Jerry Smith (born October 7, 1941) is an American former basketball player. He was the 12th overall pick by the Detroit Pistons in the 1963 NBA draft. Smith came from Corbin, Kentucky to Furman University, where he averaged 23.2 points per game for his career.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 7, 1941 |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Corbin (Corbin, Kentucky) |
| College | Furman (1960–1963) |
| NBA draft | 1963: 2nd round, 12th overall pick |
| Selected by the Detroit Pistons | |
| Position | Guard |
| Number | 50 |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
College career
editComing from Corbin High School, which had also produced Frank Selvy, Smith was heavily recruited, but decided to follow in Selvy's footsteps and attend Furman.[1]
Smith became a three-time All-Southern Conference player for Furman University and was a prolific scorer. He averaged 22.4 points in 1960–1961, 27.0 in 1961–1962 and 20.3 in 1962–1963. Smith led the Southern Conference in scoring with in 1962 and earned All-America Second Team honors that year. Smith remains Furman's all–time leader in career free throw percentage at 82.2%, and ranks fifth in program history with 1,885 career points, averaging 23.2 points per game for his career under coach Lyles Alley.[2]
Professional career
editOn April 30, 1963 the Detroit Pistons selected Smith in Round 2 with Pick 4 (#12 overall) in the 1963 NBA Draft.[3][4] Smith agreed to contract terms with the Pistons on July 9, 1963. The Pistons ultimately kept first-round pick Eddie Miles instead, (Miles was the only rookie kept on the team) with Smith being cut from the roster on October 15, 1963.[5][6][7]
Honors
edit- Smith was inducted into the Furman Athletic Hall of Fame in 1988
- Smith had his No. 50 retired by Furman in 2010 and joined Frank Selvy (28), Clyde Mayes (34), Darrell Floyd (33), Jonathan Moore (25) and Nield Gordon (27) as the only players to have their number retired.[8]
References
edit- ^ "The Corbin-Furman connection". furman.edu. 10 February 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
- ^ NBA Draft Profile, TheDraftReview. "Jerry Smith - The Draft Review". www.thedraftreview.com. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
- ^ "Jerry Smith Inks Pro Cage Contract". The Greenville News. July 9, 1963. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Jerry Smith Player Profile, Furman, NCAA Stats, Awards - RealGM". basketball.realgm.com. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
- ^ "JerrySmithbasketballTheGreenvilleNewsGreenvilleSC7 9 1963Pg6". The Greenville News. July 9, 1963. p. 6 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "1962-63 Detroit Pistons Transactions". Basketball-Reference.com.
- ^ "Democrat and Chronicle from Rochester, New York on October 15, 1963 · Page 33". Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Furman Basketball To Retire Jerry Smith's #50, Host SoCon Foe Georgia Southern On Saturday". furmanpaladins.com. 15 January 2010. Archived from the original on 24 March 2018. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
