Lady Rebels freshman Smith receives high marks early on
By her high standards, Jamie Smith had a rough first semester at UNLV.
A B-plus in criminology cost the freshman the chance to be a straight-A student, and Smith was disappointed.
“That’s why you’ve got to love a kid like that,” Lady Rebels coach Kathy Olivier said.
Smith’s perfectionist attitude serves her well on the basketball court, where she made her 11th consecutive start Wednesday, scoring 15 points in UNLV’s 70-69 loss to Colorado State at Cox Pavilion.
“It’s not about me,” said Smith, a 6-foot forward. “It’s about the team, and that’s what I’m about because I want to win and (do) whatever it takes to win.”
Case in point: Smith went to Olivier and asked what she could do differently in the second half after going 0-for-3 in the first half of Saturday’s 66-61 loss to Texas Christian. Smith then scored 11 of her 13 points.
Smith, who averages 11 points and 8.1 rebounds, has been named one of the country’s top freshmen by ESPN.com, and she will be included in a story in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association magazine this month.
But Smith didn’t attract as much recruiting attention as she thought she deserved after twice being selected Hawaii’s Gatorade Player of the Year. She said mainland coaches don’t heavily recruit the islands, and she didn’t travel to this side of the Pacific to show off her skills.
“It was kind of discouraging to not get looked at and fight to the last second to get somewhere,” Smith said.
UNLV assistant coach Caitlin Collier told Olivier about Smith in April, and Olivier called just in time.
Smith already had made four of her five recruiting visits, crossing Utah and Cal State Northridge off her list and was ready to decide between Hawaii and Northern Arizona.
After Olivier’s call, Smith asked Hawaii and Northern Arizona to hold her scholarships. Hawaii coach Jim Bolla, a former longtime Lady Rebels coach, indicated he wouldn’t, but Northern Arizona obliged her.
“Either way, I knew I was going to take the trip because I didn’t love either school,” Smith said. “I didn’t really want to settle.”
Smith said she was immediately impressed with UNLV’s coaches and players, and Olivier is clearly pleased with her recruit.
“She’s the poster child of UNLV women’s basketball,” Olivier said. “That’s what we want in players.”
But Olivier didn’t get what she wanted against Colorado State (6-10, 1-2 Mountain West Conference). Guard India Chaney, who led the Lady Rebels (7-9, 0-3) with 16 points, missed a potential go-ahead 16-footer with two seconds left.
Colorado State’s Kandy Beemer made 7 of 11 3-pointers and scored 25 points.
Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914.