Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2023
- Class:
- 2010
A native of Concord, N.C. and four-star high school recruit, Ishmael "Ish" Larry Smith made the decision to pursue his collegiate career in-state when he verbally committed to the Demon Deacons in late June of 2005. His official induction date will be announced at a later time.
Holding a four-year career at Wake Forest and spending three seasons as a team captain, Smith finished his tenure with a status as one of the top all-around players in program history. Possessing elite playmaking skills and an uptempo style of play, he still remains the only all-time player to record over 1,000 points and 600 assists in a career. Additionally, Smith is the first Deacon to have plugged in career totals of 1,000 points, 500 assists, and 400 rebounds. Other noteworthy numbers include him ranking second all-time in assists (612), sixth in minutes played (3,667), eighth in career steals (153), 18th in career games played (121) and 36th in career points (1,114). As a freshman, Smith led the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in assists, becoming the first Wake Forest player to do so since Muggsy Bogues in 1987. He was also just the fifth freshman in the history of the league to achieve such a feat.
Smith saved his best for his senior campaign, averaging 13.2 points, 6.0 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.7 steals a night, while also tallying an ACC-best 36.8 minutes per game. For his efforts, he earned Second Team All-ACC and Second Team NaBC All-District honors. Known for being a dependable performer in crunch situations, fans will likely recall Smith's late-game heroics against No. 8-seeded Texas in the 2010 NCAA Tournament. Battling back from an eight-point deficit in overtime play, Smith won the contest in thrilling fashion for the Demon Deacons after netting a 17-foot jumper right before time on the clock expired. The memorable shot gave Wake Forest its first tournament victory since 2005.
After going undrafted in the 2010 NBA Draft, Smith signed with the Houston Rockets on August 23, 2010, marking the early stages of an ongoing 12-year professional career. For this upcoming 2022-23 season, Smith has the chance to hold a new league record by an individual for most teams played for (13) if he competes in a single game with the Denver Nuggets. He had a career year with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2015-16, starting in all 50 appearances and totaling new best season averages in points (14.7), rebounds (4.3), assists (7.0), and steals (1.3). Two other seasons saw Smith contribute just under 11 points per game as a reserve guard. Throughout his prolonged time in the NBA, Smith has pieced 7.6 points and 3.9 assists through 719 contests. He has also reached the playoffs on five different occasions.
A 2010 graduate, Smith obtained a Bachelor's degree in Religion. Smith's brother-in-law is Eric Williams, a former Demon Deacon men's basketball standout and 2006 alum.
