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Post Presents: Smith signs to patrol paint for Arkansas Baptist
BY Matt Welch, mwelch@starlocalnews.com
Plano East alum Tatiyana Smith knew full well she wanted to play basketball following her senior year with the Lady Panthers.
She just wasn't sure Arkansas Baptist would be her college hoops destination.
But sure enough, that's where the 6-foot-2 post's heart lies after a campus visit a couple weeks earlier that set the wheels in motion for her commitment to play basketball for the Lady Buffaloes.
It's that trepidation on whether to stay close to home or move far away that had Smith on the fence about where her college life would commence. A recruiting trip in June helped shed light on that conundrum when she initially visited Arkansas Baptist. Smith first learned of the Lady Buffaloes after a network of connections that included DC Queens AAU coach Jonathan Thomas led to North Texas, which didn't have any scholarships available, and then pointed Smith in the direction of Arkansas Baptist.
Having already visited Paris Junior College and a school in Tyler that she said didn't appeal to her during her recruiting trip, Smith traveled out of state to give Arkansas Baptist a shot.
"I actually wasn't planning on going there," she said, "but once I got there I just liked it a lot."
Smith spent the night in Little Rock, mulling over a visit that included spending time with the coaches and practicing with her future teammates to get accustomed to the stylistic rigors of the program.
"The next day when I came back, about an hour before leaving, I thought hard about it and decided this was where I wanted to be," she said.
Fortunately for Smith, the college isn't so far out of state that it'll make for any initial homesickness.
"Maybe it was just the way my brother was driving," Smith said. "They said it took about six hours to get there, but when we went up there it took about four, so it wasn't a bad drive at all."
The Lady Buffaloes announced Smith's commitment Monday, inking the post and prospective nursing major on the heels of a banner season at East. After spending two seasons at the helm of the Lady Panthers' JV squad, Smith tested the varsity waters for the first time in 2011-12. Smith made her presence felt instantly, towering over opposing offenses and carving out a niche as one of the district's premier interior defenders. That resonated behind her 2.2 blocks and 6.2 rebounds per game -- both team highs.
"I think my coach helped a lot, learning how to be consistent in my game," Smith said. "Just practicing throughout the year and the little things I learned really helped a ton."
Smith's offensive game continued to round into form, averaging 4.2 points for the Lady Panthers, and continued strides on that front could pay dividends at the next level.
"Tatiyana will be a huge factor in our success next season," said Dion Cross, Arkansas Baptist head coach. "She has the ability to rebound on both ends of the floor and will affect the outcome of many games because of her defensive presence in the paint. She has a nice touch around the basket and can even knock down 15- to 18-foot jump shots. She has a lot of potential and her skill level is very high.
"With the improvement of her offensive game, she will be a force to be reckoned with for many years to come on both ends of the court."
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