Digital Harbor's Kevin Smith to stay local
The first half of Kevin Smith's college career will unfold roughly an hour away from his Baltimore home.
Smith, who led Digital Harbor to the Class 2A state championship last month, signed a letter of intent to play basketball for Frederick Community College on Wednesday.
“Everything was real cool,” Smith said. “[I got] a real clean, cool vibe from them. … [The] people sealed the deal pretty much.”
Smith started his high school career with two prolific seasons at Baltimore Freedom Academy. For his junior year, the 6-foot-1, 196-pound point guard played for Huntington (W.Va.) Prep. In his return to Baltimore last fall, Smith formed a dynamic backcourt duo with junior Daquan Cook, averaging nearly 17 points and eight assists for the Rams.
Smith joins a Cougars squad that finished 26-5 during the 2010-11 season, reaching the finals of the Maryland JUCO and Region XX tournaments. Frederick Community College sophomore wing Anthony Hubbard signed with Iowa after the season.
“I got to talk to him. [He’s a] real cool dude,” Smith said. “He just got an opportunity there and got better and better. … It’s a good look for the school [to send a player to a high-major school]. But I know where my talent stands and where I can really be in the future. That really didn’t have much to do with [my decision], but it’s a positive at the same time.”
Smith took his SAT last Saturday, and if his scores meet NCAA Division I qualifying standards, he said there’s a chance he could end up at a four-year school next year after all. But if he’s not cleared, Smith said he’s happy to have found a strong program that will aid in his development over the next two years.
“I wish I would go DI, but things happen for a reason,” Smith said. “It’s just going to take time. I think it’s going to be better for me overall to do one year or two years and get better. When I get there, I’ll be better mentally and physically.”
Handout photo of Kevin Smith.
