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Smith Named LSWA All-Louisiana First Team & Newcomer of the Year

Smith Named LSWA All-Louisiana First Team & Newcomer of the Year

Men's Basketball Apr 14
MONROE, La. – ULM senior guard Daishon Smith, who became the only player in NCAA Division I to average at least 20.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game during the 2018-19 season (research: Sports Reference CBB), has been named to the Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-Louisiana Men's College Basketball First Team as well as Newcomer of the Year.
 
The All-Louisiana Team is selected by a panel of statewide media members and the state's basketball sports information directors. Smith is joined on the LSWA First Team by Louisiana Lafayette's JaKeenan Gant, LSU-Shreveport's Jeff Garrett, Southeastern Louisiana's Moses Greenwood and LSU's Tremont Waters.
 
An All-Sun Belt First-Team selection and conference Newcomer of the Year, Smith also was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District 24 First Team and United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) All-District VII Team. He helped lead ULM to a 19-16 record overall, including tied for sixth in the final conference standings at 9-9, while advancing to the quarterfinals in both the Sun Belt Championships and CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.   
 
Smith led the league in three different statistical categories: 3-point field goals made per game (3.44), free-throw percentage (.861) and steals (2.16 pg.). The Wichita State transfer also ranked among the Sun Belt leaders in scoring (second at 21.0 ppg.), 3-point field-goal percentage (second at .400), assists (sixth at 3.9 pg.), assist-to-turnover ratio (sixth at 1.8), minutes played (seventh at 34.7 pg.) and field-goal percentage (eighth at .443).
 
The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Smith ranked among the NCAA Division I leaders in 3-point field goals made (15th), steals (23rd), scoring (32nd), free-throw percentage (35th) and 3-point field-goal percentage (49th).
 
He became the first ULM player in 19 seasons to average at least 20.0 points per game (last: Maurice Bell averaged 21.9 ppg. in 1999-2000). Smith also ranked among the school's single-season leaders in free throws made (tied for first with 173; Glynn Saulters, 1968), 3-point field goals made (second with 110), free-throw percentage (third at .861), steals (fourth with 69) and points (sixth with 673).
 
The Jacksonville, Florida, native has scored in double figures in 30 of 32 games, including 16 20-point outings. His streak of 17-straight double-figure scoring games ended in ULM's win at Texas State (averaged 23.1 points during that span). Smith averaged 23.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists in Sun Belt play.
 
ULM compiled a 19-13 record with Smith in the starting lineup (sidelined for three games with a hamstring injury; DNP in road games at Texas, Michigan State and Tennessee Tech).
 
Smith was selected College Sports Madness National Mid-Major Player of the Week and Lou Henson Award National (Mid-Major) Co-Player of the Week after averaging 37.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game while leading the Warhawks to a home sweep over Georgia State and Georgia Southern. He hit 20-of-41 field-goal attempts (49 percent), including 10-of-22 3-pointers (46 percent), and 24-of-26 free-throw attempts (92 percent). Smith also earned Sun Belt and LSWA Player of the Week honors for his performances against Georgia State and Georgia Southern.
 
He scored a game-high 38 points, connecting on 5-of-11 shots from 3-point range, and collected six rebounds, six assists and two steals in ULM's 88-79 victory over Georgia Southern. Smith netted 21 second-half points against the Eagles, accounting for 15 of ULM's 17 points during a 5:14 stretch.
 
He turned in a solid all-around performance in ULM's 82-76 win over first-place Georgia State, finishing with 36 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Smith scored 22 second-half points against the Panthers, including seven straight during a 30-second span in the final 1:37 to turn a one-point deficit into an 80-74 lead. He went a perfect 11-for-11 from the free-throw line.
 
Smith was named National Mid-Major Player of the Week by the Lou Henson Award and College Sports Madness after averaging 33.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game while leading the Warhawks to a home sweep over Little Rock and Arkansas State to open Sun Belt Conference play. He shot 66 percent (21-of-32) from the field, including 70 percent (14-of-20) from 3-point range, and 91 percent (10-of-11) from the free-throw line. Smith also voted Player of the Week by the LSWA for his performances against Little Rock and A-State.
 
He netted a game-high 24 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the floor, including 4-of-8 from beyond the 3-point arc, in ULM's 85-75 win over Arkansas State.
 
Smith scored a career-high 42 points in the Warhawks' 97-84 victory over Little Rock in the Sun Belt opener. His 42 points are tied for the eighth-highest single-game total in ULM history. He hit 14-of-19 field-goal attempts against Little Rock, including 10-of-12 3-pointers. His 10 3-pointers set the school single-game record (previous: 9 by Larry Carr vs. UT Arlington, 1994) and fell just one shy of the Sun Belt record for a league game (Lamar's Keith Veney: 11 made vs. Little Rock, Feb. 11, 1993). Smith tallied 30 second-half points against the Trojans, hitting 10-of-11 shots from the floor including 8-of-9 from 3-point range.  
 
He was selected Sun Belt Player of the Week after averaging 26.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.6 steals per game while leading ULM to a 4-1 record in games played from Dec. 18-Jan. 5. Smith led the Warhawks in scoring in four of those five games, including four 20-point efforts.
 
 
 
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