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The low-scoring game, which featured a 1st quarter score of 3-2, a halftime score of 11-11 and a 31-31 tie with one minute left in the game took a turn for the worse under the one-minute mark as Cal junior power forward prospect John McArthur received a technical foul for jumping up to dispute a blocking foul. The Cougers took advantage, hitting the two free throws plus scoring on the retained possession, pulling away in the last minute for their 39-33 victory over the Spartans.
"They came into the game with a huge chip on their shoulder and they played with a lot of confidence," said Smith of the Cougars, who De La Salle defeated last season in the regionals in a hard-fought, one-point victory. "The technical at the end was kind of unnessary and that hurt a lot but they took care of business."
Now it's on to bigger and better things for Smith, who's looked forward to donning Cal's blue and gold for years.
"I'm really excited to play for Cal," said the 6-0/190 Smith. "I've been in close contact with the coaches and have been to a lot of games this year. It's cool because I've already got a comraderie with guys on the team already. Me and Jerome (Randle) text each other a lot and I'm always encouraging him and he's encouraging me, too. I'm good friends with (former De La Salle small forward) Theo (Robertson), too. Being able to play with him is going to be real fun.
"When I go to games, I hang out with Theo in the locker room and he always says, 'B, we're excited to get you in here' and stuff, so that's great. It's makes you feel good, that you're already in with the team. That's only going to make the transition that much easier.
"I'm excited because it's another platform to prove myself on and it's a lot bigger stage. The stakes are higher, the players are better and the competition's that much stronger. I always like to rise to the occasion. I've seen what I have to work on and where I can improve so I can make a difference when I'm on the team. I'm so proud of them with all the big wins they've had. They've been getting it done this year."
Smith, who's been informed will be nominated as one of the finalists for the California Gatoride Player of the Year award, accepted an offer to either greyshirt at Cal since there was no immediately available scholarship, not starting his eligibility clock until the spring of 2010 or to play right away in the fall while waiting for an available scholarship next year.
"It's still kind of up in the air whether or not I'll get a scholarship this year or next," said Smith. "From what I understand from the inside talk, there's a good chance it could happen this year but not as of yet."
Smith brings a physical style of play to the point, with his last year's time in the weight room showing noticibly in his physique.
"My strength is something that I take pride in," said Smith, who has a bench pr of two reps of 250. "A lot of freshman guards come in kind of skinny so I want to do anything I can to give myself an advantage. Lifting weights was something I thought would set me up to have more success next year so that's what I did."
Known as mainly a defender and a distributor coming into this year, Smith expanded his game last summer in AAU play and added a reliable jumper to his arsenal.
"If there's an opening and I feel like I can take advantage of it, I can get in the lane and score, draw a foul or get somebody else a shot," said Smith. "But I put a lot of shots up in the offseason and I've taken a lot of steps forward this year. I averaged 17 points and 7 assists on my AAU team (Greenline) this summer. I feel like at the next level, with the type of offense that (Cal Head) Coach (Mike) Montgomery runs, there will be a lot more opportunities to score."
This season in De La Salle's structured, low scoring offense, Smith averaged 12.1 points, 6.8 assists, a 78% free throw %, 2.3 steals and 3.1 rebounds per game while turning the ball over just 1.1 times per game -an excellent assist-to-turnover ratio.
Cal small forward Theo Robertson is another example of a player that had extensive team success playing in the Spartan's disciplined system yet did not have the types of numbers that would draw extensive recruiting attention. However, Robertson quickly became a mainstay in the Bears' program, building to his junior year this season, where he leads the nation in 3-point shooting accuracy, with an impressive 50.5 percentage while also playing tough, hard-nosed defense and doing the little things necessary to help teams win, much like Smith.
"I told both Coach Braun and Coach Montgomery that Theo was a really skilled player that even had a chance to play pro," said De La Salle Head Coach Frank Allocco. "He's done a lot of great things for that team. I know when Mike came in, he told me right away he loved that kid. I think that's one of the reasons Brandon ended up there, too."
Always looking for a way to improve his game, Smith went to work last summer, leading his Greenline AAU squad to a victory the End of Summer Classic in Los Angeles, an elite 8 finish in the Nike Las Vegas tournament and an appearance in the finals of the Rumble in the Bay tournament in a loss to the LA Dream Team.
"In the summer leagues, Brandon really had a chance to shoot and score more and he's got a good shot," said Allocco. Last summer, he turned his shooting into a strength and hit a lot of threes. That's the main area where he's improved. But his focus is so much on winning, he doesn't take as many shots as many others do.
"Brandon's a leader, both vocally and by example," said Allocco. "His leadership skills really set him apart. He has great leadership skills, being willing to do whatever it takes as a player to make his teammates better. Over the years, the point guard position has really become watered-down. Most point guards are really just shooting points but Brandon's like an old-school point guard, getting guys involved in the offense, defending the other team's best player and just running the show. He's a true point.
"Cal's getting a great player."
To view brief video clips from Smith's performance in Wednesday's game, click here.