Basketball Preview 2008 | A promising frosh in '06-'07, Smith hopes for revival

By ZACH KLITZMAN

Staff Writer

klitzman@dailypennsylvanian.com

Entering the 2007-08 season, Darren Smith had high hopes.

The guard was just coming off an excellent rookie campaign in which he started 10 of the team's final 11 games, including the Quakers' first round NCAA tournament loss against Texas A&M.;

But then, in the first game of his sophomore season, his dreams were broken along with his right kneecap, an injury that forced him to miss the rest of the year.

"It was heartbreaking," he said. "Personally it was a huge setback, but I tried not to let it get me down."

Coupled with the loss of three other starters to graduation, the Quakers had little returning experience outside of captain Brian Grandieri and faltered to a 13-18 (8-6 Ivy) season last year.

And, while the Quakers' woes last season were deeper than Smith's injury, Smith's injury certainly did not help their performance.

"We thought as a freshman Darren had All-Ivy potential," Penn coach Glen Miller said. "We expected him to turn the corner [last year], but his injury was a major blow."

But as Smith recovers and looks to get playing time this year, his spot in the starting lineup is in jeopardy.

The Quakers now have quite the crowded backcourt. Penn's leading returning scorer Tyler Bernardini, who is a mix of a two guard and slashing small forward, was the Ivy League Rookie of the Year last season.

They also have a combined 28 starts from seniors Kevin Egee and Aron Cohen and 10 more from sophomore Harrison Gaines. Add in highly touted freshman Zack Rosen and Miller has a wealth of guards before even thinking about Smith.

"I'm just going to come in and play whatever role that I can," Smith said. "I'm one of the older guys, and we've got a lot of young guards for me to help out."

The scope of Smith's role isn't the only thing in question; Miller declined to talk about a specific timetable for his return.

Right now, he's still recovering from the surgery to fix his kneecap and is not practicing with the team.

"He's making progress every day," Miller said. "We're protecting him. He needs strength to get injury free."

Smith added: "I'm further along than I thought I'd be."

When healthy, he could provide a much-needed boost in three-point shooting, a category in which the Quakers finished seventh in the Ivy League last year. With the arc moving back one foot for this season, the difference between a guard who can shoot well and one who can't will be much starker.

As a freshman, Smith made a name for himself as one of the Quakers' best shooters from long distance.

In fact, Smith's .458 career shooting percentage from downtown is actually well higher than his overall field goal percentage of .394.

At full-strength, Smith is one of the most multi-faceted players on the team and one of its best perimeter defenders. His defense is also something the Quakers missed last season, as they were dead last in the Ivy League in three-point defense (allowing opponents to shoot 39.8 percent) and fifth in overall field-goal defense. Moreover, opponents were able to exploit slower guards like Grandieri and inexperienced ones like Gaines and drive inside for easy baskets and free throws.

Miller praised Smith's solid all-around game.

"Darren has great ball skills and a high basketball IQ," he said. "He also is a great defender. When healthy, he brings a lot to the table."

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.