'11 VA SF Dorian Finney-Smith

[BearcatAlum1]

2011 SF: Dorian Finney-Smith
6'7" 185lbs
Portsmouth, VA
Norcom HS
AAU: Boo Williams

Offer: No.
Other offers: Alabama, Clemson, ODU, Virginia and VCU

I'm trying to confirm offers from: William and Mary, Cincinnati, Marquette, North Carolina State, Virginia Tech, and Xavier

Rivals http://rivals.yahoo.com/xavier/basketball/recruiting/player-Dorian-Finney-Smith-96633

This year alone, he has won the AAA State Player of the Year, All Tidewater Player of the Year, Virginian Preps State Player of the Year, Eastern Regioin Player of the Year, Eastern District Player of the Year and he may even win the AP State Player of the Year.

As a junior he averaged 20pts, 6assts, 3stls and 1 block.

 

[BearcatAlum1]

PORTSMOUTH
Being the baby boy of a talented family can be difficult.

Just ask Norcom’s Dorian Finney-Smith. The 6-foot-7 junior is always being compared to his oldest brother, Ben, a former Norcom star athlete and current basketball standout at Old Dominion.

But Finney-Smith has bragging rights for now. He helped lead the Greyhounds to a Group AAA state title, and he’s the 2010 All-Tidewater Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

“Ah, man, he got it his junior year,” said Ben, who won the award in 2006 as a senior. “It just shows that hard work pays.”

Finney-Smith has put in the work. The knocks on him before this season were that he was “too unselfish” and “not aggressive.”

“Last year he wouldn’t even take a shot,” Norcom coach Leon Goolsby said. “We had to make him shoot the ball.

He didn’t shoot because he didn’t want to step on their toes. But I told him, 'If you’re supposed to be the best kid on the floor and you’re not shooting the ball, that’s a problem.”

Finney-Smith finally got the message. He averaged 17.1 points in the first seven games, then pushed it to 20.7 points over his next 14 games. For the season he finished as South Hampton Roads’ second-leading scorer in Group AAA at 19.7.

“At the beginning of the season it was hard getting used to that,” Finney-Smith said. “But coach Goolsby worked me real hard and told me I had to step up.”

Finney-Smith’s all-around game – he averaged six assists, three steals and two blocks – helped lead the Greyhounds to an Eastern Region title and to their second consecutive Eastern District regular-season championship.

In the state title game he also shined, with 17 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks to lead the Greyhounds to their first Group AAA state basketball title.

“To hear the words (state champions) sounds real good,” he said. “I just want another one next year. And I’m going to work hard so we can get another one next year.”

Finney-Smith’s play this season has caught the attention of many big-time programs, including Clemson, Alabama, Xavier, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Cincinnati, Virginia Commonwealth and Old Dominion.

“He’s improved tremendously,” Ben said. “All we were trying to do at the beginning of the year was to get him to be more aggressive and at least ask for the ball. We knew he had potential, but we just wanted him to be more aggressive. And the more aggressive he got, the better he got, and the more impressed people were with his game.”

 

[BearcatAlum1]

Norcom’s Finney-Smith honored
By Larry Rubama
April 12, 2010


Norcom junior Dorian Finney-Smith, who helped lead the Greyhounds to the Group AAA state title, was named MaxPreps.com top 50 high school basketball players in America.

MaxPreps.com and Milk teamed to honor the team. Selection to the team was based on statistics, team success as well as local, regional and state honors. Potential at the college or professional level was not a consideration.

Finney-Smith, who averaged 19.7 points and 13 rebounds, was 1 of only 3 Virginia players to be named. The others were Doron Lamb of Oak Hill and Kendall Marshall of Bishop O’Connell.

Surprisingly absent was Norfolk Christian’s James McAdoo who named Parade All-American and Gatorade Virginia Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

Finney-Smith also was named the Virginia High School Coaches Association Player of the Year. Joining Finney-Smith on the all-state team was King’s Fork senior center Davante Gardner. Great Bridge’s Briante Weber and Landstown’s Julian Norfleet were named honorable mention

http://hamptonroads.com/2010/04/boys-basketball-norcom-and-finneysmith-honored


I know some of you may have sights set on other names, but this DFS seems to be emerging as a big-time prospect.

We have tons of offers on the table, but I'd love to bring in a winner like DFS.

 

[bearcat jeff]

http://articles.dailypress.com/2010-04-11/news/dp-spt_teel_0411apr11_1_new-york-gauchos-boo-williams