Busy summer for Shaka caps off with extension

Jim Swing
Assistant Sports Editor

A year after posting the highest win total amongst first-year coaches in NCAA basketball, VCU head coach Shaka Smart is committed to the continuing of excellence in the Rams organization. Following a 27-9 overall record in 2009, Coach Smart and his coaching staff have utilized the off-season to their advantage. Despite the summer having been short-lived due to VCU winning the CBI Championship in March, Smart has made certain he could accomplish as much as humanly possible in the off-season.

Coach Smart and three of his assistants were allowed 20 days in the month of July to travel the country in search of new recruits for the 2011 season. Smart and his staff managed to pull in three new recruits for 2011 including shooting guard Traveon Graham along with combo guards Pierria Henry and Briante Weber. “July was a very busy month for us,” said Smart concerning the structuring of his 2011 recruiting class, “It’s still an ongoing process.”

Coach Smart and his staff aren’t ordinary when it comes to assessing recruits. They carry a unique strategy that goes far beyond raw talent. When evaluating a potential recruit Smart and his staff use a customized card in which they rate players from one to five based on characteristics such as toughness, competitiveness, and unselfishness. “If you watch a kid enough times and you write down notes you get a good feel for who he is,” said Smart.

For Shaka Smart the recruiting process is much more than just points basketball, it’s a segue to building relationships with players and their families. “I enjoy the people part of it the most,” said Smart, “spending time and getting to know them along with helping them have a smooth transition from high school into college.”

Apart from recruiting during the off-season coach Smart strives to spend as much time with his team as possible. Although he and his coaching staff are not permitted to participate in workouts or team practices in the off-season due to NCAA regulations, Smart puts time aside to keep a strong relationship with his players. Whether it be dinner with the team or just casual talks in the office, coach Smart is fully dedicated to his team.

Smart was rewarded for his hard work and dedication to Ram’s basketball last month when VCU Athletics Director Norwood Teague granted him a two-year extension after being on the job for less than 17 months. “I love it here,” said Smart, “I really enjoy continuing to meet more and more students and faculty members, it’s always nice to meet new people.”

After serving as head coach for almost a year and a half head coach Shaka Smart has generated a new era of VCU men’s basketball. After producing 27 wins in 2009, one win shy of the school record, Smart is excited for the future of his players and the organization. “We have a very well-rounded team with returning players that are even better this year then they were last year,” said Smart. “This is a special place to be a basketball coach and it’s a terrific university that continues to grow and emerge.”