In a scintillating first month with Werribee Devils, import Jeremy Smith has produced a smorgasbord of great stats, averaging 26.5 points, 10 rebounds, 2.8 assists and a steal per game.
Yet, the versatile American is only scraping the surface of what he can deliver for the Devils in his first season in the Big V basketball men’s championship.
Having endured a frustrating delay getting a visa, Smith arrived just before the Devils tipped off the season and is still finding his place in coach Mike Czepil’s system.
“I’ve been here for about a month now and I didn’t really have a pre-season with the team, so I had to learn on the fly, learn the plays very quickly,” Smith told Star Weekly.
“I’ve hit the ground running because I just put faith in the hard work I put in basically.”
Smith is the primary playmaker of the Devils’ offence. The 25-year-old from New Orleans can both generate his own scoring opportunities, as well as put others into scoring spots.
His awareness on court will be one of the keys to the Devils’ success this season.
Smith was known to Czepil from his time at Nicholls State University in Louisiana. Czepil coached the swingman for three seasons and had no hesitation in getting him for the Devils.
It is not Smith’s first foray into Australia or basketball in this country. He was immediately hooked on the idea of returning to Australia after Nicholls State did a tour Down Under, playing in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.
“When I came here the first time, I did always know I was going to come back, regardless of whether I was playing or visiting,” Smith said.
He signed with South Adelaide in the Adelaide Premier League last season, and led the league in scoring, converting above 50 per cent of his shots.
Smith wants to have a similar impact for the Devils, but knows it’s not all about numbers on the stats sheet.
“I know a lot of people, as far as on the court, look up to me,” he said. “I have to be a little more vocal and that’s something I’m working on now.
“I’m still feeling my way through the team and it’s not only vocally, it’s by actions.”
Smith wants to be seen as a leader around the Werribee Basketball Association. He gets to as many junior games as he can and helps out with coaching.
“It’s great to be around and meeting the community,” Smith said. “The one thing New Orleans has taught me is to get out and meet people and greet them with a smile.
“It’s one thing they always remember.”
Smith still has ambitions to play at a higher level. He would be thrilled to do so here.
“I’d love to play in the NBL if I got the opportunity,” he said. “It’s definitely a goal of mine.”
Meanwhile, Werribee Devils slumped to a fourth straight loss in the men’s championship, going down 112-78 to Diamond Valley Eagles.
Smith scored 20 points and new import Fred Hunter made his debut with nine points and 11 rebounds.
It was Tarneit product Dejan Vasiljevic who destroyed the Devils, scoring 42 points, including nine threes, for Diamond Valley.
In the women’s division 1, Werribee broke through for its first win of the season on Sunday, toppling Latrobe City Energy with a huge fourth quarter. Rebecca van Kuyk had a monster game for the Devils with 22 points and 25 rebounds, while Jacqui Silcock hit 17 points.
