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UNC Basketball: K.J. Smith 2017-18 season preview

By Blake Cockrum

GREENSBORO, NC - MARCH 17: Ramses, the mascot for the North Carolina Tar Heels performs against the Miami (Fl) Hurricanes during the final of the Men's ACC Basketball Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum on March 17, 2013 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
GREENSBORO, NC - MARCH 17: Ramses, the mascot for the North Carolina Tar Heels performs against the Miami (Fl) Hurricanes during the final of the Men's ACC Basketball Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum on March 17, 2013 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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Son of former North Carolina great Kenny “The Jet” Smith joins 2017-18 Tar Heels

Walker Miller | Sterling Manley | Brandon Huffman | Garrison Brooks | Andrew Platek | Jalek Felton

K.J. Smith, son of former North Carolina point guard Kenny “The Jet” Smith, joins the Tar Heels in 2017 as a sophomore walk-on.

LAS VEGAS, NV – JANUARY 05: NBA analysts Kenny Smith (L) and Charles Barkley laugh during a live telecast of ‘NBA on TNT’ at CES 2017 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center on January 5, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. CES, the world’s largest annual consumer technology trade show, runs through January 8 and features 3,800 exhibitors showing off their latest products and services to more than 165,000 attendees. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – JANUARY 05: NBA analysts Kenny Smith (L) and Charles Barkley laugh during a live telecast of ‘NBA on TNT’ at CES 2017 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center on January 5, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. CES, the world’s largest annual consumer technology trade show, runs through January 8 and features 3,800 exhibitors showing off their latest products and services to more than 165,000 attendees. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

The eldest Smith was a first team All-American for the Tar Heels in 1987 when now head coach Roy Williams was an assistant under the legendary Dean Smith.

30 years later, his son fulfilled a lifelong dream of following in his father’s footsteps at the University of North Carolina.

Smith attended the University of the Pacific last year as a freshman where he averaged 3.2 points, 0.8 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 13.5 minutes per game.

He won’t gain eligibility until next season, but he will be able to practice and travel with the team.

2017-18 role and preview

Smith will walk on at North Carolina and join what may be the country’s deepest and most talented back court. Senior starters Joel Berry II and Theo Pinson, junior shooting guard Kenny Williams, and sophomores Seventh Woods and Brandon Robinson are joined this season by five-star freshman combo guard Jalek Felton.

Needless to say, it’ll be tough for Smith to earn minutes at North Carolina, compared to Pacific. However, a number of key contributors are slated to leave Chapel Hill within the next two seasons, making room for a dedicated, hard worker of Smith’s caliber to step in and earn playing time in the coming years.

Strengths

Smith is a true point guard with good length and speed. He’s good at pushing the ball up the court and running the fast break, making him a particularly good fit for a Roy Williams-coached team. Smith is a good passer, both with his right and left hand, and has good court vision.

Bold prediction

Let’s not get too bold, here. Smith is a legacy player at North Carolina, but not as skilled or athletically gifted as the personnel that the Tar Heels will trot out onto the court this season. By the time the transfer gains eligibility next year, though, he might be able to snag a significant amount of time off the bench.

With hard work in practice and dedication to his craft, Smith, like former walk-on Shea Rush, can earn playing time and further solidify his role with the Tar Heels.

Next: UNC target Wendell Moore is 'expanding his recruitment'

In the mean time, he has an excellent resource at his fingertips that he calls “dad”.

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