Not your typical athlete. Not a lights-out 3-point shooter. Malik Smith is a 6-foot-6-inch tall, 280-pound center who you don’t often see in today’s basketball game anymore.
Smith, a senior at Butler High School, plays on the varsity men’s basketball team. He finished with 11 points, nine rebounds and two steals, helping the Bulldogs get the win over Toombs County on Wednesday, Feb. 23, in the first round of the state playoffs. His scoring came early in the game, as he scored the first six points of the game in the 57-42 victory.
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Butler Coach Cervantes Boddy said Smith was very important in the win on Wednesday night.
“Extremely important – he set the tone early for us,” said Boddy. “If we can get him going, things have a great chance of going pretty good for us.”
Even though he is a bigger player, Boddy said he can move on his feet very well and really helps the team when needed.
“Big guy, space eater, very physical and he can actually move,” said Boddy. “If we can establish that low-post presence, that opens everything else up.”
This is the first year Smith has played for Butler’s varsity basketball team and even though he has not played every game and minute, it seems he is showing up when it matters most.
Coach Boddy also praised Smith’s passing skills and spoke on how he has been saving him for the right moment.
“He is also able to think the game and see the game,” he said. “He is a great passer and gives us an element teams haven’t seen all year, so I have been kind of holding that one back, and I think tonight was the perfect night to bring it out the bag.”
Butler will need all the help they can have in the next game traveling to play Pace Academy in the Sweet 16 of the AA Georgia High School State Playoffs on Friday, Feb. 25. Last season, Butler was knocked out of the playoffs by Pace Academy in the Elite Eight. The game tips off at Pace Academy at 6 p.m.
Chris Rickerson is a Sports Contributor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at CRICKERSON@augusta.edu.
