Blue Devils Guard Accepts Advice

by Ken Tysiac, Staff Writer

The News & Observer

February 24, 2010 — The text message delivered to Nolan Smith’s cell phone two weeks ago didn’t say much, but it was exactly what the Blue Devils’ junior guard needed to hear after Duke’s win at North Carolina.

Duke's Nolan Smith drives on Virginia Tech's Erick Green during first-half action. / Photo credit Chuck Liddy, The News & Observer

“Get in the gym,” the late-night text read.

It came from Michael Beasley, Smith’s childhood friend and Miami Heat forward who was the No. 2 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. Short, direct messages such as Beasley’s have helped spur Smith to overcome the struggles of his sophomore season to become the ACC’s fourth-leading scorer at 17.9 points a game.

Quick-witted with an eager smile, Smith remains close with his childhood teammates from Upper Marlboro, Md., and from his high school days at Oak Hill Academy.

Duke guard Jon Scheyer is constantly amazed by the number of friends Smith has. When Duke was at Miami last week, former Hurricanes guard Jack McClinton was there to have his jersey retired.

Just before the start of the second half, McClinton yelled at Smith, telling him to look for his shot. After the game, McClinton texted Smith to say he has a sweet shot and needs to be confident with it.

“He’ll know somebody on the other team, no matter what team we’re playing,” Scheyer said. “He really knows everybody, either from playing AAU or, ‘Yeah, at this camp I met him.’ We always joke about it.”

Beasley and Smith have been close friends since childhood and were teammates on the D.C. Assault club team. Smith also corresponds with former Oak Hill teammates Ty Lawson of the Denver Nuggets and Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“They really help me because they give me the confidence that I need,” Smith said. “They let me know to keep working, keep staying in the gym.”

Smith usually heeds their advice.

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