Click HERE for USBWA Release

Indianapolis — Central Connecticut men's basketball forward Darin Smith, Jr. (Springfield, MA/Vermont Academy/Springfield Central) was recognized by the U.S. Basketball Writer's Association (USBWA) as one of five Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week, the organization announced Tuesday.

Smith joined Leo Beath (UC San Diego), Simeon Cotton (Kennesaw State), Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan) and Nick Townsend (Yale) as this week's honorees. The weekly honor is given out jointly by the USBWA and the Oscar Robertson Trophy. Awarded each year since 1959, the USBWA Oscar Robertson Trophy is awarded to the most outstanding men's college basketball player each year. It was named for Robertson in 1998.

Smith, who was also named the NEC Player of the Week on Monday, was the catalyst of a high-scoring Central Connecticut offense that averaged 115.0 points over a pair of games last week. The sophomore torched the nets with a 64.7 shooting percentage after he combined to go 22-of-34 from the floor. On the week, he averaged 31.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in two Blue Devils' wins. Smith went off in Monday's thrilling 108-106 overtime win over in-state foe Sacred Heart. Knocking down 12-of-21 shots from the field, including a trio of three-pointers, the Springfield, MA native turned in an 11-of-12 effort from the free throw line to lead all scorers with a career-high 38 points.

It marked the highest scoring game by an NEC player since Le Moyne's Kaiyem Cleary poured in 43 against LIU on Jan. 27, 2024. In addition, the 38 points were the most by a Blue Devil since Kyle Vinales netted 42 at Wagner on Feb. 14, 2013. Smith followed that performance with his fourth 20-point outing of the season — and the third in as many games — after he netted 24 points in 21 minutes on an efficient 10-of-13 effort from the field in a 122-57 win over Johnson & Wales.

On the season, Smith is leading the league in scoring at 20.7 points per game to go along with 4.8 rebounds per outing. He ranks third in the NEC with 55.2 shooting percentage from the field, while from three, he is averaging 1.9 makes per game at a 38.2 percent clip. He also is the most-accurate free-throw shooter in the league, making 92.9 percent of his attempts. 

Smith and the Blue Devils are back in action on Wednesday night at Seton Hall.