Hardwood is Smith’s latest challenge

by Eric Keppeler
Niagara Wheatfield Tribune, January 18, 2007

Jon Smith helped the Falcons to a 41-35 win against Grand Island on Tuesday night. (photo by Larry Austin)

Jon Smith wasn’t sure what to expect when he decided to try out for the Niagara-Wheatfield basketball team.

Already a standout on the football field and on the baseball diamond, Smith decided to add basketball to his repertoire in his senior year. He figured he’d be happy if he could play a little, contribute and help the team win.

He wasn’t counting on almost instantly becoming a starter.

“It’s different, but it’s a challenge and I like challenges,” said Smith, who also quarterbacks the football team and pitches and plays shortstop for the baseball squad. “The last couple of years, I just got into the weight room to get ready for baseball season. I figured this year that playing basketball would help me to stay in shape. And I’m having a lot of fun with it.”

Veteran Falcons basketball coach Joe Casale is thrilled that Smith finally decided to give hoops a try.

“I’ve been trying to get him to come out for basketball for quite some time,” Casale said. “This year, he just showed up at the gym and said he was serious about getting a year in – and he’s been a very pleasant surprise. It took him maybe one game to get into the starting lineup, and now he’s pretty much the backbone of our offensive and defensive rebounding. He’s playing really well, especially for his first year on varsity.”

Events conspired to propel Smith into the starting five.

The Falcons had no starters coming back from last year’s team and just four players total returning. Smith is a tremendous athlete at 6-foot-4 with good vision, hands and quickness, and Casale says it was a no-brainer to put him in at forward.

But Smith was still surprised.

“I wasn’t really expecting to be in the starting lineup right off the bat like that, but I try not to worry about that,” Smith said. “I let my ability do the work. I think you can really show your athletic ability in basketball.”

After taking his lumps in the fall as a quarterback, Smith thought that basketball might be a nice relaxing way to stay sharp until baseball season begins.

That misconception didn’t last beyond the Falcons’ first scrimmage.

“There’s actually a lot of contact in basketball, and I didn’t expect that,” Smith said. “I thought it was going to be a little less physical, then in the first game, I got elbowed in the cheek and had to sit out. It was pretty crazy.”

It didn’t take Smith long to adapt.

Casale says that one of Smith’s greatest assets is that he’s a fast learner, which leaves the coach wondering how good Smith might have been if he tried out for basketball a little sooner.

“Just for him to be able to pick up everything that we do on the varsity level and to be able to compete at a high level, that’s amazing to me,” Casale said. “He’s willing to learn. When you teach him something, it only takes one time. He’s a tremendous athlete, but he’s also making himself into a basketball player.”