Stop me if you've heard this before: Kristen Gillespie has added another JUCO transfer for the upcoming season.
Meet Daijah Smith, the certified bucket from Wabash Valley College who is taking her talents to Normal. If you pay a ton of attention and have a fantastic memory, you may recall her facing the Redbirds twice as a member of Indiana State in the 2018-19 season. She combined for 28 minutes and seven points off the bench in those two matchups, so if you forgot, no shame. This coming season, it’s safe to expect a much bigger impression. I wanna dive into the film and stats to see how her game will translate back to the Missouri Valley, but first let’s get the caveat out of the way: JUCO stuff is not exactly easy (aka cheap) to find, so I mostly have to focus on Smith’s two DI seasons here – freshman year at Indiana State and sophomore year at UIC. She was limited to nine games at UIC, so a small sample, plus she’s almost certainly a lot better now than when she started at Indiana State. It’s still fun to take a look at whatever film and info is available to see what she could bring to the ‘Birds though. So here are a few thoughts on some aspects of Daijah’s game. Scoring The conversation has to start here. JuJu led the league in scoring and did so by creating just about all of her own shots, so her graduation left a gaping hole in that department. That’s the biggest void Daijah will fill (along with Paige Robinson). She finished in the top 30 in the country in scoring at Wabash and was one of just three players to average 17+ points per game on 45/35/80 shooting percentages (FG/3P/FT). Daijah’s not JuJu, but she doesn’t need to be – she’s a threat with the ball in her hands in her own way. The similarity (besides that Daijah wore No. 23 at Indiana State) is the three-level ability. Smith can get to the rim and also has a smooth stroke from anywhere. Smooth enough on film that I find it weird that she only shot like 30% from three in her two DI seasons. She shot 35% at Wabash last year. Based on her form, a couple years of development, and her 84% free throw percentage, I’d expect a number in the mid-upper-30s again this year. The difference between Daijah and JuJu scoring wise is in their style. JuJu had her patented moves: the right-to-left spinback or the crossover stepback. Daijah’s got her own bag, and it’s more about the stop-and-pop and the pound-dribble stepback. That smooth stroke doesn’t mean she’s gonna post Crompton numbers from deep, but the fact that she’s silky off the dribble – especially with her quick release – will come in really handy in late-clock situations. Energy It sounds like one of those things broadcasters say when they don’t know what else to say about someone, but based on what I’ve seen I think Daijah’s energy might be a tangible addition to the team. It definitely shows up in the scoring department. Like, you can almost see her thinking “I’m gonna score on you and there’s nothing you can do about it” whenever she gets the ball. It’s an attack-mode mentality that doesn’t appear to have an off switch. It shows up in other areas as well, like how her teams play at a measurably faster pace with her on the court, or her impressive pursuit on the offensive glass. Between Daijah and Ta'Shonna Wright-Gaskins, this program hasn't had guards who could board like this since Viria Livingston. Daijah even rebounded 10% of her own team’s missed free throws in her limited action at UIC. (If you’re not sure how good that is, consider that Aliyah Boston was at 6.6% that year.) Those clips were about the O-boards, but you can also see her drawing fouls in them. That’s something she does with regularity as well, and it comes from that same attack mode. DeAnna Wilson will definitely lead the team in offensive rebounding and fouls drawn, but Daijah (and Ta'Shonna) should both contribute heavily in those categories. Daijah’s energy seems to extend even beyond her basketball skills – there’s a swag about her that I don’t really feel qualified to talk more about until I see her in person. But I’m always down for a little personality on the court. Defense This is probably the biggest question mark to me based on how different Illinois State’s scheme is than those Indiana State or UIC teams. Those teams averaged over 10 press possessions per game between them, and they both mixed in some zone on over 10% of their possessions as well. Indiana State also played more of a denial halfcourt defense when they were in man. Illinois State, on the other hand, plays a gap defense that tries to take away drives and grab defensive rebounds. The Redbirds pressed just 34 times last season – essentially once per game – and went zone on just 2.4% of their possessions. Of course there are matchup-proof freaks like Kate Bullman who will thrive in any system, but I’m a believer that most players can at least be adequate at defense, even truly good, in the right setting. And this program, under this staff, certainly feels like the right setting, considering the success they’ve had on that end of the floor and their track record with defensive player development (see: Mary Crompton/Maya Wong). Daijah did get a lot of steals at UIC and Wabash, which is cool, but again, this system won’t necessarily set her up for that. And if I start overvaluing steals too much, I risk being given a vote for the MVC defensive awards. My guess is she’ll have a lower steal rate here but be a better overall defender. No question she’s got the athleticism for it, and at 5-11 she should be fairly switchable. (Imagine trying to run a ball screen at Daijah and Kate!) Then again, maybe she’s one of those people who will manufacture her own steals even in a system that isn’t focused on it. Terrion Moore found a way. Conclusion Even before I watched Daijah’s film, I was pumped about this signing for a lot of reasons. There’s the fact that she was a JUCO All-American, which puts her in Simone/TeTe/JuJu/DeAnna company. There’s the fact that her teams have been more efficient on both sides of the ball when she’s been on the court. On top of that, it’s important to note that she came from a crazy good program in Wabash – one that hardly ever loses and has produced DI talent before. As recently as last season a Wabash product – Je'Naiya Davis of Evansville – earned honorable mention All-MVC honors. I get Courtney Williams vibes when I watch Daijah, and I’m a big Courtney Williams fan (not just because we share initials and a birthday either). I’m ready for some fireworks when Daijah puts on that Redbird uniform.
Data from Synergy and CBB Analytics
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8/3/2022 09:50:11 am
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