Stonehill College has announced 2016 graduate and former captain Carter Smith has returned as assistant coach for the men’s basketball program for the upcoming 2018-19 season. The announcement was made today by head coach Chris Kraus, ’06.
“I am thrilled to welcome Carter Smith back to Stonehill and know he will be a tremendous addition to our staff, program and Stonehill community,” said Kraus. “Carter had a fantastic playing career for us and knows our program inside and out. He understands what it takes to become an elite level student-athlete and we are excited to have him work with our guys to help raise their games to new levels. I was impressed by his dedication to learn the coaching profession as a volunteer assistant at Denison University and I know he will use those experiences, combined with his own character and competitiveness, to become a very successful coach.”
Smith returns to his alma mater after serving as a volunteer assistant coach at Denison University in Granville, Ohio, since January 2017. He helped the Big Red to a 37-17 record over his two seasons, including 29-16 in the season and a half he was on the coaching staff, reaching the semifinal round of the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament each year. Smith assisted in practices, recruiting and game preparation under head coach Bob Ghiloni. Prior to his stint at Denison, Smith played professionally for BC Delta in the professional A League in the Republic of Georgia following his graduation from Stonehill.
Smith was a four-year letterwinner and three-year starting point guard for Coach Kraus, leading Stonehill to the 2016 NCAA East Regional Championship, being named Most Outstanding Player of the regional, and a trip to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in Frisco, Texas. He was the recipient of Stonehill’s Fr. John McCarthy, CSC, Senior Leadership Award and earned third team All-Northeast-10 Conference honors as a senior after being an honorable mention All-NE10 selection as a junior. Smith started 90 of his 114 career games played for the Skyhawks, finishing with 1,370 points, 384 assists, 280 rebounds and 106 steals.
Smith still ranks 15th all-time in program history for scoring and his 243 career three-pointers rank third all-time. He finished his career shooting 84.4-percent from the free-throw line, including an NE10-record 92.3% (60-for-65) during his junior year, 43.7% from the field and 42.1% from three-point range. Smith, who was group leader for Stonehill’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes, earned NE10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll status multiple semesters for his work in the classroom, graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in communication.
Stonehill wrapped up its 2017-18 season with a 17-12 record overall, including 12-9 in the NE10 to finish tied for third in the Northeast Division standings. The Skyhawks earned a spot in the NE10 Tournament for the 31st time in program history, posting a pair of wins over nationally-ranked teams.
http://www.stonehillskyhawks.com/sports/mbkb/2018-19/releases/20180712n0evhl
