Welcome to A10 Talk’s Top 25 Player Countdown. Each day, we publish a new article counting down the 25 best players in the Atlantic 10 this past season. Today, we feature #21 Scoochie Smith.
Scoochie Smith just finished his junior season with the Flyers where he helped lead them into the NCAA Tournament. He’ll be back for his senior year where he’ll hope to take his team to the Sweet 16 and beyond.
Best Performances
Aside from having perhaps the best name in the Atlantic 10, Scoochie Smith reaffirmed himself as one of the most prolific offensive threats on the Dayton Flyers in 2015-16. Smith scored in double figures in 19 of Dayton’s 33 games, but two performances in particular stick out.
On March 5th, with a share of the Atlantic 10 regular season title on the line, Scoochie dropped his most impressive performance of the season, scoring a scorching 29 points (a new career-high), along with eight rebounds and five assists, and he led the Flyers to a 68-67 overtime win over VCU.
The previous game, Smith dropped a then season-high 26 points in Dayton’s 85-84 win over Richmond. In addition, Scoochie added five assists and three rebounds as well as several key free throws down the stretch to help put the game away.
Key Stats
Scoochie Smith ranked 9th in the Atlantic 10 in assists, averaging 4.3 per game and 138 total. In addition, Smith ranked 15th in the A-10 in steals with 1.25 per game and 18th in the A-10 in 3-point percentage, shooting 37.3%. Scoochie was 3rd on Dayton in points per game, averaging 11.7.
Team Effort
While the 2015-16 season saw most of Scoochie Smith’s numbers increase, it actually was in less time. His minutes per game actually decreased, from 32.8 down to 31.2. That said, Smith’s field goal percentage, 3-point percentage, rebounds, assists, blocks and points per game all increased this past year. Smith will look to continue his upward trends in his stats next year, as he returns for his senior season along with three other rising-seniors and will try to deliver Dayton their first A-10 Tournament title since 2003.
Previously: #22 Peyton Aldridge
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