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GARY - Rod Fisher, West Side's basketball coach isn't one to
mince words when assessing players.
So, this is what he says about Kim Smith, his star power forward,
who recently signed a letter of intent to play at Miami of Ohio: She
is pretty darn good but she has plenty of room for improvement.
"I think she can be one of the most dominating players around,"
Fisher said. "Athletically, she probably is the best player in the
area.
"But you can only go so far on your athleticism."
If it sounds like Fisher is throwing down the gauntlet for Smith,
he is - in a subtle sort of way.
He is careful to note that she has matured and improved by leaps
and bounds since her freshman year. At the same time, he is also
trying to stoke the natural well of talent that Smith has in
reserve.
A 5-foot-10 power forward, Fisher calls Smith one of the
strongest players he's coached in 15 years at West Side.
"She picks up dumbbells like they're stones," Fisher said.
Last year, Smith averaged 11 points per game and eight rebounds
for the 19-5 Cougars, who won their sectional. Most of Smith's
points came from banging around inside or on short jumpers, where
she spent much of her time playing with her back to the basket.
This year, Smith has added a whole new element to her game: She
will, at times, be a wing player.
That adjustment figures to help her out at Miami, where she'll be
used as a small forward.
"She has played with her back to the basket for three years,"
Fisher said. "A lot of people are going to try to take her away from
us. This year, you'll see her around the baseline a lot more. We've
worked on everything ... ball handling, decision making because we
know when she's at Miami she's going to have to play as a swing-type
player."
Smith's improvement this year came from playing with the Indiana
Storm, a local AAU team.
"I don't think she'd ever played with that caliber of player
until this summer," Fisher said.
"Before she went, she was maturing a lot. But you could tell once
she returned she was just a much better player."
Said Smith: "I think I improved a lot but I know there are still
things I need work on."
Smith said she needs to work on her outside shot and being able
to control the ball - an important skill for any West Side player to
master since the Cougars fast break often.
"More than anything, I just get hyper sometimes," she said.
At least she won't get hyper - or distracted about selecting a
college.
Fisher was getting peppered daily with phone calls from
recruiters asking about her.
"I'm glad that's over with," Fisher said.
"Coaches would keep calling and I couldn't tell them
anything."
Smith's first choice was Wisconsin. But the Badgers, who had been
recruiting her fairly hard, backed out of a home visit, making her
suspicious of the school.
She finally settled on Miami.
"It was just a gut feeling," she said. "I won't know how much I
like it until I get down there." | 