifically his ability to catch and shoot from midrange, ought to be tailor-made for the flex.  However, when Dwayne's confidence went away, his perimeter shooting went along with it.  Dwayne went from attempting 98 three point shots during his first two seasons to taking only 6 such shots last season.  No longer a threat from three, Dwayne appeared to press on his midrange shot as well.  Although his overall shooting percentage was very much in line with his past two seasons, this could be attributed to a number of putbacks and easier two point shots that Dwayne, to his credit, was able to manufacture down low.

Once A10 play began, Dwayne began to round into form.  For a 12 game stretch (which included the OOC game against Harvard), Dwayne averaged just over 23 minutes a game, averaging nearly 9 points on 51% shooting from the floor.  His final 6 games were far more disappointing.  His minutes were cut to under 17 per game and his scoring fell to 5.5 points on 33% shooting during this stretch.  Clearly, ML and staff had lost some confidence as well.

So the call to make is an obvious one: Do you anticipate Dwayne Smith bouncing back to have a productive senior season, or with more competition for minutes this upcoming season, would you anticipate more of the same inconsistency that he experienced last season?

1) He changes his name to D'Wayne.

2) His game grows into his maturing body.

3) He's in tip top shape, and the concussive syndrome is a thing of the past.

4) He becomes the 4th incarnation of  Johnson, Wassel, and the Brentwood, LI gentleman whose name escapes me at the moment---and has a spectacular senior season, averaging a near double double, with at least 4 25 point games. Lesser fans bitch about his wasted 3 years; Herve-Board fans appreciate the young man for giving his career at GW his best shot, and for showing remarkable improvement.  ML says, :This is the player I always knew he could be. And a senior leader, too."

5) He goes on to a happy, fulfilling life, coming to this board infrequently, as necessary, to set the kiddies and the geezers straight.

My  "it" player of last year's Kenner was a major disappointment during the season,  as was Tim Johnson the year before him.  Unfortunately, the fates were conspiring against Dwayne, first with the concussion, and then being forced to play as a 6'6" post player because 6'11" Jabari Edwards was unable to do so and there was nobody else.  Hopefully, with the new depth on the team, ML will be able to use Dwayne in a manner more suitable to his skills. Still, Dwayne may have been endemic of the personnel woes suffered by GW these last few years, namely he was an adequate, sometimes solid  A-10 player who would show us the occasional glimpse, but was not good or consistent enough to help carry a team that was otherwise very short of adequate A-10 players.  We need players who we could pencil in for 15 points, 7 rebounds and solid defense, and I just don't know if Dwayne can be that player, for health or other reasons.

Ye of so little faith...

 I think he might be better of changing his name to Dwyane, ziik. I think a concussion-free offseason to learn the offense will do wonders. I think the incoming recruits will limit his minutes, but he'll be better prepared to contribute in a number of different ways when he comes in off the bench. His numbers will probably be about in line with his first 3 years, but he'll be much more efficient.

My lasting memory of Dwayne Smith last year was him catching the ball at the FT line, completely ungaurded.  Instead of shooting the open 12 ft shot, D Smith backs his way to the basket until he feels contact with the defender and then puts up a contested turn around jumper that barely grazes the rim. 

If Smith can't shoot, he can't play.  He's just not big enough to be an effective low post scorer.  If he can prove that he can make the mid-range jumper consistently and with confidence, that will open up the dribble drive aspect of Smith's play and he can be a productive forward in ML's system.

I'm not confident Smith can do it next season.

I don't know if we'd lose too much defensively, but it would sure be intersting to see Dwayne and Paris paired together on the court.  Dwayne eats smaller post players alive and supposedly Paris has a nice outside jumper - so if the big man chases Paris outside, Dwayne gets room to operate agianst a smaller guy he can own, or Paris gets to shoot over a shorter defender. 

I realize it's more likely Paris won't be ready for big minutes as a freshman, but a big man with a jumper would make Dwayne so much more effective down low.

Dang it... herve, where's my post????

short and sweet: bobo, disagree with you... My thoughts about Smith last year is upbeat. He ended the year being fairly productive in the paint. With the right team setup around him, he will be a beast.

agree with FQ, add in Paris and or Larsen and Smith will dominate his man in most cases. Add in the passing of Pato Garino from the wing and you have points.

Look for the Colonials to be 5 to 10 points up at most times during the game rather than 3 to 5 down as was our experience last season.

At one point we were all excited about Dwayne and I think (HOPE) he/we can recapture that promise:

• http://www.gwhoops.com/default.aspx?mid=23898
• http://www.gwhoops.com/default.aspx?mid=23960
• http://www.gwhoops.com/default.aspx?mid=20110808164818812120

Let me go further and add, cross-thread, that this season upcoming, I believe has a schedule that is tuned to adjust for a season of learning to win. It isn't nearly as patty-cake as some have suggested. However, we have winable games for an improved team that should be settling into the offensive schemes. This is a schedule that will allow us to gain a certain reputation that is needed to take the next step.

This isn't a Hobbsian, beyond awful combination of bad competition and weak team. There seems to be a plan in play that will get us from Point A to Point B.

Is it a concern that Dwayne's last 6 games (last season) were quite a bit off from the 12 games that preceded those?  Fewer minutes and much worse perimeter shooting.  Hard to blame the final 6 games on the injury.