Josh Smith is a 6’8 forward who is entering his fifth year of college basketball after spending the last four years as a regular starter for the Stetson Hatters.
A valuable member to their squad, he has unfortunately suffered from ACL tears in back to back seasons, both in the last game of the 2022-23 season and in February of 2024, which will force him to miss this coming season for the Flames.
Even through these injuries, Smith has been a leader for his team and a real contributor when on the court. Coming out of high school, Josh was the number 2 ranked power forward in Indiana and was a starter immediately for Stetson. He averaged 9.5 and 8.4 points per game in his junior and senior years respectively.
Smith played a few different roles within the offense for Stetson in his most recent season. Coming into the season after a good amount of games had already been played, he showed his chops as an off-ball mover and spot up player that did not demand touches to make a difference on that end of the floor. Smith found space away from the ball and presented good shot opportunities with his cutting and relocation on the perimeter. He knocked down a few threes in his return stretch as well (4 of 12) and displayed the touch he has had since high school.
His biggest strength in his latest season was his production in the post, where he sealed off defenders well with his footwork and physicality. He could take them off the dribble from this position as well and get by them for baskets inside, where he finished well with around contact and verticality. He finished 70.5% of his shots at the rim and 82.4% of shots in the post specifically. Though he was still ramping up from his first injury at this time, his timing and skill were still apparent in this sample.
In his junior year, Josh was getting an even higher volume of touches and was third on the team in usage percentage for the 22-23 season. He got a good amount of touches in the post this year but had seen a lot of action as the roll man in screening actions as well. Out of these, there were a lot more dunks open for him off of quick passes and looks for him to display his touch around the basket. That season he finished 76.4% of his 110 shots at the rim, a number in the 97th percentile of his college peers. He also got a few isolation looks that season in which he showed he could face up on defenders and get his own good looks. He also shot 78.9% from the free throw line in this season where he attempted his most free throws, a promising sign that his shooting production can improve if given the right looks in rhythm.
Josh Smith has dealt with a lot when it comes to staying on the floor these last couple years, and I am excited to see him bounce back on a LU team that can always use more size and versatility to their skilled lineup. He has a lot to offer in terms of his skills and experience as a ‘pro’ in the NCAA landscape, so I know the addition will bring positive variables to this team. As a veteran with a lot of playing experience, he can be trusted to fill his role with this team and I look forward to seeing what that will be.
