It’s almost like the story of the starting point guard who almost never was.
Tim Smith had just completed his two years playing basketball at Gloucester County College in southern New Jersey and was looking for a place to continue his education.
Joe Loughran, the head coach at Rutgers-Newark, had a need for a point guard and thought that Smith might be able to help him right away, considering he had two years of college basketball experience under his belt and he came from a solid high school program in Camden Catholic, one of the premier programs in New Jersey.
There was only one obstacle. Smith wasn’t really interested in Rutgers-Newark.
“He told us that he was looking for a scholarship and was looking at some (NCAA) Division II schools,” Loughran said. “I kept calling him over the summer, but it didn’t seem like he was interested.”
“I was hoping to receive a scholarship,” Smith said. “That was my initial plan.”
However, for some reason, the plans didn’t come through. Smith found himself as a player without a school.
“From an education standpoint, I figured that if I was going to pay for it, I might as well go to a school where I could get a Rutgers degree,” Smith said. “That was one of my goals, to get a good education. I kind of dealt with the idea that I wasn’t getting a scholarship and it wasn’t my destiny to get one, I might as well get a good education where it means something.”
Smith also remembered his first impressions of Loughran.
“When I first met him, he made me feel at home,” Smith said. “He made me feel wanted.”
So three days before classes were supposed to start, Smith enrolled at R-N.
“He basically ended up in our lap,” Loughran said.
However, Loughran had no idea that it was his starting point guard who ended up at the doorstep just three days before school started.
“We were very fortunate to get Tim,” Loughran said. “Getting a point guard was a high priority for us and Tim was a solid kid and a solid player. He’s come in right away and brought a lot to the table.”
Smith had no idea what to expect at R-N.
“I didn’t know my playing time would be as much as it is,” Smith said. “I just wanted to come in and do my best at all times. I didn’t know that I would become a starter. In high school and at Gloucester, I basically knew my role, but I was coming here and starting fresh. I thought I might have to wait my turn.
Added Smith, “But playing the two years at Gloucester really helped me a lot. I gained experience and now I’ve seen a lot of things that younger players might not have seen.”
It’s that maturity and experience that has enabled Smith to step right in and lead the Scarlet Raiders.
“He’s a true point guard,” Loughran said. “He’s always looking pass first and looking to get his teammates involved first. That’s tough to find in this day and age. He also plays very hard on the defensive end. His off the court and on the court demeanor is so impressive. Nothing ever changes. He’s very mature.”
If there is one aspect to Smith’s game that Loughran would like to see improve, it would be Smith’s propensity to be too unselfish.
“He can shoot the ball and he needs to shoot it more,” Loughran said. “We need him to be a consistent scorer and confident that he can make that 3-point shot. No question, he can shoot it and it’s up to us to make sure that he does. He just needs to get more confident with that shot and when he does, we’ll be a lot better.”
Smith has been averaging 7.6 points per game, which is third on the team. He’s shooting 47 percent from the floor, has grabbed an amazing four rebounds per game (a solid statistic for a guard) and has dished off for 38 assists in 14 games.
“He’s a solid kid and he’s also very strong,” Loughran said. “You can see how his strength comes out on the defensive end and when he rebounds.”
Loughran said that his strong basketball background has been evident in his time at R-N.
“His background definitely makes a world of difference,” Loughran said. “He has a good basketball IQ and knows the game well, so coming here wasn’t a total shock to him.”
It also helped that Smith comes from good stock. His father, Tim Sr., played basketball at the University of Pennsylvania and was a power forward on the 1979 Penn team that went to the Final Four and lost to Magic Johnson and Michigan State in the national semifinals.
“My Dad has helped me a lot,” Smith said of his father, currently the coach at Philadelphia Community College. “I went to the gym with him all the time. He was the first guy to put a ball in my hands. He taught me all about the game. I always wanted to take after my Dad and play college basketball. It meant a lot to me to be able to do so.”
The elder Smith still offers pointers to his son.
“My Dad tells me that I have to shoot the ball more,” Smith said. “I tell him that I have to get the other players in position more, but he’s telling me to shoot. I hear it from the coaches as well. As long as the coaches tell me, then I’ll do it.”
Smith is majoring in business management at R-N. He definitely takes his studies seriously.
“My education and grades come first,” Smith said. “Basketball comes second. I think going to college and playing for two years helped me in coming to Rutgers-Newark, because I became more serious about my education.”
In any case, Tim Smith’s arrival in Newark has been nothing short of a godsend.
“No question, we would be in a lot of trouble without him,” Loughran said.
“I’m pretty happy right now,” Smith said. “We’re doing well in the conference (NJAC) and I feel at home now. I have no complaints.”
