Note #060: Darin Smith Jr. (Northeast Built)
Two-year Central Connecticut State University forward Darin Smith Jr., the 2026 NEC Player of the Year, has transferred to Big Ten-member Rutgers for his junior 2026-27 season.
In 2025-26, as a sophomore for the Blue Devils, Smith Jr. shined across 30 GP (32.6 MP/G).
Let's look at his scoring and rebounding:
- 20.7 PPG
- 5.4 RPG
That season, nine NCAA Division I men's players besides Smith Jr. averaged 20.5+ PPG and 5+ RPG. The other sophomore:
Juke Harris - 21.4 PPG, 6.5 RPG (35 GP, 35.1 MP/G)
And the two freshmen:
1. Cameron Boozer - 22.5 PPG, 10.2 RPG (38 GP, 33.4 MP/G)
2. AJ Dybantsa - 25.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG (35 GP, 34.8 MP/G)
And for fun, the three juniors and three seniors:
Seniors
1. Shelton Williams-Dryden - 20.7 PPG, 9.1 RPG (32 GP, 35.2 MP/G)
2. Nick Martinelli - 23.0 PPG, 6.2 RPG (33 GP, 35.6 MP/G)
3. Jordan Riley - 23.6 PPG, 6.0 RPG (30 GP, 37.8 MP/G)
Juniors
1. Isaac Burns - 20.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG (20 GP, 30.9 MP/G)
2. JT Toppin - 21.8 PPG, 10.8 RPG (25 GP, 34.8 MP/G)
3. PJ Haggerty - 23.4 PPG, 5.3 RPG (31 GP, 35.2 MP/G)
If we remove RPG, just one sophomore besides Smith Jr. and Harris scorched for 20.5+ PPG in 2025-26 (min. 30 GP):
Labaron Philon - 22.0 PPG (33 GP, 30.9 MP/G)
And the two freshmen, besides Boozer and Dybantsa above, to also rip off that PPG performance that season (still min. 30 GP):
1. Ebuka Okorie - 23.2 PPG (31 GP, 35.1 MP/G)
2. Darius Acuff Jr. - 23.5 PPG (36 GP, 35.1 MP/G)
And here are the six juniors (besides Haggerty) and six seniors (besides Williams-Dryden, Martinelli, and Riley) to also go similarly score-crazy that year:
Seniors
1. Nick Boyd - 20.7 PPG (35 GP, 31.9 MP/G)
2. Lamar Wilkerson - 20.9 PPG (32 GP, 34.0 MP/G)
3. Kamrin Oriol - 20.9 PPG (32 GP, 35.7 MP/G)
4. Camren Hunter - 21.0 PPG (34 GP, 31.0 MP/G)
5. Jadin Booth - 21.6 PPG (30 GP, 36.4 MP/G)
6. Dominique Daniels Jr. - 23.2 PPG (33 GP, 36.3 MP/G)
Juniors
1. Nasir Whitlock - 20.5 PPG (35 GP, 35.0 MP/G)
2. Money Williams - 20.6 PPG (34 GP, 31.2 MP/G)
3. Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn - 20.7 PPG (35 GP, 34.1 MP/G)
4. Michael James - 21.4 PPG (32 GP, 36.8 MP/G)
5. Jack Karasinski - 21.7 PPG (30 GP, 29.9 MP/G)
6. Josh Hubbard - 22.1 PPG (32 GP, 33.3 MP/G)
Toppin is at the top of his game in:
Note #018 (Tyler Haugh) / Note #038 (Cameron Carr) / Note #056 (Henri Veesaar)
Boyd's first bookmarked in Note #035 on Aaron Nkrumah.
Roll call includes Oriol, Wilkerson, James, and Hubbard in Note #055 on 2026 NBA Draft No. 6 overall pick Mikel Brown Jr.
Hunter is on the prowl in the Note #027 on Gonzaga's new center Massamba Diop, and Note #059 on potential St. John's supernova Tounde Yessoufou.
Daniels Jr. delights in Note #040 on Ebuka Okorie, in addition to Note #048 on Rafael Castro.
Whitlock's unlocked in the Nkrumah Note (#035), and Note #058 on OKC's 2026 first round selection Bennett Stirtz.
And Money is cash, as we know: Note #045 (Otega Oweh).
147/296 2P/2PA (49.7 2P%), 56/149 3P/3PA (37.6 3P%), 159/177 FT/FTA (89.8 FT%)
Smith Jr. is the only NCAA DI men's player, since 1980-81, to shoot 49.5+ 2P% (min. 295 2PA), 37.5+ 3P% (min. 145 3PA), 89.5+ FT% (min. 175 FTA) in a single season!
If we remove Smith Jr.'s lofty FT%, there are eight other sophomores to meet the rest of the criteria:
440-500 FGA
1. Matt Harpring (1995-96) - 167/303 2P/2PA (55.1%), 66/154 3P/3PA (39.6%), 138/181 FT/FTA
2. Ike Smith (2016-17) - 169/308 2P/2PA (54.9%), 61/154 3P/3PA (39.6%), 127/195 FT/FTA
3. Ryan Anderson (2007-08) - 166/313 2P/2PA (53.0%), 64/156 3P/3PA (41.0%), 173/199 FT/FTA
4. Todd Day (1989-90) - 166/307 2P/2PA (54.1%), 71/176 3P/3PA (40.3%), 139/183 FT/FTA
500-550 FGA
5. Grayson Allen (2015-16) - 149/297 2P/2PA (50.2%), 90/216 3P/3PA (41.7%), 211/252 FT/FTA
6. Mike Daum (2016-17) - 195/344 2P/2PA (56.7%), 79/189 3P/3PA (41.8%), 251/289 FT/FTA
550+ FGA
7. Allan Houston (1990-91) - 166/319 2P/2PA (52.0%), 99/231 3P/3PA (42.9%), 177/205 FT/FTA
8. Keegan Murray (2021-22) - 241/388 2P/2PA (62.1%!), 66/166 3P/3PA (39.8%), 142/190 FT/FTA
Four freshmen also qualified for the above (all of whom took more shots than any of the sophomores):
555-600 FGA
1. Malik Monk (2016-17) - 147/296 2P/2PA (49.7%), 104/262 3P/3PA (39.7%), 148/180 FT/FTA
2. Darius Acuff Jr. (2025-26) - 197/388 2P/2PA (50.8%), 91/207 3P/3PA (44.0%), 178/220 FT/FTA
600-700 FGA
3. Kevin Durant (2006-07) - 224/444 2P/2PA (50.5%), 82/203 3P/3PA (40.4%), 209/256 FT/FTA
700+ FGA
4. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (1988-89) - 275/573 2P/2PA (52.6%), 84/216 3P/3PA (38.9%), 163/200 FT/FTA
Monk took and made the same amount of 2s as Smith Jr. in their respective seasons.
Anderson and Monk appear in Note #047 on top 10 2026 Draft pick Brayden Burries.
It's a growing list for Grayson:
Note #005 (Juke Harris) / Note #049 (Labaron Philon) / Note #053 (Nate Ament)
Houston had it going in Note #041 on the "Steel City Sniper" Meleek Thomas and Note #049 on Philon.
Murray's a Note merchant:
Note #005 (Harris) / Note #054 (Nick Martinelli) / Note #058 (Bennett Stirtz)
Anyway, if we reinstate the FT% floor and remove 3s entirely, three sophomores (including Smith Jr.) have met the 2P (49.5%+, 295+ 2PA) and FT (89.5%+, 175+ FTA) baselines in a single season. The other two:
1. Luke Babbitt (2009-10) - 209/401 (52.1%), 199/217 FT/FTA (91.7 FT%)
2. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (1989-90) - 217/416 2P/2PA (52.2%), 191/210 FT/FTA (91.0%)
The two juniors to qualify:
1. Chris Mullin (1983-84) - 225/394 2P/2PA (57.1%), 169/187 FT/FTA (90.4%)
2. Marcus Brown (1994-95) - 175/310 2P/2PA (56.5%), 189/211 FT/FTA (89.6%)
And the five seniors:
295-400 2PA
1. David Kool (2009-10) - 158/316 2P/2PA (50.0%), 209/233 FT/FTA (89.7%)
2. Bogdan Bliznyuk (2017-18) - 220/389 2P/2PA (56.6%), 166/184 FT/FTA (90.2%)
400-500 2PA
3. Don MacLean (1991-92) - 223/437 2P/2PA (51.0%), 197/214 FT/FTA (92.1%)
4. Tony White (1986-87) - 231/462 2P/2PA (50.0%), 165/183 FT/FTA (90.2%)
500+ 2PA
5. Scott Skiles (1985-86) - 331/598 2P/2PA (55.4%), 188/209 FT/FTA (90.0%)
Okay, now let's trade 3s for 2s: Smith Jr. is the only sophomore since 1980-81 to hit the 3P (37.5%+, 145+ 3PA) and FT milestones!
Five juniors accomplished those shooting lines:
145-200 3PA
1. Luis Flores (2002-03) - 56/145 3P/3PA (38.6%), 221/245 FT/FTA (90.2%)
200-300 3PA
2. Sam Merrill (2018-19) - 86/229 3P/3PA (37.6%), 189/208 FT/FTA (90.9%)
3. Jodie Meeks (2008-09) - 117/288 3P/3PA (40.6%), 211/234 FT/FTA (90.2%)
4. Donald Sims (2009-10) - 123/288 3P/3PA (42.7%), 175/184 FT/FTA (95.1%!!)
300+ 3PA
5. J.J. Redick (2004-05) - 121/300 3P/3PA (40.3%), 196/209 FT/FTA (93.8%!)
Lastly, for fun, if we re-add FTs but drop the floor slightly to 89%, and lower the 2P accuracy a touch to 49%, one player besides Smith Jr. met this marginally-adjusted 2P/3P/FT criteria set in a single season:
Jimmer Fredette (2010-11) - 222/452 2P/2PA (49.1%), 124/313 3P/3PA (39.6%), 252/282 FT/FTA (89.4%)
Fredette was a junior, and not to mention the National Player of the Year, in the season above. And, of note, had 320 more FGA and 105 more FTA than Smith Jr.
Babbitt's brilliance began in Note #024 on New Yorker Gavin Doty, while Bliznyuk all-out blitzed Note #039 on Kingston Flemings.
Mullin is must-see in Note #049 on 2026 Draft first rounder Labaron Philon.
And Skiles shows his skill in Note #046 on Quadir Copeland, who has quantifiable game.
You may find Merrill in Note #034 on Jaylin Sellers, and Meeks in Note #058 on former Drake/Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz.
Redick rains/reigns in Note #050 on Ryan Conwell's college grand slam, and the Stirtz Note.
Anyway, in 2024-25 as a freshman at CCSU, Smith Jr. shot:
40/69 2P/2PA (58.0 2P%), 37/80 3P/3PA (46.3 3P%), 21/28 FT/FTA (75.0 FT%)
One freshman since 1980-81, besides Smith Jr., has made 58+ 2P% (min. 65 2PA), 46+ 3P% (min. 80 3PA), 75+ FT% (min. 25 FTA):
Josh Alexander (2005-06) - 69/116 2P/2PA (59.5%), 73/153 3P/3PA (47.7%), 56/70 FT/FTA (80.0%)
There have been five sophomores to also reach those 2P/3P/FT heights:
145-300 FGA
1. Dave Calloway (1988-89) - 87/147 2P/2PA (59.2%), 48/82 3P/3PA (58.5%), 46/56 FT/FTA (82.1%)
2. Desmond Bane (2017-18) - 86/141 2P/2PA (61.0%), 59/128 3P/3PA (46.1%), 64/82 FT/FTA (78.0%)
300-400 FGA
3. Killian Tillie (2017-18) - 136/218 2P/2PA (62.4%), 45/94 3P/3PA (47.9%), 58/75 FT/FTA (77.3%)
400-500 FGA
4. Calbert Cheaney (1990-91) - 246/394 2P/2PA (62.4%), 43/91 3P/3PA (47.3%), 113/141 FT/FTA (80.1%)
500+ FGA
5. Doug McDermott (2011-12) - 253/400 2P/2PA (63.3%), 54/111 3P/3PA (48.6%), 133/167 FT/FTA (79.6%)
Bane rises in Note #034 on Jaylin Sellers's superb college shotmaking.
Cheaney's checked in twice before:
Note #017 (Drew Fielder) / Note #054 (Nick Martinelli)
Statistics via Sports Reference
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