School and Year (1997-98)	Maine Central Institute, ME - 5th year
					East Chicago Central
	Height and Weight		6'2" 195lbs
	Position			Point Guard
	96-97 Ratings			#50 (HS), TOP25 (PS)
        97-98 Ratings                   #5 Prep (HS)
	Academically Eligible		GPA ok, lacks credits
	Status				Villanova

Player Summary
	Bobby Smith is a transfer from Chicago Carver (and a few schools
before that) and played his first year of high school basketball last year
at East Chicago Central.  He was declared academically ineligible to play
his freshman year at Carver, although his coach said that he was good
enough to start as a freshman.  His strengths include defense and 
penetration, and he is a good passer.  Weaknesses would have to be 
academics, although he hasn't had the most stable life so far.  He now
lives with his sister after the death of his grandmother last year and
promises to improve his academics out of respect for his grandmother.  His
uncle also helped raise him, but was killed the same evening that his 
grandmother died of a heart attack.
	The rumors flying around about this kid include that he's the next 
Isiah Thomas, and that he nearly led Carver to an upset of Kevin Garnett's 
Chicago Farragut team (also included Ronnie Fields) in the Chicago city 
tournament.  The latter would have been particularly tough for him 
to do since he was ineligible all year. The Hoosier Basketball Handbook has
Smith listed as a future star, and he was named by Lake County's The Time
to their all area team.
	Smith along with EC Central teammate Willie Davis attended Purdue's
Midnight Magic in October. 


Current Player News
       3-19-98...Bobby SMith has accepted a scholarship offer from Villanova.

       2-19-98...The new short list for Bobby Smith includes West Virginia,
UNLV, Maryland and Villanova, according to Hoop Scoop.

       12-29-97...Checking in with Bobby Smith at MCI finds him fresh off
his attempts at both the SAT and ACT.  Smith still needs a year's worth
of academic credits along with a sufficient score on a standardized test to
qualify.  He is currently carrying a "B" average.  Schools in the hunt for
Smith include Kentucky, West Virginia, Michigan, Minnesota and Cincinnati.
Purdue is still being mentioned, but with Maynard Lewis coming in and no
available scholarships, Purdue would be a longshot unless there was 
either movement in the guards or a free scholarship.  However, two juco
big men are already lined up for any avaliable scholarship.  Kentucky was
leading until Rick Pitino left for the NBA.  Now it is wide open.  Other
schools showing recent interest are Maryland and Oklahoma State.

       3-31-97...Several new revelations regarding Bobby Smith have come
to the surface.  Smith has transferred to Gary Roosevelt to get away
from distractions and finish up his final year of high school in 
Indiana.  The move was recommended by his guardian James Dye.  At the
completion of the school year, he is scheduled to play AAU ball for a
New York based AAU squad.  Following summer competition, Smith will 
enroll in Maine Central Institute and play for coach Max Good.  Bobby
isn't only getting good advice from his guardian, but also from EC Central
coach John Todd.  "It's a lot more than just playing the game," Todd said.
"Talent just takes you so far. I tell him again and again, the game is a 
vehicle that gets you an opportunity to get an education."
        As for where Smith might play ball, "Kentucky is probably my main 
option," Smith said.  Dye says that Purdue and Cincy are also in the mix,
as are a total of "11 of the top 25 universities".  Dye stated that 8 of 
those 11 are very actively recruiting Smith.

        2-21-97...A scouting report from the Merrillville vs. East Chicago
game..."Merrillivlle ranked #1 in the Region and EC #2 - great game; EC won
in 2OTs.  Jamaal Davis played well (19 pts), but was hounded all night by
Willie Davis (6-7 and pursued by PU) who probably played the game of his
career.  But most impressive was Bobby Smith, 6-2 guard (also pursued by 
Purdue) - lightning quick, great penetrator and excellent assist man (20
points).  He just played in the flow of the game till crunch time, and then
almost took over.  A couple penetrating layups right at Jamaal - who is the
best shot blocker in the Region - incredibly put the ball softly off the
glass.  The kid is the real deal. Frank Kendrick probably also thinks so as
he was there too - drove up in an ice storm to see the game." (scouting
report by Dave Foster)

        01-18-97...Bobby Smith has hit game winning shots before, and he
is good at it.  So naturally, with 4 seconds remaining on the clock and
EC Central down by one, you get the ball into the hands of the go-to
guy.  Smith got the ball, drove the length of the court, and hit a layup
right before the buzzer.  Or was it right after the buzzer? "I don't 
know" was the comment from the ref, so after conferring with the 
timekeeper the shot was ruled too late and Lafayette Jeff was handed the 
67-66 victory. "It was good," said Smith, "we're 11-0.  Some guys are
saying we got screwed, but I'm saying how can you get screwed when you
won?" Coach Todd agreed.  So did the Jeff AD after reviewing tape. "So 
they think they pulled one over on us," Smith said. "This just makes 
us a better team, and that's the last thing anyone wanted, a better 
East Chicago team. We'll be back."  EC Central will get their shot at
revenge if both teams make it to the Lafayette semistate game.
   
        12-20-96...Bobby Smith is used to scoring a game winning shot,
but on Friday night it was sophomore Rick Wright in the role of hero,
courtesy a Smith assist.  With 8 seconds left, Smith drove the length of the
the court and drove down the lane collapsing the defense.  This left Wright
wide open on the perimeter, who took the Smith pass and finger-rolled
in the winning bucket.  The NW Times #1 team in the region, won the
squeaker by the score of 51-49.  As he usually does, Coach Todd was not
at a loss for criticism for his players. "We won the game on athletic
ability," said Todd, "not on basketball ability. We didn't play smart
at all. We played hard. They played smart."  Smith along with Ajagbe
Gillis led EC Central with 11 points each.
	There was a lot of talk about the officiating.  EC finished the
game with 20 fouls and Lake Central had 21.  Not only were the coaches
at a loss for words as to why the game was being called so closely, so
was the crowd.  In a juvenile show of disgust, a full bottle of sports
drink was thrown onto the court with about 3 minutes remaining in the
second half. "It was disgusting," said Todd on the incident. "That's as
bad a thing that I have seen in years."  EC Central (5-0, 2-0) was
whistled for 14 of their 20 fouls in the first half. "During timeouts
our kids kept saying 'We're getting fouled, we're getting fouled,'"
Todd said. "It's like when babies whine to get a new bottle. We just have
to learn to adjust."  So what will be the focus of Todd's Saturday
practice? "We have to stop believing we are the best team in the universe,"
said Todd.

	7-17-96...I talked with the coach of EC Central today, John Todd.
Coach Todd is a no nonsense guy that speaks his mind.  It was refreshing
to talk to a coach that wasn't sugar-coating his players.  It was evident
he remains dissappointed with the play of EC Central, a team that went 
12-13 last year, losing as many games in one season as he had over the entire
three seasons prior.  One of the reasons Central suffered last year
was due to a first year player named Bobby Smith.  There is no doubt
that the Carver transfer has talent, but last season was his first
playing organized basketball and it took him a while to develop a
chemistry with his fellow players. "I've heard all the rumors about what
(Smith) did at Carver, but they're just not true," said Todd about
Smith playing like Isiah Thomas, as one popular rumor suggested. "He didn't
even play.  He's had a rough life so far."
	A result of that rough life has been his high school academic
progress.  Smith will be a senior as far as basketball is concerned,
but is a junior academically. "He's not a bad student at all," said Todd,
"but I think he only had 2 credits when he transferred in last year.  He's
up to around 24 now and he needs 40 to graduate."  So what about the
rumor that Smith will be headed to prep school? "He'll be back here
next year," Todd added, "then who knows."
	Talking a little about Smith's basketball skills, Coach Todd sees
plenty of room for improvement.  Smith's best game is when he is speeding
up and down the court making things happen.  He possesses "all the 
skills" according to Todd, but needs more experience.  Sound defensively,
he is great in one-on-one situations.  He also is the hardest worker
on the team, a main reason why his coach believes he will make a great
player.  Weaknesses, according to Coach Todd, are his shooting and his
offensive decision-making. "He's a poor shooter right now," said Todd.
"If he wants to play Division 1, he's going to have to put in some work.
He just doesn't shoot well."  Smith is likely to play at the point in
college because of his size but could develop into a skilled combo guard
if his outside shooting improves.
	Coach Todd didn't know about schools Smith might be looking at
at this point, but did say there were letters on his desk received just
today from Colorado, Xavier, and Western Kentucky. "Once that hype 
starts, it's hard to keep track," joked Todd.

	7-4-96...Bobby Smith made the NBA Coaches Association Camp First
Team and was named most outstanding point guard at the camp in Princeton
last month.  A relative unknown along side a majority of the top 50 
seniors-to-be coming into the camp, Smith left on the minds of most
recruiters and coaches in attendance.  Recruiters were most impressed
with his quick move to the basket, calling him "quiet, but explosive".

	4-27-96...Smith averaged 21 ppg playing for the Gary SYF Players-17
team in the 3rd annual Spiece Run 'N Slam.  He played a mixture of point
and wing guard, depending on when point guard Donte Jones was in the game.
The offensive punch of the team came from the perimeter, as teammate
Willie Davis was inconsistent in the middle.  Smith is a legitimate
division one prospect and was one of the best playing guards in the tourney.
He has good moves, with a decent outside shot.  A majority of his points
in the Cincy game came near the end when he took control of the scoring.
His slashing moves are hard to defend, and frequently resulted in 2 from
the line.  He also has good control, converting a couple of three-point
plays.  Smith played the majority of the game and still looked fresh at
the end.  Defensively he could use some work pressuring his opponents.
	The SYF Players went 2-1 in pool play and were eliminated in the
first round of the tournament Saturday night.

	1-20-96...Rejoining the team following a suspension, Smith dazzled
the crowd (which reportedly included Frank Kendrick) with great moves and
outside shooting.  He finished with 28 points.

	1-12-96...Bobby Smith has been suspended from the East Chicago
basketball team due to disciplinary reasons.  He is scheduled to resume
play on January 20.  No further information is available at this time.


Single Game Statistics

DATE             FG FGA FT FTA 3PM 3PA RB AS ST PTS
----------------------------------------------------
01-20-96                                         28  Won vs. Gary Roosevelt
04-26-96          4      6       0               14  Won 68- Torrence 63
04-27-96          9              4               30  Won 90- Columbus 70
04-27-96          8      9       2               27  Lost 73- Cincy AAU 83
04-27-96          5      3       0               13  Lost 66- Ohio Future 73
12-20-96          4      3   5   0               11  Won 51- Lake Central 49
12-28-96          7      0   0   1         8     15  Won 66- An. Highland 57
01-04-97          6      2   3   1         3     15  Won 62- Mishawaka 56
01-04-97          6      1   3   1         4     14  Won 60- Elkhart Cent 49
01-10-97          6      2   2   0            3  14  Won 81- Gavit 56
01-18-97          4   9  7   7   0         8     15  Lost 66- Laf. Jeff 67
01-24-97          8  16  3   4   3      4  2     22  Won 66- G. Roosevelt 54
01-25-97         10      4   7   2         7     26  Lost 66- Crown Point 67
01-31-97          5      4   7   1               15  Won 67- Gary West 62
02-01-97          5      7   8   2               19  Won 71- Gary Wirt 51
02-07-97          5  12  8  10   1         4     18  Won 78- Andrean 66
02-21-97                                         20  Won 64- Mer'ville 55 2OT
02-25-97                                          9  Lost 67- 72 Hammond
 

Season to Date Statistics

Season thru      PPG  FG%  FT%  3P% RPG APG SPG BPG  RECORD RANK
----------------------------------------------------------------
95-96 season    15.1                5.1               
01-27-97        16.2 .610 .650 .440 5.4               12-2  #15 (IN)
96-97 season    17.1 .615           4.8 7.2 3.2       17-3  #11 (IN)


Awards and Honors

96-97 season    Street & Smith Underclassman All-American
                Indiana All-State Honorable Mention (Associated Press)
95-96 season	Spiece Run 'N Slam All-Tourney Team


1996-97 Season Schedule for EC Central

Date        Day     Time      Opponent
----        ---     ----      --------------------
11/16/96    SAT  W  6:30p     SB Adams Jamboree
                              (SB Clay, LaPorte, Huntington North, EC Central)
11/29-30    FRI  WW 6:30p     East Chicago Thanksgiving Holiday Classic
                              (Andrean, Simeon, Gary Roosevelt, EC Central)
12/13/96    FRI  W  7:00p     Michigan City
12/14/96    SAT  W  7:30p     @ Bishop Noll
12/20/96    FRI  W  7:30p     @ Lake Central
12/21/96    SAT  W  7:00p     South Bend Clay
12/28/96    SAT  W  7:30p     @ Anderson Highland
01/04/97    SAT  WW           Elkhart Classic
01/10/97    FRI  W  7:30p     Hammond Gavit
01/18/97    SAT  L  7:30p     @ Lafayette Jeff
01/24/97    FRI  W  7:30p     @ Gary Roosevelt
01/25/97    SAT  L  7:30p     @ Crown Point
01/31/97    FRI  W  7:30p     Gary West
02/01/97    SAT  W  7:30p     Gary Wirt
02/07/97    FRI  W  7:70p     Andrean
02/08/97    SAT  W  2:00p     Indianapolis Broad Ripple
02/14/97    FRI  W  7:30p     Gary Wallace
02/21/97    FRI  W  7:30p     @ Merrillville
02/27/97    THR  L  6:00p     Sectionals (@ Home vs Hammond)