Wednesday, November 17, 2004

(Nov. 17, 2004) - While college basketball fans around the Mountain Empire and throughout the Southern Conference know a great deal about ETSU junior guard Tim Smith (Newport News, Va.), the rest of the country will also be getting educated this week as Sports Illustrated releases its annual college basketball preview edition. The publication is on newsstands now.

Smith is the featured subject in writer Seth Davis' article about the impact of speed players on the college game. Davis explores Smith's impact on ETSU's success over the last two years and also speaks with ETSU head coach Murry Bartow and fellow junior Ben Rhoda (Dayton, Ohio). Smith's photo - which was shot on the ETSU campus earlier this month by world-renowned photographer Howard Schatz - also appears with the article.

The Southern Conference Preseason Player of the Year, Smith enters his junior year as a two-time SoCon Tournament most valuable player, a first-team All-SoCon selection a year ago, and already a 1,000-point scorer. He has scored more than 20 points in 21 career games and tied the ETSU freshman scoring record with 475 points in 2002-03. Last year, Smith helped lead the Bucs to one of their best seasons in school history - a 27-6 overall record and a second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Smith and the Bucs open their 2004-05 season at home on Saturday, Nov. 20 against UVa.-Wise in Memorial Center. Tip is scheduled for 4 p.m.