Derek Smith's memory may lead his son to U of L
By C.L. Brown
cbrown@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal

SUWANEE, Ga. -- Not that Nolan Smith needed extra assurance, but the tattoo on his right arm ensures that his dad is always with him.

Smith, son of late University of Louisville standout Derek Smith, had his father's face inked into his arm two months ago with his old number above it and the years of his life below.

Derek Smith, who played for the Cardinals from 1978-82, including the 1980 national-title team, died in 1996 when Nolan was 5. But Nolan, who is participating in the adidas Superstar Camp this week, said he thinks about his father often when he takes the court.

"Especially at camp when you're not getting as many shots as you might normally get on your AAU team, I just try and keep a good attitude just like he would," Nolan said.

Yesterday was the first day college coaches could take to the recruiting trail. The courts Smith played on were surrounded by both coaches from this year's title game, North Carolina's Roy Williams and Illinois' Bruce Weber; as well as Western Kentucky's Darrin Horn and Tennessee Tech assistant Saul Smith.

Nolan Smith, a 6-foot-2 guard from Upper Marlboro, Md., is ranked No. 5 in the class of 2007 by Rivals.com. His AAU coach, Mike Sumner, would argue that Smith also is one of the most mature.

"You can tell he's been watching games since he was young because of his knowledge of the game," Sumner said. "He knows how to get the floor spaced and get his teammates involved. He just can play.

"That has to come from his dad. Where else could it come from?"

Smith was too young to hold live memories of his dad playing, but he has formed them thanks to his VCR.

"I watch tapes of him," Smith said. "I watched the 1980 championship game a lot. I have that one at the house, and a highlight tape of when he was in the NBA.

"He played so hard every possession on both ends of the floor."

Like his father, he wears No. 43, and he could be following his father's footsteps to U of L, too.

Although he said he's also considering North Carolina, Duke, Charlotte and Syracuse, the Cards are the current front-runner.

"Yeah, they've got an advantage," said Smith, who added he would make his official visit in August. "Especially since it's my hometown. I've got grandparents there, my sister is there."

Smith said all five schools have made scholarship offers and that he plans on visiting each one before announcing his decision before the season starts.

In the meantime, Smith said he wanted to polish his skills as a point guard. While his high school and AAU teams play him at both guard spots, he said he wanted to become more comfortable playing point.

"I'm trying to convert myself more as a No. 1," he said. "That's where I think I'll be playing more on the college level."