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SG Lenzelle Smith (Hapoel Eilat - Israel)

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Magua;2090423; said:
So I have seen a lot of chatter on the internet making fun of Lenzelle's college major, Exploration. I honestly had no idea such a major existed. Can someone with actual knowledge enlighten me as to what this degree is actually about cause everyone thinks Lewis & Clark and well that just sounds fishy to me lol.

Edit: now that I look most of our guys have that that listed as their major? Does it mean they are undecided perhaps?
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http://majors.osu.edu/pdfview.aspx?id=252
it's a pdf on Exploration. Generally, it just means undecided.
 
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Ohio State men's basketball's Lenzelle Smith Jr. can score, but defense keeps him on court
Published: Saturday, January 21, 2012
By Doug Lesmerises, The Plain Dealer

10470481-large.jpg

Jay LaPrete, Associated Press
Lenzelle Smith, top, shoots between Indiana's Tom Pritchard, left, and Kory Barnett during the Buckeyes' 80-63 victory over the Hoosiers last weekend.

COLUMBUS, Ohio ? For Lenzelle Smith Jr., his freshman year was a rumor, delayed from the start by wrist surgery in summer 2010 that kept him out of the off-season work that bonded together the rest of his recruiting class.

"I don't know if he got a fair freshman year," Ohio State coach Thad Matta said.

When Smith did get on the court, averaging five minutes of action in the 20 games he played while sitting out 17 others, "I just had the freshman jitters," he said. "I was all over the place. I was so excited, I had more energy than I ever had in my life."

Entering his sophomore season, there wasn't much else known about Smith, who had been the No. 132 recruit in the Class of 2010, according to Rivals.com (ranking fifth among the six-man OSU class). Entering tonight's game at Nebraska, after Smith's 28-point effort against Indiana on Sunday, OSU fans have a better feel for the Illinois native. And this is how he got here.

Matta's goal for this season was to take that energy and use it for good; take a player who had spent his AAU career in Illinois playing in national showdowns against the Ohio team led by future OSU teammates Jared Sullinger, Aaron Craft, Jordan Sibert and J.D. Weatherspoon and find him a role; take a player accustomed to contributing on offense and get him to value defense first; and take that player set back by injury and turn him into the fifth starter Matta needed for this national title contender. So Matta told Smith this in the off-season, "Lose yourself in the team."

Lenzelle Smith Jr.

Hometown: Zion, Ill.

2010-11 stats: 4.6 minutes, 1.2 points, 0.8 rebs, 0.5 assists, 0.3 steals.

2011-12 stats: 22.6 minutes, 6.4 points, 4.7 rebs, 2.1 assists, 1.3 steals.
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"He thought about himself, which is typical for a freshman, of what do I have to do to get on the court?" Matta said, emphasizing the "I."

"When you're out [after surgery] and you can't do anything, and the other 12 guys for six straight months have been sweating and running and doing everything together and you're sitting and watching, his mind-set was 'How do I get involved?'

"And then, we started to see it late last year, he thought this is a great place, this is a great program, I'm on a great team and I'm going to lose myself into that. And that's when he started turning the corner."

cont...
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http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2012/01/ohio_state_mens_basketballs_le.html
 
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Bob Hunter commentary: Smith?s do-it-all skill set just what Buckeyes need
By Bob Hunter
The Columbus Dispatch
Monday January 30, 2012

There are different ways to look at Ohio State sophomore guard Lenzelle Smith Jr.

?Big-game L,? teammate Jared Sullinger said.

?On this team, we sort of need a jack of all trades,? coach Thad Matta said.

The two aren?t mutually exclusive. While the utilitarian role isn?t glamorous, it sometimes means Smith must be the star. He did that against Indiana two weeks ago, scoring a career-high 28 points and getting seven rebounds in a victory over a Hoosiers squad that had beaten the Buckeyes in Bloomington, Ind., earlier. Yesterday, he did it again, scoring 17 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in No. 4 OSU?s 64-49 win over No. 20 Michigan.

This 19-3 Buckeyes team obviously has plenty of star-quality players, starting with Sullinger, a candidate for national player of the year. But the difference between a Final Four team and one that doesn?t quite get there is often a guy like Smith, who can give his teammates what they need when they need it.

A jack of all trades seldom achieves All-America status. He can bring his team a lot of wins.

?When Lenzelle is rebounding the ball, he?s in tune with the defense,? Sullinger said. ?He?s pretty darn good.?

cont...
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http://www.buckeyextra.com/content/...it-all-skill-set-just-what-buckeyes-need.html

OSU guard Lenzelle Smith does it all in a big way: Bill Livingston
Published: Sunday, January 29, 2012
By Bill Livingston, The Plain Dealer

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Talk about "stepping up."

Lenzelle Smith Jr. rebounded and he bounded around. He soared and he scored. He put four Ohio State misses back in Sunday, once with a midair catch and flipped bank off a missed 3-pointer by William Buford that was a little kinetic sonnet.

Smith hit all his five free throws after claiming offensive rebounds and wrestling up shots. Eight of his dozen rebounds were on the offensive glass. He converted the whole, sweaty shebang into 13 of his 17 points.

Few things are more discouraging after a good defensive stand than to lose the "50-50 balls," as coaches call equal-opportunity rebounds.

"And you can add insult to injury when you score off them," said Smith injuriously.

When it was all over, Smith, playing bigger than his 6-foot-3 size, had helped the Buckeyes reclaim the lead in the Big Ten race in a 64-49 victory against Michigan.

" 'Big Game L' " said Jared Sullinger, coining a nickname that was appropriate two Sundays ago, when Smith, a sophomore, like Sullinger, erupted for 28 points against Indiana. It was even more fitting against Michigan, because Smith slipped smoothly into the role of "jack-of-all-trades" and energy guy in which coach Thad Matta has cast him.

Smith is the "other" guard in OSU's three-guard lineup, alongside the point guard and defensive stopper Aaron Craft and senior shooting guard Buford, a growing presence on the all-time OSU scoring list. Jon Diebler played in Smith's spot last year, making 50 percent of his 3-pointers in a prolific season. Buford and Smith were only 1-of-7 behind the arc against Michigan, but Smith only hoisted two.

cont...
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http://www.cleveland.com/livingston/index.ssf/2012/01/osu_guard_lenzelle_smith_does.html
 
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southcampus;1933918; said:
I was over at Matt Terwilliger's house last night and he mentioned that Lenzelle Smith is a guy who's going to get some serious minutes this year. He's gotten himself into great shape and has been killing it apparently. He said he's also got the best hops on the team hands down.
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He's turned himself into a guy who gets MOST of the minutes. I love watching him play because he's kinda picked up where David Lighty left off: Scrappy defender with unreal athleticism. I expect him to only get better.
 
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colobuck79;2099294; said:
Smith is one of the smartest rebounders we have had in recent memory. :osu:
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Brings to mind JJ Sullinger for me.




The fact that the light switch turned on so quickly for Lenzelle is really exciting. The fact that teams can't let Lenzelle go to double team other members is HUGE. I've noticed since Big Game L's 20+ point outburst, teams are now letting Kraft go to shoot it instead of Lenzelle. If Kraft can step up his shooting from the floor and (especially) from the line and everyone else keeps their game up, we will win the Big Ten regular season.
 
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