Aug. 5, 2008
IOWA CITY — At five feet six inches, Kristi Smith is small in stature. She has been huge, however, in the progress of the University of the Iowa women’s basketball team, a progression that resulted in the Hawkeyes grabbing a share of the 2008 Big Ten Conference crown and earning an invitation to the NCAA’s post-season tournament.
Smith’s goals for herself and the Hawkeyes are for yet more success this season. She’s pretty straightforward with her expectations for the 2008-09 Hawkeyes: Another opportunity to be part of March Madness this time, however, advancing at least to the Sweet 16.
When the conversation turns to personal goals, the senior-to-be from Thornton, Colo., still speaks of the importance for team success. Pressed for her list of personal goals, the Hawkeyes’ floor leader cites the importance of even “better ball handling, the best possible assist to turnover ratio, hitting 90 percent of my free throws” and, modestly recognizing that she can score, the need always to take an open shot.
“Coach (Lisa) Bluder usually reminds me that I passed up a shot,” Smith added with a smile.
Bluder says her floor general needs to do more than just set the table – a task that she excels at.
“Kristi is a key scorer for us and I sometimes need to remind her of that,” Iowa’s veteran head coach said.
Smith returns though to her non-scoring point guard role: setting up the offense, finding her teammates for open shots, talking to them on defense and, in this her senior year, nurturing the freshman class to take on key roles.
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Smith has put up impressive numbers though her first three years with the Hawkeyes. She became the first Iowa underclassmen to score more 400 points while handing out over 100 assists in a season. Entering her final season as a Hawkeye, she is tugging at the several “all-time” thresholds: Her 120 3-pointers ranks sixth in UI history and her 309 assists ranks ninth. She will enter the 2008-09 season No. 24 on Iowa’s all-time scoring list with 1,033 points.
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Smith has put up impressive numbers though her first three years with the Hawkeyes. She became the first Iowa underclassmen to score more 400 points while handing out over 100 assists in a season. Entering her final season as a Hawkeye, she is tugging at the several “all-time” thresholds: Her 120 3-pointers ranks sixth in UI history and her 309 assists ranks ninth. She will enter the 2008-09 season No. 24 on Iowa’s all-time scoring list with 1,033 points.
Great numbers that don’t come as a surprise to her head coach.
Bluder recalls the first time she saw Smith play as being at a Nike summer tournament in Chicago before Smith’s sophomore year at Horizon High School in Thornton, Colorado – a Denver suburb. She was immediately impressed by Smith’s refusal to back down, her quickness, ability to penetrate and her shooting…skills that are even better today.
“She’s worked hard to add an impressive defensive tenacity,” Bluder added. When Smith made an unofficial recruiting trip to Iowa City, it was the first time she had ever been in Iowa. She was quickly impressed by the seriousness of Bluder,the coaching staff and with her soon-to-be teammates. She liked the fact that they took the “student” in “student-athlete” seriously and how well the team members got along with one another.
“More than I could have ever expected. I have no problem admitting that I’m a little sad that I only have one year left” Smith said when asked how to describe her time spent on the UI campus and as a member of the women’s basketball program.
Bluder expects Smith to continue to be “one of our hardest workers” as she works her way through her final season at a Hawkeyes. That effort is evident this summer.
Smith, along with her teammates, meet three times a week at 6 a.m for weight training at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. They scrimmage regularly with each other and played in the Game Time League in North Liberty. Smith, along with fellow captains Wendy Ausdemore and JoAnn Hamlin, are also working their way through a text-based leadership program to focus on those skills.