UConn Highlights: Chris Smith | The Boneyard

UConn Highlights: Chris Smith

I feel like I was dreaming watching his sophomore clips.

Smitty has nice hops and could stop on a dime and elevate for his J.

He used to drive Billy Packer nuts with his crossover which Packer insisted was a carry. Unfortunately on this one, Packer was right. Smitty definitely was carrying the ball on some of those crossovers.
 
Chin Diesel said:
He used to drive Billy Packer nuts with his crossover which Packer insisted was a carry. Unfortunately on this one, Packer was right. Smitty definitely was carrying the ball on some of those crossovers.
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Yeah but so was everyone else, that was the problem with Packer's obsession.
 
Chin Diesel said:
He used to drive Billy Packer nuts with his crossover which Packer insisted was a carry. Unfortunately on this one, Packer was right. Smitty definitely was carrying the ball on some of those crossovers.
Expand ...

Smitty had the ball on a string. I remember watching him in a game vs UNC and made King Rice fall over backwards...
 
I have 2 memories about Chris Smith that stand out.

1. When I was living in Willimantic in the apartments on the corner of Roanoak and Main, I saw CS at the gas station right before a big game with Syracuse. We made eye contact and I wanted to yell out, "give 'em hell Smitty," but I didn't, for fear of offending. He gave me a knowing smile. Had a big game, as I recall.

2. The guy simply did not miss if he was open. If he stopped and popped and a defender wasn't on him, it was as close to automatic as we've ever had.
 
Got to talk with him at length this year at a get together at a friend’s who knows him. He really dislikes the way so many star hs players today think they are entitled. Thinks it’s mostly due to the influence of AAU.
 
Smitty had some insane halfs where he was unstoppable. Nice, quiet unassuming kid. I think he played 3 years in the NBA, prior to going overseas. Nice highlights.
 
Chin Diesel said:
He used to drive Billy Packer nuts with his crossover which Packer insisted was a carry. Unfortunately on this one, Packer was right. Smitty definitely was carrying the ball on some of those crossovers.
Expand ...

He did, but so did many others in that era, particularly Kenny Anderson. It was pervasive through the late 199o's or so (Khalid put his hand under the ball on every hesitation dribble he made for three years), then the officials were forced to crack down on it. Smith's carry seemed so pronounced because he kept the ball so low and his hands were crazy big for a 6'2" guy.
 
I worked at CC of Woodbridge before it was closed. Chris came often to tee it up. The first time I introduced myself and told him how much I appreciated his playing for UC.
After that we always chatted a bit before teed off. When Calhoun's alumni game happened I always asked, 'You playing'. His answer was, 'I'll be there in the lay-up line but I'll let the young men play'. Truly a good man.
 
It was an amazing time for Uconn basketball. We were such underdogs. We had never beaten these teams. That 1990 squad made believers out of all of us. It was really a thrill ride. Chris Smith was just so poised, so smooth, so confident, the best player on the floor it seemed. The slicing thru the lane, the midrange, the all net threes. Really,really something special. I haven't missed too many games since. Growing up I had watched some Tony Hanson, Joey Whelton, Al Lewis?, but this was a whole other level that put us on the map for good. The press was such a weapon back then. Calhoun in his early glory. Henefeld, Burrell, Gwynn, George, Sellers, DePriest. Those were some days man.
 
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