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    Tarin Smith signs his LOI

      Tarin Smith

      Expect the 6'2" freshman to immediately play minutes in a PG rotation with Benny Parker, allowing Tai Webster to shift back to his natural position of SG. Smith has been facing plenty of Div I competition during his playing time at HOF coach Bob Hurley's St. Anthony's program in addition to the Jersey based Sports U AAU squad.

      Smith was a 4.0 high school student and expects to immediately enroll in summer classes at Nebraska this June.

      The Huskers have 3 more scholarships available.

    Image quote courtesy of giveandgobasketball.com

    UNL's Release

    Lincoln – University of Nebraska Men’s Basketball Coach Tim Miles announced Wednesday that point guard Tarin Smith (Ocean Township, N.J.) signed a National Letter-of-Intent with the Nebraska basketball program.

    Smith is a 6-foot-2, 175-pounder who played for Hall of Fame Coach Bob Hurley at St. Anthony, helping the Friars to consecutive state runner-up finishes. In two seasons as a starter, Smith guided the Friars to a 53-7 record and a pair of sectional titles.

    "Tarin is a great addition to our program,” Nebraska Coach Tim Miles said. “He is the complete package at the point guard. He has excellent feel for the game. He is a leader. He has a terrific skill set, and is long and athletic on the defensive end. I love his personality, and he is really an endearing, bright young man. The Huskers landed a treasure in Tarin Smith!"

    As a senior, he was a third-team all-state selection by the Newark Star-Ledger, averaging 15 points, four rebounds and four assists per game, as St. Anthony went 25-5 on the season. Smith reached double figures in all but two games as a senior, including a pair of 23-point outings. One of his best performances was a 12-point, eight-assist, six-rebound effort in a win over eventual state champion Roselle Catholic.

    Smith averaged more than seven points per game as a junior, sharing time at guard with a pair of current Division I performers Hallice Cooke (Oregon State) and Josh Brown (Temple), as St. Anthony went 28-2 and finished second in the state in its class. Smith was the only sophomore on the varsity team in 2011-12, when the Friars went 32-0 and won the Tournament of Champions title as the best team in the state.

    Smith, who selected Nebraska over Ole Miss, Providence and Duquesne, is also a standout in the classroom with a 4.0 GPA. He is in the running for valedictorian of his high school class. Smith also played with the Sports U AAU team and was one of five players to sign with power-conference teams this season.

    Smith is another in a long line of guards for Coach Hurley at St. Anthony, as Hurley has won over 1,100 games and 25 state titles since taking over the program in 1972. During his tenure, he has coached over 150 players who have signed with Division I programs.

    Smith joins a Nebraska program that went 19-13 under Miles and reached the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament. The Huskers return all five starters, including All-Big Ten performers Terran Petteway and Shavon Shields, and a roster that returns 82 percent of its scoring and 86 percent of its rebounding from a year ago.

    Smith is the second member of Nebraska’s recruiting class, joining 6-foot-10 center Jacob Hammond (Comanche, Okla.), who signed with Nebraska in the fall. Hammond averaged 26.2 points, 14.8 rebounds and 5.7 blocks per game this season while earning second-team all-state honors (all-classes) from the Daily Oklahoman. A finalist for Mr. Basketball in the state of Oklahoma, Hammond was also named District 5 Player of the Year by the Oklahoma Basketball Coaches Association in 2014.




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    Smith could end up a nice pickup

    Lost amidst the rush of Nebraska making the NCAA Tournament is the fact the Huskers landed themselves a nice prospect on the recruiting trail. Tim Miles and company picked up a nice St. Patrick's Day score when they landed one of the top remaining point guard prospects in the country, Tarin Smith.

    A product of legendary Jersey City (N.J.) St. Anthony, Smith is a 6-foot-1 competitor who can run the show or play the role of scorer. Most importantly, he fits the culture that Miles and his staff have been building at Nebraska. Smith is a grinder, a tough kid who plays with physicality and who doesn't have a lot of notoriety. Molded by arguably the best high school coach of all time, Bob Hurley, at St. Ant's, Smith is a winner who is about team. Look for him to really help the Huskers depth on the perimeter, play good defense and provide offense in spots during his first couple of years. Don't be surprised if he ends up starting at least two years before his time in Lincoln is done.

    From here rivals.com. Can't get to down load with my iPad.

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    Thing is they knew when they offered him that we were going to make the dance.  And that, in making the dance, our recruiting appeal would increase.  And, because our recruiting appeal would increase, there was no rush to fill spots with just anyone.

     

    Yet, they wanted this kid.

     

    I'm going to take that as a pretty strong endorsement and forget, for the moment, whether he had tons of offers or was relatively under the radar.  They went and worked the kid out.  They kicked some tires.  They know what they're getting.  And this appears to be the kid they wanted.

     

    And that's good enough for me.

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    Thing is they knew when they offered him that we were going to make the dance.  And that, in making the dance, our recruiting appeal would increase.  And, because our recruiting appeal would increase, there was no rush to fill spots with just anyone.

     

    Yet, they wanted this kid.

     

    I'm going to take that as a pretty strong endorsement and forget, for the moment, whether he had tons of offers or was relatively under the radar.  They went and worked the kid out.  They kicked some tires.  They know what they're getting.  And this appears to be the kid they wanted.

     

    And that's good enough for me.

     

    One cool thing about this is we are no longer beggars when it comes to recruiting. Now, we are getting the mindset that quality players will WANT to come to us. Not saying we are on par with the other historically dominant programs but aren't a doormat in this conference, either.

     

    I agree with whoever suggested that we should somehow put a recruiting video together of the Wisconsin game (especially the "NO SIT" crowd!) and start showing how the fans here will embrace recruits as players. And then, of course, send one to a Wisconsin recruit that we might want to poach just for the fun of it!

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    Thing is they knew when they offered him that we were going to make the dance.  And that, in making the dance, our recruiting appeal would increase.  And, because our recruiting appeal would increase, there was no rush to fill spots with just anyone.

     

    Yet, they wanted this kid.

     

    I'm going to take that as a pretty strong endorsement and forget, for the moment, whether he had tons of offers or was relatively under the radar.  They went and worked the kid out.  They kicked some tires.  They know what they're getting.  And this appears to be the kid they wanted.

     

    And that's good enough for me.

     

    Paraphrasing Robin but he said on good authority talking with the staff that they cooled on Trey and Tarin became the top target after seeing him play.  Coach Smith has been in contact since last summer and started recruiting him hard 3 months ago.  Its obviously been more recent to us but this has been playing out for awhile apparently.

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    Thing is they knew when they offered him that we were going to make the dance.  And that, in making the dance, our recruiting appeal would increase.  And, because our recruiting appeal would increase, there was no rush to fill spots with just anyone.

     

    Yet, they wanted this kid.

     

    I'm going to take that as a pretty strong endorsement and forget, for the moment, whether he had tons of offers or was relatively under the radar.  They went and worked the kid out.  They kicked some tires.  They know what they're getting.  And this appears to be the kid they wanted.

     

    And that's good enough for me.

     

    Paraphrasing Robin but he said on good authority talking with the staff that they cooled on Trey and Tarin became the top target after seeing him play.  Coach Smith has been in contact since last summer and started recruiting him hard 3 months ago.  Its obviously been more recent to us but this has been playing out for awhile apparently.

    Very interesting. Thanks for the note about it being Smith who recruited him. I wondered if that was a Hunter guy. Guess not.

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    With his seeming maturity level I envision him as the kind of kid that will play a lot for us for four years and by the end of that fourth year fans from other teams will hate him and say things like "God, it seems like Smith has been at Nebraska for 8 years."

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    Smith seemed to be a very consistent scorer (see link for individual game results) for the St Anthonys team that finished 2nd in N.J. state championship this year. Tarin was in double figures for all but 2 games on the season. 

     

    http://highschoolsports.nj.com/player/tarin-smith/boysbasketball/season/boysbasketball-2013/

     

    Look forward to Tarin Smith's arrival in Lincoln to solidify the PG play for the long-term future of Nebrasketball. Gotta hope he's the type of distributor, scorer & leader NU needs to put us over the top in post-season play!

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    Smith seemed to be a very consistent scorer (see link for individual game results) for the St Anthonys team that finished 2nd in N.Y. state championship this year. Tarin was in double figures for all but 2 games on the season. 

     

    http://highschoolsports.nj.com/player/tarin-smith/boysbasketball/season/boysbasketball-2013/

     

    Look forward to Tarin Smith's arrival in Lincoln to solidify the PG play for the long-term future of Nebrasketball. Gotta hope he's the type of distributor, scorer & leader NU needs to put us over the top in post-season play!

    I am pretty sure it is the New Jersey rather than New York state championship...I am going to also repeat the following. if you want to learn about St. Anthony's and the Hurley method, read the book, The Miracle of St. Anthony...or, revisit this interview with 60 Minutes if you would rather not read...

     

    http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/bob-hurley-the-sage-of-st-anthony/

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    I was impressed with his film.  Kid doesn't "need his shots."  He's very cool and does a nice job facilitating and defending.  Good spot up shooter, nice pull up jumper.  Not a showboat by any stretch, but plenty athletic as he can dunk with two hands.  Really a no BS player.  Doesn't drive into traffic for circus shots like some point guards.  I'm thrilled.  

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    Smith seemed to be a very consistent scorer (see link for individual game results) for the St Anthonys team that finished 2nd in N.Y. state championship this year. Tarin was in double figures for all but 2 games on the season. 

     

    http://highschoolsports.nj.com/player/tarin-smith/boysbasketball/season/boysbasketball-2013/

     

    Look forward to Tarin Smith's arrival in Lincoln to solidify the PG play for the long-term future of Nebrasketball. Gotta hope he's the type of distributor, scorer & leader NU needs to put us over the top in post-season play!

    I am pretty sure it is the New Jersey rather than New York state championship...I am going to also repeat the following. if you want to learn about St. Anthony's and the Hurley method, read the book, The Miracle of St. Anthony...or, revisit this interview with 60 Minutes if you would rather not read...

     

    http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/bob-hurley-the-sage-of-st-anthony/

     

     

    Sorry, pushed the wrong key (Y instead of J). Stuff happens, just ask Tim Miles about technicalities yesterday. ;)

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    Tarin Smith

     

     

    UNL's Release

     

    Lincoln – University of Nebraska Men’s Basketball Coach Tim Miles announced Wednesday that point guard Tarin Smith (Ocean Township, N.J.) signed a National Letter-of-Intent with the Nebraska basketball program.

     

    Smith is a 6-foot-2, 175-pounder who played for Hall of Fame Coach Bob Hurley at St. Anthony, helping the Friars to consecutive state runner-up finishes. In two seasons as a starter, Smith guided the Friars to a 53-7 record and a pair of sectional titles.

     

    "Tarin is a great addition to our program,” Nebraska Coach Tim Miles said. “He is the complete package at the point guard. He has excellent feel for the game. He is a leader. He has a terrific skill set, and is long and athletic on the defensive end.  I love his personality, and he is really an endearing, bright young man.  The Huskers landed a treasure in Tarin Smith!"

     

    As a senior, he was a third-team all-state selection by the Newark Star-Ledger, averaging 15 points, four rebounds and four assists per game, as St. Anthony went 25-5 on the season. Smith reached double figures in all but two games as a senior, including a pair of 23-point outings. One of his best performances was a 12-point, eight-assist, six-rebound effort in a win over eventual state champion Roselle Catholic.

     

    Smith averaged more than seven points per game as a junior, sharing time at guard with a pair of current Division I performers Hallice Cooke (Oregon State) and Josh Brown (Temple), as St. Anthony went 28-2 and finished second in the state in its class. Smith was the only sophomore on the varsity team in 2011-12, when the Friars went 32-0 and won the Tournament of Champions title as the best team in the state.

     

    Smith, who selected Nebraska over Ole Miss, Providence and Duquesne, is also a standout in the classroom with a 4.0 GPA. He is in the running for valedictorian of his high school class. Smith also played with the Sports U AAU team and was one of five players to sign with power-conference teams this season.

     

    Smith is another in a long line of guards for Coach Hurley at St. Anthony, as Hurley has won over 1,100 games and 25 state titles since taking over the program in 1972. During his tenure, he has coached over 150 players who have signed with Division I programs.

     

    Smith joins a Nebraska program that went 19-13 under Miles and reached the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament. The Huskers return all five starters, including All-Big Ten performers Terran Petteway and Shavon Shields, and a roster that returns 82 percent of its scoring and 86 percent of its rebounding from a year ago.

     

    Smith is the second member of Nebraska’s recruiting class, joining 6-foot-10 center Jacob Hammond (Comanche, Okla.), who signed with Nebraska in the fall. Hammond averaged 26.2 points, 14.8 rebounds and 5.7 blocks per game this season while earning second-team all-state honors (all-classes) from the Daily Oklahoman. A finalist for Mr. Basketball in the state of Oklahoma, Hammond was also named District 5 Player of the Year by the Oklahoma Basketball Coaches Association in 2014.



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    What are the odds Smith starts in the Fall? I'll say 80/20 he does.

     

    I'd say it all depends on Tai.

     

     

    Miles said yesterday that their plan is to "move Tai off the ball." Barring any late guard signings, I personally believe that Tarin will become our starting point guard next season, with Benny spelling him off the bench, while Tai will transition into a back-up 2 behind Terran and focus more on being a scorer who can give you a few minutes at PG if needed. Just my take. I believe Smith is a more natural PG than Tai, 

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    No matter what position Tai plays next year, I firmly believe he'll come back a much better player.  And I, for one, am not going to bet on seeing him out of the starting lineup.  I think we'll see a much better Tai Webster next year in all facets of the game.  My only hope is that Pitchford and Smith improve as much.

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    What are the odds Smith starts in the Fall? I'll say 80/20 he does.

     

    I'd say it all depends on Tai.

     

     

    Miles said yesterday that their plan is to "move Tai off the ball." Barring any late guard signings, I personally believe that Tarin will become our starting point guard next season, with Benny spelling him off the bench, while Tai will transition into a back-up 2 behind Terran and focus more on being a scorer who can give you a few minutes at PG if needed. Just my take. I believe Smith is a more natural PG than Tai, 

     

     

     

    I just can't see Tai playing anything but point until he can prove he can shoot over the Mendoza Line from deep.  I hope he lives in the gym all Summer because it would be huge if we added another offensive threat to this team. 

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    No matter what position Tai plays next year, I firmly believe he'll come back a much better player.  And I, for one, am not going to bet on seeing him out of the starting lineup.  I think we'll see a much better Tai Webster next year in all facets of the game.  My only hope is that Pitchford and Smith improve as much.

     

    I agree that Tai will improve quite a bit by next season, but I interpreted Miles' comments in the LJS article yesterday to mean that his plan is to move Tai out of the PG spot, and he's not going to displace Terran from the starting line-up, so that's why my feeling is that Tai is now a back-up shooting guard.

     

    New Zealand native Tai Webster was Nebraska’s starting point guard as a true freshman but struggled in his transition from playing on his country's national team to major college basketball. Webster averaged 3.9 points and shot 30.4 percent from the field, with 63 assists and 58 turnovers. He went scoreless over Nebraska’s final five games.

     

    Miles said he plans to move Webster off the ball.

     

    “Tai has had a tough acclimation to basketball in the U.S., but Tai’s going to get a lot better,” Miles said. “He’s committed to hard work, and doing the things necessary to be the type of player we all know and hope he can be, including himself. His expectations of himself are very high, and he’s going to put in the hard work to meet his goals.”

     

    When you combine the "move Tai off the ball" comment from yesterday with Miles' previous comments about how he feels Tai is more comfortable at the 2 with another PG on the court (the reason he started putting Tai and Benny in together later in the season), and add in the fact that he indicated the other day that, while he loves Benny's energy on the court and ability to get steals and defend, he doesn't believe Benny is a complete PG in terms of running the offense and facilitating for others.

     

    That's where Tarin Smith comes in IMO.

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    He might not displace Terran in the starting lineup, but he could take Gallegos' place.  A lot depends on how good of a transfer big man we get and whether Walt stays at the (sort of) 5 or moves to more of a 4, which would knock Rivers out of the starting role he had when he took Gallegos's starts.  Either way, there still may be room for Tai in the starting lineup and I'm not yet ready to bet against it.

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