Smith Named March 1 Centennial Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week

by Sports Information
3/1/04

LANCASTER, PA -- Franklin & Marshall College guard/forward Brandon Smith (So., Reading, PA/Governor Mifflin) has been named the March 1 Centennial Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week.

The honor marks the first of Smith's career as the second year Diplomat made six-of-12 field goal attempts, including four-of-six from beyond the arc, for 16 points with five steals as Franklin & Marshall (24-3, 17-1 CC) shot 23-of-51 from the field (45.1%) and seven-of-17 from three-point range (41.2%) to outlast Johns Hopkins University (17-9, 12-6 CC) 69-58 to capture the 2004 Centennial Conference Men's Basketball Championship on February 29.

Against Gettysburg College in the semifinals, Smith starred as he pulled down a game high eight rebounds while tallying six points and two steals to key the Diplomats to a 75-49 rout of the Bullets on February 28.

In the regular season finale on February 24 at Johns Hopkins, he registered six points with five rebounds and two steals in a 67-63 nailbiter.

In the latest Centennial Conference statistics for the 2004 season, he ranks among the CC leaders in scoring (23rd, 11.0 ppg), rebounding (15th, 5.7 rpg), steals (second, 2.07 spg), three point field goal percentage (ninth, .388), three point field goals made (14th, 1.48 pg), blocked shots (14th, 0.63 bpg), offensive rebounds (15th, 1.81 rpg) and defensive rebounds (13th, 3.93 rpg).

Individually the Diplomats starting "five" rank a top the conference as guard Jackiem Wright (Sr., Sicklerville, NJ/Moorestown Friends) ranks in scoring (18th, 12.2 ppg), steals (seventh, 1.63 spg), three point field goal percentage (15th, .348) and three point field goals made (third, 2.41 pg) and point guard Duran Searles (Sr., Camden, NJ/Peddie School) ranks in scoring (13th, 13.8 ppg), field goal percentage (seventh, .531), assists (fourth, 3.59 apg), steals (third, 1.85 spg), three point field goal percentage (third, .429), three point field goals made (seventh, 2.11 pg), assist/turnover ratio (third, 1.54)

Down low, forward Bobby Lynch (Jr., Richboro, PA/Council Rock) ranks in scoring (eighth, 15.8 ppg), rebounding (sixth, 6.9 rpg), field goal percentage (second, .596), free throw percentage (13th, .762), blocked shots (eighth, 0.81 bpg) and offensive rebounds (second, 3.30 rpg).

Preseason All-America center Steve Juskin (Sr., East Hanover, NJ/Hanover Park) ranks in scoring (11th, 14.6 ppg), rebounding (ninth, 6.3 rpg), field goal percentage (eighth, .520), assists (fifth, 3.52 apg), blocked shots (first, 3.78 bpg), assist/turnover ratio (eighth, 1.13), offensive rebounds (12th, 1.89 rpg) and defensive rebounds (eighth, 4.41 rpg)

Off the bench, reserve guard Logan Outerbridge (Fr., Glen Rock, NJ/Glen Rock) ranks in steals (12th, 1.33 spg).

As a team the Diplomats rank among the CC leaders in scoring defense (first, 62.9 ppg), scoring margin (first, +18.4 ppg), field goal percentage (first, .501), field goal percentage defense (first, .411), three point field goal percentage (first, .377), rebounding defense (first, 29.7 rpg), rebounding margin (first, +6.6 rpg), blocked shots (first, 6.04 bpg), assists (first, 16.78 apg), steals (first, 9.67 spg), turnover margin (first, 4.41), assist/turnover ratio (first, 1.14), offensive rebounds (first, 12.81 rpg), scoring offense (second, 81.3 ppg), three point field goals made (third, 7.41 pg), rebounding offense (third, 37.3 rpg), defensive rebounds (fourth, 24.44 rpg).

The Diplomats will continue the season at 7:00 p.m. on March 6 at home in the Mayser Center in an NCAA second round game versus the winner of a March 4 first round game between Elizabethtown and #8 Hampden-Sydney.