Despite a disappointing season, Bev Smith should remain women’s basketball coach next season.
There. The main point of this piece is out of the way. Stay with me as I elaborate upon it.
Oregon is 12-16 overall and 6-11 in Pacific-10 Conference play, good for seventh in the conference standings. The Ducks have lost eight of their last 10 games and are factored out of any postseason play. Smith herself has compiled a record of 112-99 in seven seasons … solid, but uninspiring and unimpressive.
Most people will stop right here. I’m not quite finished yet. Hear me out.
This women’s team features one junior and one senior (excluding transfer Rita Kollo, who is redshirting). They’re young. The tallest upperclassman on the team (6-2 forward Mary Sbrissa) barely plays, and four of the team’s six freshmen are post players that are 6-2 or taller, putting a lot of youth into difficult positions early. This fact has become the storyline du jour of Oregon women’s basketball.
But not without reason. The Ducks are ninth in the Pac-10 in scoring offense but a respectable fifth in scoring defense. They do some things well (Pac-10 leaders in free throw percentage – hey Ernie Kent, have you seen this?) and some things poorly (eighth in assists, ninth in blocks, last in steals and turnover margin). They have rough outings (53-34 home loss to Cal) and respectable outings (66-64 home win against Washington). They show their inexperience with every turnover and offensive foul.
This is not to say they aren’t talented. Sophomore guard Taylor Lilley is the team’s leading scorer and sparkplug, a deceptively quick and capable athlete who’s a lot of fun to watch. Junior guard Tamika Nurse has Malik Hairston’s game, and once she gets hot she’s difficult to stop. Nicole Canepa is a future stud, an athletic 6-5 forward who can play inside and shoot from midrange while providing sound defense.
But I digress. Smith is the focus. And she has a great list of credentials herself. A native of Salmon Arm, British Columbia who played for the Ducks from 1978-82, Smith played and coached for the Canadian National Team and played and coached in Italy for 15 years. She still holds Oregon career records for rebounds, assists and steals. Smith truly has experience at every level, a valuable coaching asset.
Of course, it’s not just about experience. Smith is an effective game manager who emphasizes the little things, from running a press to scoring easy buckets off inbounds passes. Her recruiting (with a lot of help from assistants Phil Brown, Willette White and Selena Ho) is vindicated by the talent displayed on the court, and she uses big (two guards) and small (four guards) lineups as situations dictate, with positive results.
Smith has brought success to the program in the form of an NCAA Tournament appearance and two Women’s National Invitational Tournament appearances, including a WNIT title. This young and talented lineup shows great promise for the future.
But would anyone notice? Attendance figures show that the women consistently draw about 2,000 fans a game and very few students. Games just aren’t that popular.
That, though, is the most important and damning thing about Bev Smith’s situation. Take a look at Kent, whose job security is now openly debated at watercoolers across Oregon. Supporters will highlight his two Elite Eight appearances and strong recruiting. Detractors point to his inability to make in-game adjustments, misuse of his bench and timeouts, and stubborn attitude.
Kent, at least, is the subject of debate. Smith has had success as women’s basketball coach and her relationship with the Oregon program runs deep. But if the athletic department decides to cut ties with her before her contract expires next year, Smith would barely be missed by the general populace. The biggest loser, in such a situation, would be the program itself.
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