Head Coach Scott Padgett on Smith
ON THE RECRUITING TRAIL
“In high school, Gerald was a big-time scorer and a great athlete. At that time, we didn’t have that much athleticism on the team, so he was a piece that we desperately needed. He could shoot the ball, he could rebound the ball and he could definitely finish at the rim. Those were all things that we needed at the time, so he was a great addition for us.”
DURING HIS TIME AT SAMFORD
“His first couple years here he was snake-bitten. He suffered season-ending injuries in both of his first two years, but he’s done a phenomenal job of staying in shape and I think he is now playing some of his best ball. He’s also done a remarkable job of staying positive, which is definitely hard to do for a guy who’s been playing basketball his whole life. He’s currently gaining a lot more experience, a lot more confidence and as he continues to grow in the system, his playing time will definitely continue to increase as well.”
Sophomore (2016-17): Earned playing time in 23 of the team’s 36 games . . . finished the season with a 44.4 shooting percentage from the field, as well as a solid 40-percent tally from 3-point range . . . finished fourth on the team in 3-point shooting percentage and proved to be one of four Bulldogs with a tally of 40 percent or above from beyond the arc . . . scored a season-high five points in games against Bethune-Cookman (Nov. 26) and Miles College (Dec. 10) . . . earned his second varsity letter.
Freshman (2015-16): Suffered a season-ending injury in the first half against Auburn-Montgomery on Nov. 16, and was forced to miss the remainder of the year . . . pulled down two rebounds and handed out a pair of assists versus Auburn-Montgomery on Nov. 16, as he earned 16 minutes of game action and added a steal . . . logged 15 minutes of playing time in Samford’s season-opener at Louisville on Nov. 13, and finished the game with a pair of rebounds . . . earned his first varsity letter.
2014-15: Redshirted.
High School: Excelled at Carbon Hill High School where he averaged 23.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.4 blocks and 3.1 assists per game as a senior . . . in the 2013 state championship tournament, he scored 32 points against Bibb County, including eight straight points in the fourth quarter where he also drained four 3-point baskets . . . earned 4A Second-Team All-Alabama honors as a senior and junior . . . garnered honorable mention accolades as a sophomore . . . concluded his prep career ranked among the top-25 seniors in Alabama by several recruiting services . . . closed out his high school career with 2,033 points, 1,253 rebounds and 387 blocks . . . led his team to 113 victories in four years . . . as a junior, he averaged 18.7 points, 14.0 rebounds, 5.0 blocks and 3.4 assists per game.
Personal: Born Sept. 16, 1995 . . . parents are Kimberly and Bobby Smith . . . majoring in journalism and mass communication.
