May 9, 2008

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Stephen F. Austin Lumberjack basketball coach Danny Kaspar announced Friday the signing of forward Aaron Smith. Smith will join the Lumberjacks in the fall after spending the 2007-08 season with Salt Lake Community College.

The 6-8, 220-pound Smith helped lead SLCC to the NJCAA national championship game after winning the Region 18 championship. The Bruins posted an impressive 32-4 overall record. Smith had the fourth-best scoring average on the team at 7.5 points per game. He was also one of the team's top 3-point shooters, hitting 42 percent from outside the arc, including a 59-percent average in conference play. Smith saw action in all 36 games and averaged 16.5 minutes per contest.

Smith spent his freshman season at the University of Idaho, where he played in 21 games averaging 8.6 minutes. His 11 points in a game against Washington highlighted the season. Smith transferred to SLCC following a coaching change at Idaho.

Smith was a highly decorated high school player in Idaho. The native of Kendrick, Idaho, was named the Northern Idaho Basketball Player of the Year and took Idaho Class 1A State Player of the Year honors as a senior. He was a three-time all-state selection overall. When Smith signed with Idaho he became the first athlete from Kendrick's Troy High to go directly to an NCAA Division I program following high school.

Smith joins two early signing period additions and a pair of other spring signees to give the Lumberjacks five players in their current signing class.

SFA is coming off its best season since becoming a Division I program in the 1986-87 season. The Lumberjacks went 26-6 this season and won a share of the program's first-ever Southland Conference championship. SFA earned a berth in the National Invitation Tournament, where the 'Jacks fell to eventual championship game participant UMass.

-- SFA --