Smiths story far from ordinary

No team in the nation likely hit the junior college recruiting trail harder than Doc Sadler and the UTEP Miners this year. The Miners recently added their seventh juco commitment of the Class of 2006 when Long Beach guard Pearson Smith pledged to come to El Paso.

It will be Smith's second tour of duty in the city…literally. He was stationed in El Paso while in the military from 2002 to 2004.

"I knew the are real well," Smith said. "I had driven by the campus a lot when I was in the military, but had never visited. Then during spring break I went out there and saw the school and I just got a real good feeling and that put me over the top…I also have a lot of friends out there that I will get to see when I go back."

Smith played his freshman season at Long Beach City College in 2001. He then signed up for military duty and was gone for three years.

"I just felt like I was a little burnt out with school and just a little frustrated with things," said the 6-foot-2 Smith. "I needed a little time off, just a change of pace to just get away and try something new. When my contract was up after three years, I just decided I'd rather be playing basketball and going to school."

The time off did Smith plenty of good. When he left Long Beach, he weighed 160 pounds. He reports he is now up to about 205.

"It was all muscle," said Long Beach coach Gary Anderson. "He was very good back then, but now he's even better."

Smith helped guide Long Beach to a league title last season. He's not sure expectations will be that high his first year at UTEP, but he does have a role he's looking to fill.

"One of the ways is being the glue to the team, being an older guy," Smith said. "It looks like it might be a little bit of a rebuilding year just because we've got nine or ten new players coming in. The coaches just want me to help hold everybody together. Playing time wise from what they told me is wide open with all the new guys. I could be playing the one or the two, that's what I played here. I can be a role player, I can be a leading scorer, whatever they need me to do."

Long Beach will be a school to watch next year as well. Anderson said 6-foot-5 Derek Williams is one of the best players in California and Deion Tresvant has Division One potential at the two guard spot.