Saturday, April 18, 2015

Sterling Smith transferring from Coppin State, mulling major program options

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- Coming out of high school in Chico, Calif., Sterling Smith didn't have any Division I basketball offers. After spending a year at a prep school in upstate New York, Smith had just two and chose Coppin State after former longtime coach Fang Mitchell saw the 6-foot-4 shooting guard play in a tournament in New Jersey.

Things were much different after Smith was recently granted his release from Coppin State following his junior year. Expected to graduate this spring with a degree in criminal justice, Smith began a whirlwind tour of higher-profile programs with a trip to Wake Forest earlier this week and to Rutgers this weekend.



It could get even more interesting next week when Smith is expected to visit Pittsburgh on Monday and Louisville on Wednesday. The interest from "between 20 and 30 schools," according to Smith, came after he made nearly 42 percent of his 3-point shots last season for the 8-23 Eagles.

"I'm a shooter, basically," Smith said Friday. "I want to go to a winning program and to a team that can use my talents for shooting."

Former Coppin State assistant Emeka Chiazor said he thinks Smith is more than just a shooter. Chiazor, now an assistant coach at Howard Community College, is helping Smith with his transfer.

CONTINUE READING

No comments: