Nolan Smith, PG

One of the most likeable players in the collegiate game, the team co-captain elevated his level of play to produce career-highs in scoring average (20.6 ppg), field goals made (260),, free throws made (187), rebounds (166), assists (189) and steals (45, tied with his junior season total), en route to garnering All-American first-team honors as a senior.

The unquestioned leader of the Blue Devils, it is common to see his teammates gravitate towards him in the locker room because of his passion for the game. "Cool as ice," Smith is able to remain energetic and loose in high-pressure situations. He is an explosive athlete that emerged as a potent scorer as well as a lockdown perimeter defender as a junior, going on to start his final 78 games.

A versatile performer with the ability to play either guard position, Smith possesses a solid handle, a quick first step and the strength to finish at the rim. Talent evaluators claim that he owns one of the most polished mid-range games in college basketball and he has continued to work hard this offseason to improve his outside shooting touch. He also displays the confidence and skill set to be one of the elite guards in the professional ranks, with more seasoning.

A four-year letter-winner at the prestigious Oak Hill Academy, the two-time team captain had a stellar career while performing during the nation's most challenging schedule, where he was teammates with Milwaukee's guard Brandon Jennings.

The consensus All-American averaged 22.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 3.2 steals per game as a senior. He shot .650 from the floor, .780 from the foul line and shot .330 from behind the arc, leading Oak Hill to a 40-1 record, tying the school's single season wins record and helping the academy earn the top spot in the final USA Today 2007 Super 25 national rankings.

Smith spent several off-seasons performing for USA Basketball. He was named to the 2006 U18 USA Junior National team, where he averaged 9.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals per game as the USA posted a 4-0 mark and captured the gold medal at the 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Men in San Antonio, Texas. He also ranked tied for eighth in free throws made (15) and free throw percentage (.750) and tenth in assists (3.5 apg.)

Smith played in tenth Annual 2007 Nike Hoops Summit, where he collected four points, four rebounds and two steals in the Junior National Select team's 100-80 win over the World Select team. He participated with the Men's College Select Team in 2010, as that squad trained with the U.S. Men's Senior National Team in Las Vegas and New York in preparation for the 2010 World Championship. He also played AAU ball for DC Assault alongside Michael Beasley and Austin Freeman.

Smith was a key reserve in the Duke backcourt as a true freshman, appearing in 34 games during the 2007-08 campaign. He scored in double figures six times, as he averaged 5.9 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 14.7 minutes per game. He posted a .467 field goal percentage (70-of-150) and also shot .386 from three-point range (22-of-57).

As a sophomore, Smith earned 21 starting assignments in 34 games. He averaged 8.4 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game, finishing fourth on the team in double-figure scoring games with 17. He missed three contests after suffering a mild concussion vs. Maryland, but still managed to place fourth on the team in scoring, assists and steals.

Smith was suspended for the first two games of the 2009-10 season for playing in a non-sanctioned summer league contest, but he went on to garner NCAA Tournament South Region Most Outstanding Player accolades, in addition to claiming USBWA All-District III and NABC Second Team All-District II honors. He started 38 games, averaging 17.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He led the Blue Devils to the national title in Indianapolis, the same city where his father, the late Derek Smith, guided Louisville to the NCAA championship in 1980.

Smith was a first-team All-American and All-Atlantic Coast Conference choice during his senior season. He led the team in scoring (20.6 ppg), free throws (187) and assists (189) while averaging 4.5 rebounds and 34.0 minutes of action per game. Active in Duke's award-winning Verizon Read with the Blue Devils, a community outreach reading program in the Durham school district, Smith was the inaugural winner of the Premier Player of College Basketball Trophy.

That award is determined by a nation-wide vote by fans. The event was an introduction of the national award to the City of Charlotte where an annual Charitable Awards Dinner will take place each year to raise funds for North Carolina charities while showcasing the city, providing fun for fans and recognizing premier athletes.

Positives: Smith is a hard worker who lacks great size and strength, but is unselfish with the ball and prefers to create shots for others rather than risk taking an ill-advised shot on his own … Good defender in the paint, but has to improve his overall speed to challenge slashing guards at the next level … Bit of a streaky shooter, but when he sets his feet and shoots from a static position, he is very capable of making his mid-range jumper … Has worked hard to improve his perimeter range, but is still a work in progress … Unquestioned leader who will be a nice fit for a team looking for a few minutes here and there from a combo guard … Might not be explosive, but his court vision and basketball IQ will generally see him kick the ball out in tight quarters and make the proper reads to get the ball to an open teammate (has a very good ability to read defenses and facilitate the ball and create shots for others) … Makes quick decisions with the ball in his hands, but you would like to see him call his own number more often in crunch situations … Not the type that will get rattled vs. pressure or double team activity … Compensates for a lack of blazing speed by being a crafty player who has a nice array of moves (hesitation, crossover, pump fakes) that he uses regularly to draw unsuspecting defenders to commit early … Needs a little bit of room to create his shot, but if the inside lane is clogged, he knows how to step back and is becoming a high percentage mid-range shooter … Still not really comfortable playing the point, but he does a nice job to create shots for others first (rare to see him force the ball into ill-advised areas) … Has good vision coming off the dribble/drive and showed as a senior marked improvement coming off screens, displaying good balance while taking proper angles to get to the basket … Keeps defenders off-balance with his effective hesitation move … Can elevate high and above the rim to put in the emphatic dunk and does not need much room to elevate (just needs to show more confidence in this ability) … Has very good balance stepping back to make his shots from the perimeter … Has soft, natural hands to catch and shoot coming off screens and has become a very efficient passer (no look, one-bounce, etc.) … Effective at getting to the foul line, as he knows how to draw contact on the way to the rim … Has the ability to change the pace on his dribble, as he can keep it loose and away from his body to bait the defender and then simply pull up and fire over his man or square his shoulders and put the ball on the floor lower … Sets his feet well to pull up and shoot coming off the dribble, as he has very good balance and body control to execute his jumper … Has the functional lateral agility to stop slashers from gaining penetration, but only when he works his feet well to stay in front of his man.

Negatives: Smith is stuck as a combo guard, but he lacks the ideal height and length to play steady minutes at the "two" spot … Must dedicate more time in the weight room, as he does not have the strength to handle two-guard types in the NBA and is not explosive enough to race past pro point guards … Even vs. smaller point guards, he is not consistent getting good elevation with his jumper … He has good speed, but not enough to create separation from the defender on the way to the rim (lacks the explosiveness to get by his opponent with a sudden move) … Because of the Duke system, he has never been a featured player, and when asked to take over games, he seems hesitant and/or reluctant to do so … In "crunch" situations, he would prefer to feed the ball off to a teammate rather than take the crucial shot … Does a good job of locating open targets when the defense rotates, but is not physical enough to drive into the lanes consistently at the next level (lacks the explosive first step needed) and also has problems finishing at the rim … A good technician, but because of a lack of great speed, he struggles to maintain contact with the shooter in one-on-one match-ups … Forced to play more at the point guard position as a senior, he had problems vs. pressing defenses and must refine his ball handling skills (will over-dribble) and be more alert to coverages, as he almost doubled his turnovers from his junior season to his senior campaign (from 69 to 112) … Needs to show better aggression fighting through the pick-&-roll … Has made 166 three-point attempts during his career, but has made just 37.1% of his "treys" and that success mark dropped from 39.2% as a junior to 35.6% last season (needs to get the ball off with a quicker release to prevent blocked shots).

Compares To: MONTA ELLIS, Golden State -- If your team is looking for a combo guard, Smith is a nice fit. He does have a "pass first, shoot second" type of mentality, but in an up-tempo attack, he is not very good at creating his own shot. He can play minutes at the point, but is not the greatest at keeping in front of slashing guards, due to a lack of explosiveness. He has a smooth, yet a bit deliberate release and while he can hoist the ball up from the perimeter, he needs to drive more to the basket in order to draw contact and get to the free throw line. He lacks the long wingspan to alter or block shots along the perimeter and must do a better job fighting through screens. He seems to have good awareness as a playmaker, but he might be better served coming off the bench to earn a few minutes at both backcourt slots than be relied to control the tempo of the game at the point.

--By Dave-Te' Thomas

Earned All-American first-team honors from State Farm … The first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection was named the winner of the Premier Player of College Basketball Trophy, becoming the first recipient of the award which is determined by a nation-wide vote by fans. The event was an introduction of the national award to the City of Charlotte where an annual Charitable Awards Dinner will take place each year to raise funds for North Carolina charities while showcasing the city, providing fun for fans and recognizing premier athletes … Became the tenth Duke player to earn ACC Player of the Year and ACC Tournament MVP in the same season … Started all 37 games as a senior - 26 at point guard, 11 at shooting guard, as he ranked 16th in the nation in scoring with an average of 20.649 points per game, as his 764 points scored rank ninth on the school season-record list … Ranked 48th in the nation with an average of 5.11 assists per game (189 total), as he was one of just two NCAA Division I players to average 20 points and five rebounds per game this season … During the regular season he led the ACC in scoring (21.6 ppg.) while also ranking among the league leaders in field goal percentage (fifth), free throw percentage (fourth), assists (second) and minutes played (third) … In conference games he led the league in scoring (23.4 ppg.) and free throw percentage (.888) while ranking among the leaders in field goal percentage (eighth), assists (second), steals (tied for sixth) and minutes played (second) … Scored in double figures in 33 games with an ACC-best 21 games of 20 or more and four 30-point outings … Made 260-of-568 field goals (45.8%), 57-of-163 three-point attempts (35.0%) and 187-of-230 free throws (81.3%) … His successful field goal and free throw totals both rank 11th on the school season-record chart.

Claimed USBWA All-District III and NABC Second Team All-District II honors … Started 38 games after sitting out the first two games of the season, serving a suspension for playing in a non-sanctioned summer league game … Scored 662 points (17.4 ppg) behind 240-of-543 field goals (44.2%), 60-of-153 three-pointers (39.2%) and 122-of-159 free throws (76.7%) … Recorded 106 rebounds (2.8 rpg) with 114 assists (3.0 apg), nine blocked shots and 47 steals (1.24 spg) … Named to the NCAA All-Final Four team after averaging 16.0 points and 5.0 assists per game in wins over West Virginia and Butler … Earned NCAA Tournament South Region Most Outstanding Player accolades … Was also named to ACC and NIT Season Tip-Off all-tournament teams, in addition to receiving second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors … Led the Blue Devils in field goals made, finished second in assists, steals and three-point field goal percentage and placed third on the team in scoring, three-point field goals, free throws made, free throw percentage and minutes played … Ranked fifth in the ACC in scoring, eighth in field goal percentage and fifth in minutes (35.5 mpg.) … Led the team in scoring 13 times and in assists on 12 occasions … Scored 20 or more points in 16 contests and scored in double figures in 36 overall games.

Played in 34 games with 21 starts as a sophomore … Averaged 8.4 points (285 total), 2.2 rebounds (74) and 1.7 assists (58) per game … Finished fourth on the team in double-figure scoring games with 17 and led the squad in scoring twice while pacing Duke in assists four times … Posted a .426 (98-of-230) field goal percentage, including a .346 (27-of-78) mark from three-point range … Knocked down 62-of-73 (.849) free throw attempts.

Played in all 34 games on the season, with one start, as Smith averaged 5.9 points (202), 1.5 rebounds (52) and 1.3 assists (45) in 14.7 minutes per game … Registered a .467 field goal percentage (70-of-150) … Also shot .386 from three-point range (22-of-57) and .769 from the foul line (40-of-52) … Scored in double figures six times, including a season-best 21 points at Wake Forest.

Smith appeared in 142 games at Duke, the eighth-highest total in school history … Was part of a team that win 121 games during his time with the Blue Devils, ranking fifth on the school all-time record chart … Scored 1,913 points, the 17th-best career total at Duke, as he averaged 13.378 points per game … Made 668-of-1,491 field foals (44.8%), including 166-of-451 from three-point range (36.8%) … successful on 411-of-514 free throws (80%, ranks ninth in Duke history) … Pulled down 398 rebounds (2.78 rpg), as he collected 406 assists (2.84 apg), 19 blocked shots and 142 steals (0.99 spg) … Ranks 11th on the school season-record list with his 187 successful free throws and 260 field goals made during the 2010-11 campaign.

USA BASKETBALL

Named to the 2006 U18 USA Junior National team, where he averaged 9.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals per game as the USA posted a 4-0 mark and captured the gold medal at the 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Men in San Antonio, Texas … Also ranked tied for eighth in free throws made (15) and free throw percentage (.750) and tenth in assists (3.5 apg.) … Played in tenth Annual 2007 Nike Hoops Summit, where he collected four points, four rebounds and two steals in the Junior National Select team's 100-80 win over the World Select team … Participated with the Men's College Select Team in 2010, as that squad trained with the U.S. Men's Senior National Team in Las Vegas and New York in preparation for the 2010 World Championship … Played AAU ball for DC Assault alongside Michael Beasley and Austin Freeman.

Attended Oak Hill (Va.) Academy while serving as team captain during his junior and senior campaigns … Teammate of Brandon Jennings, where they played the nation's most challenging schedule … Averaged 22.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 3.2 steals per game as a senior, as he shot .650 from the floor, .780 from the foul line and shot .330 from behind the arc … Led his team to a 40-1 record as a senior, tying the school's season wins record and helping Oak Hill earn the top spot in the final USA Today 2007 Super 25 national rankings … Led Oak Hill to victories over nine state championship teams, two in-season tournament titles and an 18-game win streak to close the season … Named to the Les Schwab Invitational all-tournament team after leading Oak Hill to the championship … Had 30 points on 12-of-16 shooting to go along with four rebounds, two assists and two steals in a 99-90 win over current teammate Kyle Singler and South Medford in the championship game of the tournament … First-team EA Sports and Parade All-American selection, adding third-team honors from USA Today … Was also named a 2007 McDonald's All-America, as he scored eight points for the East team in the McDonald's All-American game … Averaged 17.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game, while shooting .730 from the field, .450 from three-point distance and .860 from the foul line as a junior, as he helped Oak Hill to a 40-1 overall record and a final USA Today No. 2 national ranking in 2006, picking up EA Sports All-American second-team recognition … Was an All-Metro third team selection while playing at Riverdale (Md.) Baptist in 2005, as he averaged 16.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 3.0 steals, shooting .632 from the field, .521 from 3-point and .890 from the foul line as a sophomore … Led Riverdale Baptist to a 33-1 record to earn third-team all-conference accolades in 2004 … Averaged 10.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game … Also played varsity basketball as an eighth grader at Key School (Md.) … Concluded his prep career ranked 39th overall and eighth among shooting guards by Rivals.com.

African-American Studies major … Grew up with and remains close friends with the NBA's Michael Beasley … Active in Duke's award-winning Verizon Read with the Blue Devils, a community outreach reading program in the Durham school district … His community involvement also includes visits to the Duke Children's Hospital … Son of Monica and the late Derek Smith … Father played basketball at Louisville and was a member of the 1980 NCAA Championship team that defeated UCLA. His father also played nine years in the NBA and was an assistant coach in the NBA for two years … Born Nolan Derek Smith on 7/25/88 in Louisville, Kentucky … Resides in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.