Deer Valley has a fairly deep roster that has done quite well this early season as they are 12-3. Wolverines Coach LeChet Phillips has turned to junior combination guard Charles Smith as his primary point guard this season to run the offense. Smith, who transferred from Oakland High for personal reasons, has been averaging 7.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 10.5 assists per game.
At 6-foot and 165 pounds, Smith can run 4.90 seconds in the 40-yard dash and can bench press 120 pounds. He has been playing basketball since he was 5 years old and is in his first year as a varsity starter. Smith models his game after Minnesota Timberwolves Jonny Flynn because he likes to pass first and score second.
Smith's best move is his cross-over dribble because it is hard to stop. His best skill is his shooting because he has confidence in his perimeter shot. During his downtime, he works on his dribbling and shooting because he uses those skills most in his game.
In a game at the Chris Vontoure Classic, Smith hit six 3-point shots in the game. And in other games in this season, Smith can be seen passing the ball into the interior to forwards Marcus Lee and Andre McPhail for easy layups. Or Smith will make the right pass to shooting guard Olajuwon Garner for an open perimeter shot.
Coach Phillips says, "Charles has great court vision. Charles can get the ball to teammates where they can do the most damage to an opponent. He is an excellent floor leader on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. He can be an offensive force if needed but loves distributing the ball and making plays. He understands the game. Charles is the prototype floor general and playmaker. He controls the flow of the game and makes very good decisions. Always into the action and has a tendency to be wherever the ball is."
Several colleges including Chico State, UC Riverside, UNLV, and the University of San Diego have visited Deer Valley to view Smith and his teammates. He wants to play for a team that has a fast pace style. He would like to go away for college as he would not mind going to New York for a change of pace from the west coast or go to Los Angeles area for weather reasons. His favorite subject is History as he would like to major in Psychology and will also gauge the academics of the college.
Coach Phillips says, "Charles is a competitor. Although he is somewhat introverted, he does have a small circle of friends he hangs with in school - most of them teammates. He will be a D1 mid-major find when they come looking. He can compete with anyone and there are not any other point guards in the area that I would take over him. He is very talented and coachable. If he hasn't reached the peak of his learning curve, he will be special at the next level. Although he is a typical student, he won't draw 'oohs' and 'aahs' when entering a room. But the minute the ball is tossed, his ability becomes readily apparent and has spectators scrambling to find out how they missed him."
Deer Valley had three key transfers this past year that included Smith, Kendall Smith, and Quincy Smith. Kendall and Quincy are brothers but not related to Charles while Quincy's transfer process is still in purgatory. Charles Smith is definitely no ordinary Mr. Smith as he hopes to continue to dish out assists as his team goal is to lead his team in a run for the state title.
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