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by
Jeff Smith
jeffsmith@wk.net
May 29th
When Louisville head coach
Rick Pitino started signing players for next year’s team, he knew it was
very possible that highly-touted point guard Sebastian Telfair would make
the leap to the NBA. When another signed player, 6-7 junior college star
Donta Smith, made the same decision, Pitino was shell-shocked. Calling the
decision “one of the five worst moves I’ve ever seen,” the Louisville head
man blasted Smith’s Southeastern Illinois head coach, Todd Franklin.
Donta Smith was considered
by many to be the top junior college player in the nation this year and says
he had planned to go on to Louisville until the last minute.
I caught up with Donta
Smith and conducted a telephone interview, after having chatted with Donta
Smith's “spokesman” Mike Naiditch (Smith says he has not signed with an
agent). In an email to CHN, Naiditch had this to say about Smith: “Donta
Smith is very hot right now. It looks like he'll see plenty of Luke Jackson
on the circuit. Donta's athleticism will launch him ahead of Luke in the
draft. Worst case at this point is Sacramento at number 26. There is even
talk of Toronto at number 8!"
 CHN:
O.K. Donta,
first of all, everybody wants to know why the surprise decision to forego
the scholarship to Louisville and declare for the NBA draft?
Donta Smith:
I felt, you know, that this
was my time to go. It came at the last minute, but I felt it was the thing
to do.
CHN:
Louisville head coach Rick
Pitino stated that he was “surprised” and expressed that he was unhappy with
the way Southeastern Illinois coach Todd Franklin handled the news of your
declaring for the draft. By surprised and unhappy I mean that, according to
Rick Pitino, Louisville assistant Vince Taylor had visited Southeastern
Illinois twice in the ten days preceding the breaking news of your decision
to declare, and the Louisville staff had no idea of your intentions. For the
record, would you comment on why Coach Pitino and the Louisville staff
seemed to be in the dark as to your decision?
Smith:
I don’t know why they
reacted the way they did toward coach Taylor. Coach had nothing to do with
my decision and when I told him about it, he told me to make sure I
contacted the Louisville staff.
CHN:
As early as November,
Insiders.com ran an article touting the NBA potential of a 6-7, 220-plus
shooting guard. Rumor is that some NBA teams had contacted Coach Franklin
requesting schedules and stats. Was this decision actually being considered
before this past season and should the Louisville staff have know that your
declaring was a possibility?
Smith:
They probably didn’t know,
but some teams had asked about me. I didn’t make this decision until the
very end when I said, “let’s do it.”
CHN:
There are only 58 draft
spots available, with only 29 of those getting guaranteed contracts. Only
two JUCO prospects lately - Kedrick Brown and Qyntel Woods - have went in
the first round. What do you bring to the table that will help you overcome
those odds?
Smith:
There’s not a spot on the
floor that I can’t play, so saying that this juco player did this or that
isn’t a concern, because that’s not me. I’m just a basketball player ready
to get it on.
CHN:
Prior to this past season
at Southeastern Illinois, coach Franklin said you might be the best guard in
college, at any level. Fact or fiction: Donta Smith is the best guard in
college.
Smith:
That might be fact. How
many 6-7, 220 pound guards are in college that can handle the ball and shoot
it from anywhere?
CHN:
Franklin went on to say
that you are better prepared than most players coming out and with your
seven-foot wing span, you might bring “the best NBA body to the draft.”
Fact or fiction: Donta Smith brings the best NBA body to the draft.
Smith:
Fact. What‘s it sound
like to you?
CHN:
Also, though you play the
2-guard, you have played considerable minutes at point in college. Fact or
fiction: You could be a legitimate point guard in the NBA. Why?
Smith:
Fact. I know the way it’s
played and the role of the point guard in the NBA. I feel like I’m a leader
on the court.
CHN:
How do you feel you rate,
after some workouts for NBA teams, in comparison to say Luke Jackson, Kirk
Snyder, Dorell Wright and Andre Iguodala?
Smith:
I’m a little better or at
least about even, having worked out with some of them.
CHN:
Which teams have you worked
out with thus far?
Smith:
I’ve worked out with the
Sacramento Kings, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and the Toronto Raptors. I
work out for Chicago this week.
CHN:
Any idea where you might
go? Any indications from any of the teams?
Smith:
Nope.
CHN:
We’ll wrap it up with one
more question. If it doesn’t work out in the NBA, hypothetically, what’s
next for Donta Smith?
Smith:
I guess I’ll take my game
to Europe, but the way I see it, that won’t happen and I will be playing in
the NBA next season.
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