Tyler Smith is on the rise

One player who physically and athletically stood out to BearTerritory this past Saturday night at the 29th annual Optimist All-Star Game at Natomas high school was Grass Valley (Calif.) Nevada Union basketball star Tyler Smith, a strong 6-foot-4, 190-pound shooting guard/small forward. BearTerritory has the latest on the rising 2006 wing.

What made the NU four-year starter shine in the Optimist?

The same thing that's made him a Grass Valley star his entire career. Smith looks much larger than his build, can defend just about anyone on the court, and has very long arms, giving him the same body type as Golden Bear freshman Theo Robertson, a former underrated De La Salle prospect who blossomed in his first-year at Cal. Smith is not afraid to take the ball to the hole but has the range to drill the three. He's also very tough mentally.

"Athletically, Tyler has many admirable qualities, but what impresses me most

is his ability to play multiple sports at such a high level," Nevada Union head coach Jeff Dellis said. "Aside from basketball, Tyler was the starting quarterback on the City Championship team his junior year. Basketball-wise, Tyler's resume' includes being named the Metro League's Most Valuable Player his sophomore, junior and senior

seasons. Each year the league got better and so did Tyler. At the conclusion of this season he chose to play on NU's championship volleyball team, where he quickly earned major minutes."

"As a 6'4" combination guard, Tyler has committed to becoming stronger, more explosive and even more skilled," Coach Dellis added. "He had a great pre-season, lifting and getting quicker. Additionally, Tyler played for the NorCal Pharaohs where he focused on distributing the ball to Cal commit Ryan Anderson. Now that the season is over, he is focusing his attention on the weight room and speed and agility work."

Smith has received recruiting attention from Saint Mary's, UC-Davis, Sacramento State, as well as other Big Sky and WCC schools. After seeing Smith compete against Sacramento's best, BearTerritory believes any one of those schools would do well to sign him.

"This was the best shooting team I've ever coached," Dellis added, denoting the 209 treys his Miners hit, including Smith's 62 three's and 3 other kids with 35 or more. "It was their willingness to pass up good shots to get a great one. Tyler's willingness to share the ball was the key in this regard. He could have easily added to ten points to his average, but his desire to win outweighs individual numbers."

Tyler' focus in just about every sport along with his academic profile make him an extremely easy prospect to write about. He carried a 3.75 GPA and is simply looking for the right fit at the college level.

"I'm looking for a school located on the west coast with a medium sized campus, in terms of student population," Tyler stated. "Highly regarded academics, with a competitive basketball program but also a cohesive team atmosphere. I would like to be close enough to home where my parents could watch me play."

"What is most impressive about Ty is how well grounded he is," Dellis concluded. "He is unflappable. That is a tribute to his parents and Tyler's character."

Bay Area coaches looking for a team-oriented player with a solid mid-range and three point shooting game, Smith could be quite a find.

A.W Prince is the senior writer and publisher of BearTerritory.net. He pens numerous recruiting features, including "The Weekly Spin", on some of the most talented and highly sought after student-athletes in the country. Along with his recruiting work, Prince has made radio appearances with Rivals Radio and Bay Area college basketball pre-game, halftime, and post-game in-season shows.