Play of Smith has been a key for Wake Forest

Since the end of Wake Forest's 16-game winning streak, Ish Smith has played really, really well in the Deacons' three victories and not so well in their four losses.

The way Smith performed Saturday in the seventh-ranked Deacons' 86-63 victory over No. 25 Florida State raised the question of whether the spark he provides when he enters the game off the bench is a luxury or a necessity for success.

In the Deacons' three victories over Duke, Boston College and FSU, Smith has averaged 8.3 points, 3.7 assists and 1.7 turnovers, while shooting 53 percent from the floor. In the four losses to Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Miami and N.C. State, Smith has averaged five points, 2.5 assists and 2.5 turnovers, while shooting 35 percent for the season.

Well into his junior season, Smith has become the Deacons' barometer.

"I'm a point guard," Smith said. "I know Coach (Skip) Prosser used to always say ‘It's always the point guard's fault -- if it's a bad day, it's the point guard's fault.'

"Everybody has to play well -- it's not just me. But I guess sometimes you might play a bigger factor than you expect."

In assessing Smith's recent play Saturday, Coach Dino Gaudio mentioned the games against Duke, BC and FSU. He was mum on the other four.

"He's been terrific for us, the Duke game, the BC game, this game," Gaudio said. "(That's) despite the naysayers who are saying when him and Jeff (Teague) are in together, it's not good.

"It's good."

Coaches look at a team from a different -- much more acute -- angle than others. What Gaudio sees in Smith is an experienced, explosive player who has been playing point guard long enough to know what the position is all about. That's a valuable commodity in college basketball, one that he feels he has to fully utilize to get the most out of his team.

And he clearly could do without the criticism that he and Smith have gotten from those who feel that the Deacons are a far better team with Teague, and not Smith, playing point guard. Teague, the Deacons' leading scorer, starts the game at the point but moves to the wing when Smith enters the game.

"You know me. I've got eight million assistant coaches," Gaudio said on Friday. "I only listen to four of them."

The four, ostensibly, are the members of his staff, assistant coaches Jeff Battle, Pat Kelsey and Mike Muse and director of basketball operations Walt Corbean.

Smith was in the opening lineup from the day he arrived, and started 60 of 61 games over his freshman and sophomore seasons before breaking his foot last September and missing almost all of the preseason. When he was fully recovered, the Deacons were on their way to a 16-game winning streak, so Gaudio has remained for the most part with a fixed starting lineup.

But it's easy to forget that Smith led the ACC in assists as a freshman with six a game, or that he cut down his turnovers from 112 as a freshman to 84 as a sophomore. His four assists Saturday against FSU gave him 396 for his career, edging him past Chris Paul for seventh place in Wake Forest history.

"He's just a junior, right?" Gaudio said. "The three years he's been here, he's been just wonderful for us. He's been just wonderful.

"He lets us play at a speed we want to play at. There's some guys who might be as fast. I don't think anybody is faster with the ball."

Smith said that changing roles has been an adjustment.

"Since I got hurt I've come off the bench, which has been different for me," Smith said. "But one thing I've always tried to do since I've been hurt is try to bring a spark off the bench. If I've got to score, I'm going to score. If I've just got to set up the offense because somebody's hot -- if Jeff's hot and I can get him the ball -- I can be a real true point guard.

"I know I hear a lot of people saying ‘Play him for the pass, he really can't score.' I don't believe that at all. What I just try to do is whatever it takes for the team. (Saturday) I was a little bit more aggressive going to the basket and pushing the ball."

People who wake up over a cup of coffee sometimes have trouble getting started on a day they have no caffeine. In a similar fashion, maybe the Deacons have become dependant on the kind of spark that Smith provided again Saturday against Florida State.

■ Dan Collins can be reached at 727-7323 or at dcollins@wsjournal.com.